[FedCom] ROSS 096 - Phila

[A10382]

Probably a news-copter  ? -- or Police hc ?

Or maybe an helicopter air-taxi ?

Or a corporate H/C?

The FAA allows 'vanity' call signs for aircraft and publishes them in their
Air Traffic Controller notes.  Typical of these is 'DIGITAL 11' thru
'DIGITAL 30' that was used by the old Digital Equipment Company for their
fleet of  6 passenger turboprops.

Is there a large company or Bank there called "ROSS".  If not, you might
want to listen to see where they put down - it could even be a corporate
rooftop (i.e. like Mellon Bank).   In the light of today's new security
concerns, some corporations have changed the call sign for their fleet of
aircraft and hcs.  In addition, they sometimes don't like the public to
understand that are spending MILLIONS on their flight departments.  Some
even create separate subsidiary companies to own the a/c.

Even military traffic is usually identified like "Navy, BANDIT 101, Flight
of 4, HORNET) to let the ATC folks understand the aircraft's capability
(min/max speed, turning radius, runway length needed, etc.).

The controllers have a book in the atc centers and towers that lists the
capability numbers...

While a small privately owned single engine aircraft is typically identified
by it's tail number ( i.e.; N1234G - and then the controller needs to know
they type - like "Cardinal" -Cessna C-177 or "Cherokee" - Piper PA28),
scheduled airlines use vanity signs to match their flight number like
"American 135" or "UNITED 123".  In some cases the airline even has a vanity
name like 'CACTUS' (which I believe is America West).

Privately owned airliners (there are quite a few privately owned 727's and
737's) also have these vanity call signs unless the owner wants anonymity.

Most news organizations, PDs, Air Ambulance, etc.  have the same for their
copters.  It facilitates air traffic control and lets the ATC folks know
immediately the type of aircraft and its capabilities.  In an air-taxi
business using piston engine a/c, the last thing you want is ATC asking you
to 'maintain 220 knots when that's about 20 knots above max speed for the
airframe -- or asking a 747 to 'slow to 100 knots' where it would fall out
of the sky.....

The traffic control radar screens typically show (if the aircraft is on a
flight plan or assigned a transponder code for local following) the call or
tail number, type of aircraft, altitude, assent/descent(arrows),and ground
speed to help the controller fit it into the 'flow' properly.  All of this
is captured from the computers connected to the radar sets and 'tagged'
based on the assigned transponder code.

73
Frank
 ._._.
----- Original Message -----
From: <RadioScan@aol.com>
To: <fedcom@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, July 29, 2002 6:52 PM
Subject: [FedCom] ROSS 096 - Phila


> Was listening to Phila tower talking to an aircraft, ROSS 96.
> Ross 96 was over the City of Phila and close to the Walt Whitman Bridge.
> Ross 96 (on 133.8) announced that it would be "Stationary" for awhile.
> Obviously a helicopter.
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