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squeeze

Retired Harrier Dude
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
Must be so secret they don't even mention it in the article... so obviously, all pilots will know this word and avoid it. What a stupid article. Yay paranoia.

ps- that taxiing with the flaps down thing is an urban legend...
 

Schnugg

It's gettin' a bit dramatic 'round here...
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
That darn secret radio codeword...

I promise never to use the word "Boner" on the radio again.

r/
 

NavyLonghorn

Registered User
squeeze said:
Must be so secret they don't even mention it in the article... so obviously, all pilots will know this word and avoid it. What a stupid article. Yay paranoia.

ps- that taxiing with the flaps down thing is an urban legend...


Someone /please/ tell the Airforce guys that.. please..
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
squeeze said:
Must be so secret they don't even mention it in the article... so obviously, all pilots will know this word and avoid it. What a stupid article. Yay paranoia.

ps- that taxiing with the flaps down thing is an urban legend...
I suspect they were refering to his Mode III being inadvertantly set to 7500 vice some verbal codeword

Brett
 

squeeze

Retired Harrier Dude
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
Brett327 said:
I suspect they were refering to his Mode III being inadvertantly set to 7500 vice some verbal codeword

Brett

The pilot of a small plane in Australia sparked an emergency terrorism alert after accidentally using the radio code word for hijack, authorities said Tuesday.

damn brett... it's even the first sentence of the article
:icon_tong

granted, it could easily be the fault of stupid journalists... lord knows there are a ton of them
 

HAL Pilot

Well-Known Member
None
Contributor
squeeze said:
ps- that taxiing with the flaps down thing is an urban legend...
Not an urban legend, it's an older hijacking indication that's use has been discontinued since 9/11/2005. In the civilian world, it used to indicate if you wanted armed intervention or not. Same with the old code word everyone in the airline world used to know.
 

mules83

getting salty...
pilot
In my senior year of h.s., we had a lot of bomb threats and the code word over the loud speaker to the teachers informing them of this was, "there is red corvette parked outside with its lights on." the students kind of got it after 2-3 threats.
 

mules83

getting salty...
pilot
HAL Pilot said:
Not an urban legend, it's an older hijacking indication that's use has been discontinued since 9/11/2005. In the civilian world, it used to indicate if you wanted armed intervention or not. Same with the old code word everyone in the airline world used to know.

Here in daytona, there is a junk load of student pilots coming in and out and everyonce in awhile you here tower/ground ask a plane if eveything is ok.....you here the pilot say yeah...and then tower/ground say put your flaps up then. (students forget to put flaps up every so often (after preflight or taxing back to t/o) and atc wants to make there isnt something worse about to happen)
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
squeeze said:
The pilot of a small plane in Australia sparked an emergency terrorism alert after accidentally using the radio code word for hijack, authorities said Tuesday.

damn brett... it's even the first sentence of the article
:icon_tong

granted, it could easily be the fault of stupid journalists... lord knows there are a ton of them
If you look at the AIM/FAR/ICAO stuff on this, it seems pretty clear what happened. It's not like someone just says a couple words, or sets a particular Mode III and the whole world goes crazy. There are procedures, and specific responses for this kind of thing.

Brett
 

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
HAL Pilot said:
Not an urban legend, it's an older hijacking indication that's use has been discontinued since 9/11/2005. In the civilian world, it used to indicate if you wanted armed intervention or not. Same with the old code word everyone in the airline world used to know.

My Father in Law is a retired ATC controller, they actually did used to use the flaps down and a few other different things to let people know you were being hijacked. Not sure how many are still used.
 

Schnugg

It's gettin' a bit dramatic 'round here...
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Was not taught in the commercial pilot training track. Which I did back in 94.

r/
G
 

HAL Pilot

Well-Known Member
None
Contributor
During my initial training at both Scenic and Hawaiian pre-9/11/2001, it was taught that flaps down during taxi meant that you were being hijacked and you were requesting armed intervention. After 9/11/2001 it was deleted as a signal for a couple of reasons.
1. You now do not take off if on the ground under any circumstances.
2. There will be armed intervention if you are on the ground.
3. Flaps up impedes pax from using overwing exits to escape.
4. Flaps up can impede law enforcement access and hiding places under the aircraft.
5. Too many inadvertant alerts. Many airlines do not allow configuration changes after landing until well clear of the runway or they configure for takeoff during their taxi to the runway.

These were all "public" knowledge that were briefed to pilots, FAs and rampers both in meetings and memos. So I am not giving anything away here. I've also received same info from the local FAA at one of their flight instructor seminars when I was renewing my CFI.
 
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