Callsign structure

Greetings to the VATSIM world!

Lately I’ve been hearing some strange callsigns, especially in Germany, which I would personally call unrealistic or even prohibited. Examples are DLH2A5 or DLHB2.

For me, a callsign is build out of the three letter code (e.g. DLH for Lufthansa) and up to 4 symbols (numbers and letters). It always has and starts with at least one number and can’t start with a letter. After the first number it can have up to 3 other symbols which may contain of only numbers or letters or a mix of them, but the order should always be numbers and then letters but never number|letter|number.

We’re obviously talking about IFR airline ops here and not VFR GA.

Unfortunately I haven’t found anything in the rules regarding this context. I’m also not a real life private or commercial pilot and not an air traffic conroller. However, I haven’t seen any callsign in my entire life that is structured like the two examples in the beginning.

I’m I wrong and is there somebody who can clarify that?

Thanks in advance!

Lucas

Lucas,

There is no rules online in regard callsigns other than they cannot be offensive. If you use an “who’s online” application and scroll through acft callsigns, maybe half wouldn’t be a real world replication. There are fanciful Airlines, VAs replicating fictitious airlines and just one off weird ones.

As long as they are not offensive then anybody can use what they like.

to add up, plenty of “real world” callsigns are done with number+letter+number. AirBaltic is an expert operator on doing so :slight_smile:

Define offensive. FCK is the ICAO code of Flight Calibration Services, callsign NAV CHECKER. They have used FCK1T in the real world, although I’m sure it was tongue in cheek.