Q: Airport Identifiers

[[email protected]]

Some airport identifiers begin with a letter while others begin with a
number. What's the difference?

A nearby airport changed from 1F9 to XBP. I would assume that there is
a cost associated with such a change. What is the reason for this
change that outweighs all the costs? As far as I know there is no
change at the airport.

http://www.airnav.com/airport/KXBP

I searched the web but did not find an answer, that made me even more
curious.

Thanks,

Deep

[Steven P. McNicoll]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> Some airport identifiers begin with a letter while others begin with a
> number. What's the difference?
>

It's all explained here:

http://www.faa.gov/atpubs/LID/CH1.htm#1-2-7


>
> A nearby airport changed from 1F9 to XBP. I would assume that there is
> a cost associated with such a change. What is the reason for this
> change that outweighs all the costs? As far as I know there is no
> change at the airport.
>
> http://www.airnav.com/airport/KXBP
>
> I searched the web but did not find an answer, that made me even more
> curious.
>

How long has the field had the AWOS?

[[email protected]]

Thanks.
The field has AWOS for about a year. I do not know the exact date.

[Steven P. McNicoll]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> Thanks.
> The field has AWOS for about a year. I do not know the exact date.
>

I'd wager that's the reason for the change.

[Dave S]

I am betting (without having read that pub yet) that the field is now
somehow in an international directory or is listed with ICAO.. something
to that effect. I had heard/read somewhere that fields that were
associated with ICAO (eligible for international flight plans??? etc?)
were all letters and no numbers in their identifiers.

If I am wrong, I am sure three or four will correct me ;)

Dave

wrote:

> Thanks.
> The field has AWOS for about a year. I do not know the exact date.
>

[Denny]

My home field was 3SG forever... It has had a published NDB instrument
approach with the identifier being HYX, for decades... Turns out that
the FAA failed to change the field identifier to HYX at the time of the
ndb installation... So very belatedly a couple of years back they
finally changed the field to HYX... Now we have an ILS installed and
ready to be turned on and the FAA now says the identifier will be
changed again to HQY... I refuse to spend money on new charts until
they actually do it because the odds are it will change before they
actually publish the new identifier... (mutter, mumble)

Denny

[Denny]

My home field was 3SG forever... It has had a published NDB instrument
approach with the identifier being HYX, for decades... Turns out that
the FAA failed to change the field identifier to HYX at the time of the
ndb installation... So very belatedly a couple of years back they
finally changed the field to HYX... Now we have an ILS installed and
ready to be turned on and the FAA now says the identifier will be
changed again to HQY... I refuse to spend money on new charts until
they actually do it because the odds are it will change before they
actually publish the new identifier... (mutter, mumble)

Denny