Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4

ZK347
 United Kingdom
Fighter Jet - Operations - Military

16 June 2023
13:59

Origin : AKT
AKT
LCRA
Akrotiri
(unassigned)
 United Kingdom
Elevation : 23m / 76ft
Destination : AKT
AKT
LCRA
Akrotiri
(unassigned)
 United Kingdom
Elevation : 23m / 76ft

CommentThis a bizarre mix-up.
The RAF, like all airlines, has an ICAO standard 'callsign' that starts with RRR. It is called ASCOT.
Kalitta Air regular flights have a callsign that starts with CKS, National Airlines has been assigned NCR, etc
But when aircontrollers 'call' RAF flights they don't call "RRR 123...", they say "ASCOT 123...". If it's a Kalitta they don't call "CKS 123..", they say "CONNY 123" (from Conrad Kalitta, the racercar driver who founded the airline), etc.
So here the ICAO assigned callsign is mixed with the human callsign.
So, this is actually RRR9950 aka ASCOT 9950.
Aviation, it's weird, it's...complicated.
I still wonder how such mix-ups arise.

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14:54 UTC