Airport Identifiers

GreenDayPilot

GreenDayPilot

Well-Known Member
What's the deal with airport ID's and numbers? I know that if they have a numbers they are Uncontrolled, but is that always the case? Take AVX (Avalon/Catalina Isle) for example, its uncontrolled yet it doesnt' have any numbers. Is this just an exception or what? Are there any controlled airports with numbers in the identifier? Does iall this really matter??
 
Doesn't really matter. My first airport, TLR is uncontrolled. Well, uncontrolled all year except for the week of the Tulare Farm Equipment Show.
 
Good read!

http://www.skygod.com/asstd/abc.html

The continued growth of aviation world-wide meant that three letter combinations were insufficient to identify every airport. Eventually the system expanded, allowing numbers and four digit combinations; however, an airport served by scheduled route air-carrier or military airlift aircraft always has a code comprising of only three letters. My hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina, not only has RDU (Raleigh/Durham International), but also the much smaller 5W5 (South Raleigh Airport), W17 (Raleigh East Airport), 2NC3 (Sky-5 helipad), and ONC4 (Wake Medical Center Heliport). The two-letter, two-number identifiers use the two-letter Post Office or supplemental abbreviation of the State for the two letters: 2ND9 is in North Dakota, 85FL is in Florida, etc. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, known as 49J when it was a general aviation airport, now has airline service and therefore a new airport identifier—HHH.
 
Timbuff10 said:
Good read!

http://www.skygod.com/asstd/abc.html

however, an airport served by scheduled route air-carrier or military airlift aircraft always has a code comprising of only three letters. ........ Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, known as 49J when it was a general aviation airport, now has airline service and therefore a new airport identifier—HHH.
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Right on... good read! yeah, I think AVX might have some scheduled flights with the DC-3 that delievers stuff to the island so maybe thats why its all letters. It also proves true with SGU (St. George, UT), an uncontrolled airport that has services with Sky West.

I also noticed some airports like 67L (Mesquite, NV) have some significance to it- 67L is 67 nautical miles from LAS (Las Vegas/McCarren Int'l)....intersting
 
Looks like the Crystal City metro/metra/whatever-station they call it.

Veddy familiar.
 
Doug Taylor said:
Looks like the Crystal City metro/metra/whatever-station they call it.

Veddy familiar.
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Court House Plaza

I am considering getting all my metro ratings and taking command of one of those puppies. I mean it's just like flying a plane right? You even get to have a little PA system and make announcements to the pax.

"ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard the blueline, be on the lookout for suspicious items, and remember, be prepared, not scared!"
 
Haha, the metro rocks!

I made it from BWI to DCA for $5.25 a few weeks ago. Only took like an hour and a half too. I saved about $100 flying into BWI instead of DCA so I was pumped. The big bonus was, I didn't even get robbed on the greenline either.
 
Doug Taylor said:
Doesn't really matter. My first airport, TLR is uncontrolled. Well, uncontrolled all year except for the week of the Tulare Farm Equipment Show.
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Uh, Doug...it had to be "uncontrolled", otherwise you wouldn't have been there!

Woo Hoo!
 
Catalina used to have scheduled air service. The Wriggley family owned an airline. In fact, it bought out Cable Commuter (which is why Cable airport has a 3-letter also). That was a fairly nasty deal, from what I understand. At least, the Cable family still harbors bad feelings about it after all this time.

The three letter codes are assigned by the ATA, the 4 letter by IATA. The ones that aren't assigned by ATA get number combinations for the FAA system for filing purposes.
 
Delta flies into Hayden-Yampa Valley Airport (HDN) outside of Steamboat Springs, CO. Unless things have changed in the last 6yrs since Ive been there, its uncontrolled. Out of the 10 or so times Ive been there, we went around probably 3 or 4 times. Gotta love an uncontrolled airport that has EMB-120s and a bunch of 757s servicing it.
 
Anyone know what the identifier was for Catalina's seaplane airport they had in the past? That was pretty cool. I don't remember the actual airport but I have seen post cards with a ramp area with many different amphibians in all sorts of colors.
 
FlyingNole said:
Delta flies into Hayden-Yampa Valley Airport (HDN) outside of Steamboat Springs, CO. Unless things have changed in the last 6yrs since Ive been there, its uncontrolled. Out of the 10 or so times Ive been there, we went around probably 3 or 4 times. Gotta love an uncontrolled airport that has EMB-120s and a bunch of 757s servicing it.
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It is pretty neat to go in there with jets making position reports. AA, UA, and NW also have seasonal service to HDN.
 
I was going to hijack this thread a bit with some info on Catalina's Pebbly Beach and the seaplanes operated to/from there.
I started a new thread all about it.
Still looking for the identifier
Found it- CIB
I think they still fly helos there
 
Timbuff10 said:
Haha, the metro rocks!

I made it from BWI to DCA for $5.25 a few weeks ago. Only took like an hour and a half too. I saved about $100 flying into BWI instead of DCA so I was pumped. The big bonus was, I didn't even get robbed on the greenline either.
Click to expand...

My friend got mugged on the green line... Awesome site Tim!
 
GreenDayPilot said:
What's the deal with airport ID's and numbers? I know that if they have a numbers they are Uncontrolled, but is that always the case? Take AVX (Avalon/Catalina Isle) for example, its uncontrolled yet it doesnt' have any numbers. Is this just an exception or what? Are there any controlled airports with numbers in the identifier? Does iall this really matter??
Click to expand...

you have to have weather (AWOS/ASOS) and an approach to get a 3 letter ident. Doesnt mean you'll get one, but those are the minimum requirements to get one allocated to you. Towered/Untowered makes no difference.
 
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