US Airways New Callsign

[NYARTCCFAN]

To those that work at US Airways I heard on several fronts that the USAIR callsign will cease to be heard after 8/31 and will now be heard East and West as Cactus. Any truth to this ????

[LGA777]

Yes on Sept 1st all US East flights will start using the Cactus callsign and on the same date all US West flights will change from the AWE to the USA indentifier.

There will still be separate operations, with only West crews flying West aircraft and the same for the east. This will be in place to a single pilot contract is in place, which might be a while.

You can still tell West from East flights by the flight number, 1-699 are West operated aircraft and 700 and above East. Also locally all Mainline service at LGA is still East and JFK still West. EWR has a mix of both.

Regards

LGA777

[PHL Approach]

Yes, the Flight Ops department has released some memo's stating effective September 1st that East crews are to use the Cactus callsign. Dispatchers will also file all flights as USA.

"One of the last items to be completed in the merger integration
process is to consolidate under one ATC call sign. A decision
was made about two years ago to attempt to preserve the America
West heritage by choosing "Cactus" as the airline's call sign since
the airline's name was to remain as "US Airways".

Last September both carriers were merged under one operating
certificate. At that time, the FAA agreed to allow us to delay the
call sign change approximately one year. During this time,
our Safety Department completed a risk analysis that included
interviews with FAA personnel and ATC facility representatives
from around the world. This study indicated that it would preferable
to use one of the two existing call signs rather than introducing a
totally new call sign and that there are arguments to be made for
each call sign.

Effective September 1, 2008 at 0800 (Zulu Time), we will begin
using the "Cactus" call sign on all flights. The FAA ATC
Command Center has required that we make this change at a
specific time when a minimum amount of flights are airborne.
This universal time changeover allows those flights in the air to
switch over at a precise time with the majority of our flights
departing later under the consolidated call sign along with the
USA identifier on flight releases and ATC flight strips.

The FAA understands mistakes may be made initially, however
if you are referred to as US Airways, please correct the controller
and respond with the correct call sign.

Thanks for your attention to this important issue as we move closer
and closer to an integrated airline with one common set of
operating procedures."

[SengaB]

What a sad day that will be.
I remember the day "America West" became "Cactus"...
AEW pilot arriving 27L into Ohare and after getting his clearance to land promptly corrected the controller that AWE flights are now to be called "Cactus" and not America West"
Senga

[adam613]

I like the Cactus callsign...

[cancidas]

it'll be nice to hear around LGA that's for sure! i wonder how many controllers will be tripped up by this on monday. i can't wait for the day when we're one union and one fleet!

[PHL Approach]

One of our best Ramp controllers at Philly calls the west flights "Cactass". Now she'll have to pay attention to flight numbers if she wants to keep that going.

i can't wait for the day when we're one union and one fleet!

I'm with ya there. Can't wait until we start seeing west birds on east routes, east birds on west routes and with the same crew's. It certainly will make our fleet a little more diverse in some small ways.

I think I may have figured out the first East flight to use the callsign. USA1420 has a wheels up at 5:40am PHL-CLT. I don't know any earlier flight than that at other stations.

[njgtr82]

I think I may have figured out the first East flight to use the callsign. USA1420 has a wheels up at 5:40am PHL-CLT. I don't know any earlier flight than that at other stations.

What about redeye flights enroute? Will they change callsigns at midnight on the way or use usair til they arrive?

[PHL Approach]

I think I may have figured out the first East flight to use the callsign. USA1420 has a wheels up at 5:40am PHL-CLT. I don't know any earlier flight than that at other stations.

What about redeye flights enroute? Will they change callsigns at midnight on the way or use usair til they arrive?

I have thought about that and I just can't see that happening. It takes effect at 4am (0800z) so a lot of those redeyes would be a little over an hour from arrival. I'm thinking that this will take effect with the first filed flight plan after 08z.

[adam613]

What about redeye flights enroute? Will they change callsigns at midnight on the way or use usair til they arrive?

Is ATC even equipped to handle mid-flight callsign changes? I can imagine it would get quite confusing...

[PHL Approach]

What about redeye flights enroute? Will they change callsigns at midnight on the way or use usair til they arrive?

Is ATC even equipped to handle mid-flight callsign changes? I can imagine it would get quite confusing...

All facilities have an R&I Book. When you walk in the door you read NOTAMs, Procedures changes etc and Initial (R&I=Read and Initial). I know most facilties (I'm sure all by now) had the Callsign sign change listed in the R&I about 2 weeks ago. So yes they are ready. It is just gonna be a repetition issue.

Now I thought of another point about the redeye's changing in flight. The West flights that departed prior to 08z will already have their stuff filed as AWE so that's another thing to think of. We'll know at 5am on Monday morning.

[Tom_Turner]

Glad the cactus call sign was chosen. I always favored the more interesting names.. clipper, speed bird, shamrock etc...

Tom

[DHG750R]

I didnt like the passing of the Piedmont ( The original one ) callsign , I personally don't care for Cactus as the merged choice ( I do like it as the America West c/s) , it just doesnt refer to anything you can associate with USAirways . For example: Clipper was appropriate for Pan Am , Shamrock is easy to associate with Aer Lingus. Time will make it easier though.. again just my own opinion

[cancidas]

I didnt like the passing of the Piedmont ( The original one ) callsign ,

can you enlighten the "youngsters" in the house?

[NYARTCCFAN]

Was fun listening today here in the Bay area. Flight on Tracon and ARTCC'S were really dissing management today. Controller here in Tampa sort of agreed with the pilots by saying pilots are the last to know these things. Strange hearing Cactus on HF over the Atlantic this afternoon.