2-4-20

Aircraft Identification

JO 7110.65BB, Change 3, effective July 9, 2026 · Official text on faa.gov

Use the full identification in reply to aircraft with similar sounding identifications. For other aircraft, the same identification may be used in reply that the pilot used in his/her initial callup except use the correct identification after communications have been established. Identify aircraft as follows:

U.S. registry aircraft. State one of the following:

Civil. State the prefix “November” when establishing initial communications with U.S. registered aircraft followed by the ICAO phonetic pronunciation of the numbers/letters of the aircraft registration. The controller may state the aircraft type, the model, the manufacturer's name, followed by the ICAO phonetic pronunciation of the numbers/letters of the aircraft registration if used by the pilot on the initial or subsequent call.
Example

Air traffic controller's initiated call:
“November One Two Three Four Golf.”
“November One Two Three Four.”
Responding to pilot's initial or subsequent call:
“Jet Commander One Two Three Four Papa.”
“Bonanza One Two Three Four Tango.”
“Sikorsky Six Three Eight Mike Foxtrot.”

Note

If aircraft identification becomes a problem when the procedures specified above are used, see paragraph 2-4-15, Emphasis for Clarity.
Aircraft having an ICAO 3LD and other FAA authorized call sign (U.S. special or local). State the call sign followed by the flight number in group form.
Note

“Group form” is the pronunciation of a series of numbers as the whole number, or pairs of numbers they represent rather than pronouncing each separate digit. The use of group form may, however, be negated by four‐digit identifiers or the placement of zeros in the identifier.

Example

“American Fifty‐two.”
“Delta One Hundred.”
“Southwest One Ten.”
“General Motors Thirty Fifteen.”
“United One Zero One.”
“Delta Zero One Zero.”
“American Ten Zero Four.”

Note

For clarity, aircraft having an ICAO 3LD and other FAA authorized call sign may be pronounced using single digits if necessary.

Example

“United Five One Seven.”
“United Five Seven Zero.”

Note

For procedures that address similar sounding call signs, see paragraph 2-4-15, Emphasis for Clarity.

Reference

FAA Order JO 7610.12, Assignment and Authorization of Call Sign Designators and Associated Telephonies.
Air taxi and commercial operators not having FAA authorized call signs. State the prefix “TANGO” on initial contact, if used by the pilot, followed by the registration number. The prefix may be dropped in subsequent communications.
Example

“Tango Mooney Five Five Five Two Quebec.”
“Tango November One Two Three Four.”
Air carrier/taxi ambulance. State the prefix “MEDEVAC” if used by the pilot, followed by the call sign and flight number in group form.
Example

“MEDEVACDelta Fifty-One.”
Civilian air ambulance. State the word “MEDEVAC” followed by the numbers/letters of the registration number.
Example

“MEDEVAC Two Six Four Six.”
U.S. military. State one of the following:
1. The service name, followed by the word “copter,” when appropriate, and the last 5 digits of the serial number.
  Example
  
  “Navy Five Six Seven One Three.”
  “Coast Guard Six One Three Two Seven.”
  “Air Guard One Three Five Eight Six.”
  “Army Copter Three Two One Seven Six.”
  
  Note
  
  If aircraft identification becomes a problem, the procedures reflected in FAA Order JO 7210.3, Facility Operation and Administration, paragraph 2-1-14, Aircraft Identification Problems, will apply.
2. Special military operations. State one of the following followed by the last 5 digits of the serial number:
3. Air evacuation flights. “AIR EVAC,” “MARINE AIR EVAC,” or “NAVY AIR EVAC.”
  Example
  
  “Air Evac One Seven Six Five Two.”
4. Rescue flights. (Service name) “RESCUE.”
  Example
  
  “Air Force Rescue Six One Five Seven Niner.”
5. Air Mobility Command. “REACH.”
  Example
  
  “Reach Seven Eight Five Six Two.”
6. Special Air Mission. “SAM.”
  Example
  
  “Sam Niner One Five Six Two.”
7. USAF Contract Aircraft “LOGAIR.”
  Example
  
  “Logair Seven Five Eight Two Six.”
8. Military tactical and training:
  1. U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard, Military District of Washington priority aircraft, and USAF civil disturbance aircraft. Pronounceable words of 3 to 6 letters followed by a 1 to 5 digit number.
    Example
    
    “Paul Two Zero.”
    “Pat One Five Seven.”
    “Gaydog Four.”
    
