Activity: Aircraft Identification

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Objectives

• To learn the phonetic alphabet
• To become familiar with the air or ground aviation communications
• To learn about aircraft identification

Materials

• Phonetic alphabet
• Pen or pencil

Teacher Background Information: An important aviation tool is communication. Pilots and ground personnel use the phonetic alphabet to help them understand each other.

In addition, all airplanes must have an identification number. This is much like an automobile license tag. Each number starts with a letter to identify the country. The letter of the United States is N.

Procedure

• Using the phonetic alphabet chart below, make your own identification number.
• Start with N for United States, then write the month-number and date of your birthday. (Note: Put zero in front of a single-digit date. For example, May 7 would read 0507 and November 3 would read 1103.) Add your first and last initials. For example, the identification for Orville Wright, whose birthday is August 19, would be N08190W. He would identify himself orally on the radio as: "N 0 8 1 9 Oscar Whiskey."
• Write your identification number below, then draw a plane and put your identification number on it.
• How would you orally identify yourself?