According to FAA guidelines, a pilot of an aircraft approaching or leaving an airport must use a five-letter heading that designates a particular waypoint. These designations are assigned more or less at random, but there's nothing that prevents the appropriate official from choosing a particular as-yet-unclaimed set for a particular approach. For example, pilots flying into or out from the Charles M. Schulz Airport in Sonoma County may do so on SNUPY, LUSEE, PIGPN, or WDSTC. The list for Portsmouth, NH includes ITAWT, ITAWA, PUDYE, and TTATT. And those for Kansas City, naturally, include SPICY, BARBQ, SMOKE, and RIBBS.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Aircraft Navigation in Five Letters
According to FAA guidelines, a pilot of an aircraft approaching or leaving an airport must use a five-letter heading that designates a particular waypoint. These designations are assigned more or less at random, but there's nothing that prevents the appropriate official from choosing a particular as-yet-unclaimed set for a particular approach. For example, pilots flying into or out from the Charles M. Schulz Airport in Sonoma County may do so on SNUPY, LUSEE, PIGPN, or WDSTC. The list for Portsmouth, NH includes ITAWT, ITAWA, PUDYE, and TTATT. And those for Kansas City, naturally, include SPICY, BARBQ, SMOKE, and RIBBS.
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