    Note
    
    When the “Z” suffix described in paragraph 2-3-7, USAF/USN Undergraduate Pilots, is added to identify aircraft piloted by USAF undergraduate pilots, the call sign will be limited to a combination of six characters.
  2. Navy or Marine fleet and training command aircraft. The service name and 2 letters, or a digit and a letter (use letter phonetic equivalents), followed by 2 or 3 digits.
    Example
    
    “Navy Golf Alfa Two One.”
    “Marine Four Charlie Two Three Six.”
Presidential aircraft and Presidential family aircraft:
1. When the President is aboard a military aircraft, state the name of the military service, followed by the word “One.”
  Example
  
  “Air Force One.”
  “Army One.”
  “Marine One.”
2. When the President is aboard a civil aircraft, state the words “Executive One.”
3. When a member of the President's family is aboard any aircraft, if the U.S. Secret Service or the White House Staff determines it is necessary, state the words “Executive One Foxtrot.”
  Reference
  
  FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 2-1-4, Operational Priority.
Vice Presidential aircraft:
1. When the Vice President is aboard a military aircraft, state the name of the military service, followed by the word “Two.”
  Example
  
  “Air Force Two.”
  “Army Two.”
  “Marine Two.”
2. When the Vice President is aboard a civil aircraft, state the words “Executive Two.”
3. When a member of the Vice President's family is aboard any aircraft, if the U.S. Secret Service or the White House Staff determines it is necessary, state the words “Executive Two Foxtrot.”
  Reference
  
  FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 2-1-4, Operational Priority.

DOT and FAA flights. The following alphanumeric identifiers and radio/interphone call signs are established for use in air/ground communications when the Secretary of Transportation, Deputy Secretary of Transportation, FAA Administrator or FAA Deputy Administrator have a requirement to identify themselves. (See TBL 2-4-2.)

**TBL 2-4-2** DOT and FAA Alphanumeric Identifiers and Call Signs
Official	Identifier	Call Sign
Secretary of Transportation	DOT-1	Transport-1
Deputy Secretary of Transportation	DOT-2	Transport-2
Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration	FAA-1	Safeair-1
Deputy Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration	FAA-2	Safeair-2

Other Special Flights.
1. Flight Inspection of navigational aids. State the call sign “FLIGHT CHECK” followed by the digits of the registration number.
  Example
  
  “Flight Check Three Niner Six Five Four.”
2. USAF or other government aircraft engaged in aerial sampling/surveying missions. State the call sign “SAMP” followed by a three-digit flight number.
  Example
  
  “SAMP Three One Six.”
  
  Reference
  
  FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 9-2-17, SAMP Flights.
Use a pilot's name in identification of an aircraft only in special or emergency situations.

Foreign registry. State one of the following:
1. Civil. State the aircraft type or the manufacturer's name followed by the letters/numbers of the full aircraft registration, or state the letters or digits of the full aircraft registration. Do not abbreviate.
  Example
  
  “Citation C-G-L-R-B.”
  “C-G-L-R-B.”
  Note
  1. Letters may be spoken individually or phonetically.
  2. Some foreign civil aircraft registrations begin with a number but show as a “Q” in the flight plan (the filed flight identification will be listed in the remarks section). Do not verbally state the “Q” prefix in communication with the aircraft.
  Reference
  
  FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 2-3-5, Aircraft Identity.
  FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 2-4-9, Abbreviated Transmissions.
  FAA Order JO 7340.2, Chapter 4, Aircraft Nationality Marks, National Emblems, and Common Marks.
2. ICAO 3LD. State the associated telephony followed by the flight number in group form, or separate digits may be used if that is the format used by the pilot. Do not abbreviate.
  Example
  
  “Scandinavian Sixty-eight.”
  “Scandinavian Six Eight.”
3. Foreign Military. Except for military services identified in FAA Order JO 7340.2, Contractions, state the name of the country and the military service followed by the separate digits or letters of the registration or call sign. For military services listed in FAA Order JO 7340.2, state the approved telephony followed by the separate digits of the flight number.
  Example
  
  “Canforce Five Six Two Seven.”
  “Brazilian Air Force Five Three Two Seven.”