Skywest Callsigns
 

Whats the story behind Skywest adding letters to the end of some of their callsigns? IE: 'Skywest Twenty-Four Echo' Surely they haven't run out of numbers?

Typically this is done if the aircraft is being repositioned on the ground. Without a valid flight number, the callsign we use is the gate number we're repositioning to. In SFO: "Ground Skywest 76 Alpha reposition to gate 76A." In flight though, I'm not sure.

I don't work for Skywest; with that being said I think other airlines use them when they have a continuation flight.

IE Flight 5069 scheduled BOS - MIA going through ORD. Flight 5069 is BOS - ORD and flight 69A (actually 5069A but you can't do more then 4 #, so it becomes 069A, which is 69A; flight 3995 would become 995A and so forth) is ORD - MIA.

Basically, you can't (or shouldn't) have two flight plans with the same # in the system around the same depature time. This has become an issue because let's say 5069 (BOS - ORD) is delayed and another plane is used for the second segment; flight 5069 (ORD - MIA) then departs at the same time flight 5069 (BOS - ORD) is arriving in Chicago. Two planes, seperate flight plans, same company and flight #, on the same freq. Not good!!

Hope that helps.

How many CRJ's do you repo in IAH? I have heard it there when they are taxing in after landing.

Good thoughts so far, thanks. Check it out:

http://flightaware.com/live/findflight/KSLC/KPSC

All the Skywest flights between these particular spots (SLC-PSC) have a letter at the end. All turn around and head back to SLC.

My vote goes for ferry/repo/training flights then. I know my carrier is all 9000# for their repo flights. Maybe each letter has a different meaining (ie E = ferry, U=training). Heck now I'm just speculating :D!

I've heard Air Wisky flying around with callsigns such as "###A" also, I was wondering what these were about.

Some airlines just use really big numbers. I've been on a couple UAL flights where they used the number 82--, etc.

sometimes airlines have two of the same flight numbers, i.e. delays etc....

'SAABaroowski' is correct. I once got a flight number with an alpha-numeric tagged to the end, and I asked why. Airline with more than one flight with the same number airborne at the same time.