Sultan3

[Anmer]

I just love the callsign on this Abu Dhabi Emiri B77W, A6-SIL ModeS 89629F 

[lucaberta]

I just love the callsign on this Abu Dhabi Emiri B77W, A6-SIL ModeS 89629F 

did you hear them on the radio Mike?  Where they using the Sultan3 callsign on voice?

A side question, do the ATCOs in the UK verify consistency of the FPL data and what the mode S and ADS-B callsign setting at all?  I know some french ATC unit advice pilots of inconsistencies, wondering if the same happens in the UK.

Ciao, Luca

[Anmer]

Nope, I wasn't listening to the radio and it's a bit too far away for me.

No idea about ATCO's here.  Maybe one of our ATCO members may comment?

[G4UMW]

Sultan (ICAO code AUH) is the designated callsign for the Presidential Flight of the United Arab Emirates (according to Designators for Aircraft Operating Agencies,
Aeronautical Authorities and Services (Current Edition: 151)).

Sultan is also used by the Tornado GR4As of II (AC) Squadron RAF (but you probably knew that  )

[lucaberta]

Sultan (ICAO code AUH) is the designated callsign for the Presidential Flight of the United Arab Emirates (according to Designators for Aircraft Operating Agencies,
Aeronautical Authorities and Services (Current Edition: 151)).

OK then, so they were wrong in what they had on their FMS/Mode S config, it should have been AUH3 instead, as I am sure that their FPL was filed as AUH3.  No problem with Sultan 3 being their radio callsign, but radio callsign and FPL/Mode S callsign is a totally different beast, at least for civilian aircraft.

Cause with the military it's a whole different ball game, if you factor in their funny callsigns.  I once heard a bunch a mil jets during an exercise, and their callsigns where themed after car makers, so you had on the same frequency Audi, FIAT, Mercedes...  when the KC-10 tankers were based out of Malpensa during the first Gulf war in 1991, they were flying south to refuel their aircraft somewhere over the channel between Sicily and Sardinia, and the callsign they were using was "Pasta"... 

Ciao, Luca

[G4UMW]

Couple of apocryphal instances of fun with RAF callsigns:

"Jedi formation, identified you are, radar advisory service."

and

"Copper flight, check."
"Ello"
"Ello Ello"
"Ello Ello Ello"