[Charles Hunt]

The good news is that G-KATI, a Rans S7 courier that I am purchasing has done her permit flight, and the paperwork will be off to the LAA on Monday.

There aren't that many S 7s in the country, so ATC may not be that familiar; although in fairness I suppose there are loads of S6s.

So my question, for when I start to fly her is,"Do you have any preference for how I should describe the aircraft type?"

Rans Ess 7

Rans Sierra 7

Rans Courier

(ICAO Designator) Charlie Romeo Echo Romeo. ?

[Chris Martyr]

Charles . Well done for getting your Rans S7 all legal and up and running.

Remember , your not filing a flightplan , so if you fly in somewhere and they don't recognise the type , then it's their problem not yours.
May just help though if you add the word 'homebuild' to your message.

First time I flew mine into SHM , I called up 10 miles out and they cleared me for a 'straight-in' approach.
Couldn't quite make that one out until I was on short final and heard the chap telling a C172 that he was no.2 to a "little red/white aeroplane".
That's when it dawned upon me that the poor guy didn't know WtF I was.

Visit the right airfields and they'll know .....

[CloudHound]

I’d call “Rans Courier“ as it’s what you is !

[AlanM]

Sounds fab!

From an ATC perspective, if there is a FPL then just put the ICAO type on (as you would do anyway) but if on a freecall I would just say a Rans Courier.

In truth it matters little in some respects - as unless you are a PA28/C150 that most know I will often pass traffic info to other aircraft as “a light single etc etc”. Your average GA / commercial pilot or ATCO won’t generally know what a courier is.

Looking forward to a FPL soon

[Gertie]

I was on short final and heard the chap telling a C172 that he was no.2 to a "little red/white aeroplane".

I wish ATC would always do that - as opposed to the "park next to the Bloggit 47" which always results in my having to ask "do you mean the orange one?"

[Gertie]

Should have added ...

I think this is a hangover from when aircraft recognition was actually quite important, as the boy whose turn it was to skive off a lesson and sit on the school roof would have got into trouble for mis-identifying harmless aircraft as enemy (school unnecessarily evacuated to shelters), and would have got into even more trouble for mis-identifying enemy aircraft as harmless (dead).

[Chris Martyr]

I wish ATC would always do that - as opposed to the "park next to the Bloggit 47"

I get it on the ground as well though Gertie !
It's normally , "park beside that little red/white homebuild"........

[Gertie]

It's normally , "park beside that little red/white homebuild"........

And that's exactly what I want to hear! - I can look for a "little red/white" aircraft, I can't look for a "Bloggit 47".

[Paul_Sengupta]

Indeed, maybe the controller knows, but they can't then assume that other pilots will know as well.

"Park next to that box with wings that looks like it's still in the packing crate..."

(Thinking of the Shorts Skyvan before Chris thinks I'm insulting his aeroplane" )

[AlanM]

Indeed, maybe the controller knows, but they can't then assume that other pilots will know as well.

I doubt it fella!! Working a plane on radar and then looking out the window as it touches down and saying “ohhh, that’s what it looks like” happens a lot more than you may think. Well, for me
Anyway

[Dave W]

You're a "Charlie Romeo Echo Romeo".

(ICAO 8643) <Buffs fingernails with satisfaction>

Not that it helps really, other than avoiding "ZZZZ" on the flightplan form.

[Whiskey Kilo Wanderer]

AlanM's comment above reminds me of my ‘What is it?’ story and relates to a trip up to Cranfield in 1996. Asked for and received a crossing through the Luton Zone. Once established inside the Zone the Controller asked:
“The guys in the Tower have never seen a Rans S6, could you do a fly-by for them?”
Happy to oblige.


My other ‘What is it?’ story is rumour / hearsay / probably completely fictitious.

Allegedly a Rans S6 was on final to land at Southampton when a BA aircraft called joining.
Tower: “Speedbird 123, you are number 2 to a Rans S6 on Final”
Speedbird: “…And what pray is a Rans S6?”
Tower: “It’s a sort of see-through Cessna, Sir”
Not a bad description.

[Paultheparaglider]

So my question, for when I start to fly her is,"Do you have any preference for how I should describe the aircraft type?"

The key thing to tell them is that the engine is a Jabiru, so they can get a head start on their contingency planning.

[SimonM]

, other than avoiding "ZZZZ" on the flightplan form.

I love putting ZZZZ on the flightplan followed by the the airfield name ... Little Snoring

[T67M]

Slight thread drift for two vaguely amusing stories...

The first time I was flying the (first in the UK) Diamond Star, ATC queried when they thought they heard I was flying a Dinosaur!

On another trip in my T67, I was asked to make best speed through the centerline at Stansted. Everything forward gave me 130kias in a slight descent when ATC called with "Can't you go any faster? I thought the Firefly was a fast aircraft!". After confirming I was already going as fast as I could in the circumstances, I got "Crossing clearance cancelled, take up a hold and I'll get you across BEHIND the aircraft on the ILS instead!"