Thread: FAA Designator for CTLS

Hi guys I am new to this forum and sorry if this is answered elsewhere but I cant seem to find the
FAA Designator to use for flight plans for the CTLS. Anybody??

The correct one is FDCT.

FAA designator for Flight Planning and Maintenance documentation is that what you are refering to? How about call signs for ATC and self-announcing?

Type for communication is Flight Design.

The proper call up to a towered airport or control center should be "Flight Design 525AB" or what ever your tail number is. Experimental is really not appropriate because you are not an experimental, but a Special Light Sport. The FAA has a specific identifier for this aircraft so using Flight Design is the right call up. If ask by a control tower or a flight center during a flight following then this is appropriate because the FAA has that specific indentifier. The proper way to say FDCT for the FAA identifier is Foxtrot, Delta, Charlie, Tango. The towers and control centers have a book that they can look up your plane type. Many towers are now familiar with the Flight Design. Once in a while someone will ask for more info and just tell them you are a special light sport high wing aircraft.

Roger: You are correct as usual. However, as Nancy and I do, when our anti-gravity machine is fliable, go XC frequently and we have found that the FAA computers are simply not updated. We have never/never found that a center or Approach knows what an FDCT is and we always gotten additional queries as to what type of aircraft is it. To tell the truth, as much as I appreciate ATC, their responses to "FDCT" are usually annoying, for example: "I can't find it, are you sure?" "LSA isn't in my computer, are you sure?" "Say again type and designation"
+I can't identify your type A/C, are you sure?" I guess that I consider it important enough to be sharp in response "its a plastic airplane for old F4 guys who can't quit flying" "Do you have my squawk? So your computer data is out of date, fake it!" We have found that tower guys seem to be much more up to date.

I have also called several FAA Flight Safety Offices to explain what a FDCT is. My point is that being apathetic or not caring is not a safe or reasonable response. Flight following, traffic sequencing is frequently a function of the controller knowing what type of aircraft you are handling (I was a controller as my first USAF occupation) particularly something new. I have written and submitted an article to SPORT AVIATION Magazine (I don't know if the are going to publish it--I hope they do) concerning and urging LSA cross-country flying and in it I emphasize the use of ATC for safety and convenience of routing.

See Ya, Ken Nolde N840KN

Ken Nolde

Ken, love the "plastic airplane for old F4 guys"! Thanks for trying to get FAA up to date with not only the Flight Design aircraft but in LSA in general. I have gotten similar responses from ATC when flying X-country and I just tell them that I am a "high wing light sport aircraft" when they question my sanity after giving them the "FDCT" response.

I consider the F4 to be the most awesome fighter ever. That is definitely "heavy metal" (but fast!) Thanks for your service to our country.

Hi Ken,

I look at these type of things as an educational opportunity for these guys, not us. Just tell them to look in their FAA approved and supplied aircraft identification book.
It's not up to me to come down to their level, but for them to come up to mine!

I have been using "Light sport" lately on call up, and the SoCal controllers seem to get it most of the time. I have heard others doing this, too (and it should would work for a/c performance expectations pretty well). If they want the FAA identifier I then tell them FDCT - WF

Originally Posted by Roger Lee

The proper call up to a towered airport or control center should be "Flight Design 525AB" or what ever your tail number is. Experimental is really not appropriate because you are not an experimental, but a Special Light Sport. The FAA has a specific identifier for this aircraft so using Flight Design is the right call up. If ask by a control tower or a flight center during a flight following then this is appropriate because the FAA has that specific indentifier.

Sorry to jump on you, but I suggest you do not try this with DFW approach on a busy day. If you do, chances are you'll hear the magic words "Remain clear of the Class Bravo and stand-by". If you're going to one of the Class D airports fed by DFW approach and its busy, the tower won't talk to you unless you get handed off from approach, which means you'll never get in. When you're sharing the frequency with traffic bound for DAL RBD and ADS, there's no time for educating the controller about the proper designator for the CT. As far as they are concerned, you're a slow piston single.

When it's busy on the frequency, do whatever is necessary to get though the system safely, even if that means calling yourself "experimental." Heck, I don't care if they call me Cessna if they give me Class B clearance

Doug