ELVIS71?

[Marauder]

A flight ELVIS71 showed up on my TIS-B as I was passing Dover AFB. From a distance, it looked like a C-17. Looking at FlightAware, it originated from Dover AFB and landed in Memphis. Any significance to ELVIS71? Someone like Elvis and was born in 1971? 

 

[47U]

The 164th Airlift Wing, Tennessee ANG, is flying C-17s out of Memphis.  Military flying squadrons generally have dedicated call signs, sometimes depending on the mission.  At Beale we've got 'RoperXX' call signs for the T-38s, and 'PinionXX' call signs for the U-2.  When I was at Offutt, back in my crew chief days, my pax hauling -135 used 'RingyXX' call sign.  When we picked up a mission for the 89th at Andrews, we used a 'SPARXX' call sign.  Makes sense they're 'ElvisXX.'   

More than you wanted to know, sorry about that.

Tom

[0TreeLemur]

Here in Alabama I frequently hear the call sign "MafiaXX".   I'd like to hear the story behind that one.

[DXB]

My ADS-b out transponder will let me switch the broadcast call sign to anything I want - I think some others may require unlock by avionics shop to change it.  It would be fun to play with this, if it didn't get you in trouble.  The rules are clear that starting in 2020, the transponder has to display the same thing as on the filed flight plan, and ATC gets an alert if there is a mismatch:

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2018/september/27/faa-updates-call-sign-policies

Not sure if there's any rule governing what it says when vfr and talking to no one?  

[carusoam]

I would go with something recognizable...   -a-

[Marauder]

8 hours ago, carusoam said:

I would go with something recognizable...   -a-

Something like ANT-1? 

[Danb]

I flew from Hilton head yesterday and had a Royal 77 practicing  beneath me, not sure what it was, doing 292  knots. Also and emergency  being handled by Seymour Johnson, I’m used to fuel, souls onboard, they included armament onboard.

[Davidv]

if there’s a guy on your field that you don’t like, you could always change to his tail number then fly right through a bravo :).

[Marauder]

31 minutes ago, Davidv said:

if there’s a guy on your field that you don’t like, you could always change to his tail number then fly right through a bravo :).

Just changed mine to N46BL, heading over to the Washington FRZ and see what reaction I get. 

[Davidv]

5 minutes ago, Marauder said:

Just changed mine to N46BL, heading over to the Washington FRZ and see what reaction I get. 

Haha

[Davidv]

14 minutes ago, Marauder said:

Just changed mine to N46BL, heading over to the Washington FRZ and see what reaction I get. 

Although I would say the key is doing it in airspace where you aren’t going to get a missile fired at you!

[0TreeLemur]

4 hours ago, Davidv said:

if there’s a guy on your field that you don’t like, you could always change to his tail number then fly right through a bravo :).

I wouldn't recommend that.   Your transponder still transmits a discrete hexadecimal code that you cannot change, and that will reveal your attempt at spoofing.  They would figure it out.

[N201MKTurbo]

13 minutes ago, 0TreeLemur said:

I wouldn't recommend that.   Your transponder still transmits a discrete hexadecimal code that you cannot change, and that will reveal your attempt at spoofing.  They would figure it out.

The hex codes are shown on the aircraft databases and can be easily changed in the setup screen. 

Not sure what regulation that is violating, but I bet the FAA would come down like a ton of bricks if they found out you did it on purpose.

https://mode-s.org/decode/adsb/introduction.html

 

[KSMooniac]

I saw this one a few months ago and got a great laugh!

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk

[Davidv]

2 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said:

The hex codes are shown on the aircraft databases and can be easily changed in the setup screen. 

Not sure what regulation that is violating, but I bet the FAA would come down like a ton of bricks if they found out you did it on purpose.

https://mode-s.org/decode/adsb/introduction.html

 

That's correct, I can change my code to represent any other N number in the setup mode of my Garmin.  Just to be clear, I was completely joking about changing the code and would definitely not recommend it!

[N201MKTurbo]

I think the ability to change your N Number is more for the airline types who go by flight numbers not N numbers. The callsign the airplane uses changes on a day by day (or more often) basis.

[Davidv]

Yes, unlike my GTN where I can plug in whatever hex code I want.  I know this because one day my unit was programmed incorrectly so I was emitting the code from another aircraft and being tracked via ATC and flightaware as if I was the other plane.