Random Griz Aviation Musings

[Gatordev]

This is probably googleable, but I'll ask here... What's the history of using the letter "i" for Ohio airports? Does the letter "o" look too much like a zero?

 

[ChuckMK23]

This is probably googleable, but I'll ask here... What's the history of using the letter "i" for Ohio airports? Does the letter "o" look too much like a zero?

I think it's a scheme that was originally developed by FAA Great Lakes Region. For whatever reason they decided non-towered airports in the Ohio valley are going to begin with the letter I. I think it was just arbitrary. My home airport is I68, Warren County.

 

[taxi1]

I think it's a scheme that was originally developed by FAA Great Lakes Region.

Assholes probably went to Michigan

 

[skybert]

They don’t use “O” in N-numbers to reduce confusion either, so maybe that’s it.

 

[Gatordev]

I think it's a scheme that was originally developed by FAA Great Lakes Region. For whatever reason they decided non-towered airports in the Ohio valley are going to begin with the letter I. I think it was just arbitrary. My home airport is I68, Warren County.

I think it's more than arbitrary. There must be some master list that someone came up with, presumably after WWII and all the OLFs were divested. Montana uses U and S, Texas uses T (of course it does) and R, and Florida uses FA (Florida aerodrome, presumably) and FL.

 

[IKE]

I think it's more than arbitrary. There must be some master list that someone came up with, presumably after WWII and all the OLFs were divested. Montana uses U and S, Texas uses T (of course it does) and R, and Florida uses FA (Florida aerodrome, presumably) and FL.

Because I be white and nerdy...

FAA Order JO 7350.9GG
This graphic below is for private use airfields. Public use are one-letter, two-number, and I think the I derives from the center, ZID (Indianapolis). The pub says the identifiers don't change with a change of ARTCC boundaries, so even if it's moved to Cleveland (ZOB), if it was Indianapolis when designated, it stays.

I assume the W codes used around Pax are for Washington Center, which is ZDC, but D is probably reserved for Denver.

There are plenty of Os in identifiers.

 

[Gatordev]

and I think the I derives from the center, ZID (Indianapolis).

Ah, that makes sense.

This graphic below is for private use airfields.

Good point. I was conflating the two since I end up spending a lot of time plugging in private-use identifiers in at work.

 

[IKE]

Ah, that makes sense.



Good point. I was conflating the two since I end up spending a lot of time plugging in private-use identifiers in at work.

I feel like you could make one of those Bud Light, Real Men of Genius commercials about the people behind nomenclatures.

Here's to you, Mr. FAA Identifier Schema Designer. Without you, our untowered airfields identifiers would be a mix of random characters and dirty jokes.

 

[PhrogPhlyer]

Who says the FAA doesn't have a sense of humor...