US AIRWAYS NEW RADIO CALL SIGN

[Samy]

Morning,

just found that NOTAM. Might be useful for our database workers too

VALID FROM: 2008-09-01
UNTIL: 2008-12-31
.
ON BEHALF OF US AIRWAYS (USA)
.
US AIRWAYS (USA) AND AMERICA WEST AIRLINES (AWE) ARE FINISHING
THEIR MERGER
.
THE NEXT STEP IN THE CONSOLIDATION IS A SINGLE THREE LETTER
IDENTIFIER AND CALL SIGN
. 
EFFECTIVE SEPT 1, 2008 WILL BE CONSOLIDATED THE COMBINED AIRLINES
THREE LETTER IDENTIFIER TO USA
AND THE COMBINED AIRLINE CALL SIGN WILL BE CACTUS.
AS FROM SEPTEMBER 1, 2008    USA = CACTUS
.
CFMU ON BEHALF OF US AIRWAYS.

[Splendor]

Followed the HUGE debate about this on industry forums. Basically this is some sort of appeasement gesture towards the America West pilots who have "lost" all other traces of their former identity.

Unfortunately (or typically?) nobody thought about the effect of this choice outside the US. At least it will sound very unique....

S.

[Jose Toro]

What ? Cactus ? Come on  That's strange , but thanks for the information Samy !

[Eric J. Olson]

For those who are confused...

Cactus is the radio callsign of America West which was merged into US Airways a few years ago.

Not sure why they chose to preserve this aspect of it as it doesn't really apply to anything outside of the SW USA...if anything, they should have kept AWE's paint job...one of the best IMHO...

[Bob van der Flier]

this whole story sounds a bit prickly to me 

[Tekin]

I don't really like the callsign

[Jake]

Got used to it listening to ATC in American but over here it is going to sound rather, unique you could say.

[Gaz]

Can't wait to use this one at work tomorrow morning Can just picture the cowboy, I mean pilot, sat in his seat with a cigar and his big hat on....

[Chris G]

Had the "Cactus 734" wake me up this morning, as he gunned the power on the ILS at Manchester.

"Director, Cactus 734 heavy with you on the ILS" sounds quite good I think!

[Eric J. Olson]

Hmm, ya know, I think most of them should just go with the callsign "BANKRUPT" or "PENNILESS".

Sounds more fitting.

[Lucas Rothamel]

Hmm, ya know, I think most of them should just go with the callsign "BANKRUPT" or "PENNILESS".

I think we should make an IVAO VA called "Bankruptcy Airlines" or so that has the Flightplans of all the US airlines

[Chris G]

And, just for fun.............


Just been sent this by a friend at Swanwick:

It appears the recent ICAO ident and RTF callsign, has proved too
difficult for our American cousins so from 19/9 or 9/19 so not to
confuse !!

USA -  R/T  CACTUS is to change again to

AWE-  R/T  CACTUS  (where have I seen that before ?)

Now we in ATC in the rest of the world will be saying

US Airways "how do they come up with that callsign ?" .I have already
had to explain it 5 times at Swanwick today.

So now it's AWE/US, callsign "Cactus"!!!!

[Samy]

Several controllers (from different ATC units) reported, that most of the pilots still use "Usair" as callsign and are not informed about the new callsign 

[Eric J. Olson]

Go read this:

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/major/29902-usair-callsign.html

Looks like the crew of USA and the former AWE still hate each other with a burning passion.

Thread started about the callsign and ultimately led to bantering about totally off-topic issues.

[Eric J. Olson]

Here's the FAA NOTAMS:

FDC 8/5299 - SPECIAL NOTICE
   AS A RESULT OF THE CONSOLIDATION OF US AIRWAYS (USA) AND AMERICA
WEST AIRLINES (AWE) EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 1, 2008 AT 0800 UTC UNTIL
FURTHER NOTICE.  ALL FLIGHTS OPERATED UNDER EITHER CORPORATE LIVERY
WILL HAVE THE TELEPHONY "CACTUS".  AIRCRAFT OPERATORS SHOULD BE AWARE
THAT ATC WILL UTILIZE THE CALL SIGN "CACTUS" WHEN COMMUNICATING WITH
OR REFERRING TO THOSE FLIGHTS. WIE UNTIL UFN. CREATED: 27 AUG 17:31 2008


EFFECTIVE: 09/19/2008 – TIME 0800Z
CANCELLATION: 01/15/2009
SUBJECT:  CHANGES TO FAA ORDER JO 7340.2, CONTRACTIONS, CHAPTER 3, SECTIONS 1, 2, AND 3.

THE FOLLOWING ADDITION, CANCELLATION, MODIFICATION TO THE CORPORATE TELEPHONY AND IDENTIFIER ASSIGNMENTS HAVE BEEN APPROVED.  THIS CANCELS GENOT RWA 8/20

MODIFICATIONS COMPANY                                                           TELEPHONY               IDENT
FROM: US AIRWAYS (PHOENIX, AZ)                                               CACTUS                     USA
TO :  US AIRWAYS (PHOENIX, AZ)                                                 CACTUS                      AWE