USN Flight Numbers Restrictions

[DaleHawerchuk]

Simple question, is it possible for aircraft within the same carrier event to have the same flight numbers, but with different callsigns?

For example, could an event include Rampage 11, 12, 13, 14 and Texaco 11, 12? In other words, is the callsign considered sufficient to differentiate aircraft with the same flight numbers?

I'm working on realistic campaign scenarios. When you start building strike packages including tankers and EW, you kind of go through them quite fast. I'm also assuming that as some USN aircraft are using the octal system, flight numbers can only use numbers from 1 to 7?

Any light from someone with irl experience would be awesome. Thanks

[gatordev]

It's going to depend on if you're referring to a tactical callsign or a MODEX.  With ATC, you may have "SEAHAWK 702," but inter-section or inter-flight, that same aircraft may be "HAWK 11."  To further confuse things, you'll then also have just JANAP callsigns for other non-flying units without numbers (like DAYTONA).  That's on top of RED CROWN or GREEN CROWN, which are also ships, but carry the generic "CROWN" callsign.

In a much more mellow AOR, I've also flown as just JANAP callsign and MODEX since there wasn't any local ATO.  So when checking in, it was just "TIGER 602, this is EASYRIDER 57," for example.

Short answer:  it depends, but Tactical name + 2-digit number works just fine for the tactical portion of the flight.

Edited August 4, 2024 by gatordev