Company Jet

[PaulRichardson82]

I have heard a controller tell a pilot that his/her traffic is a company jet.  I have searched the forum and found references to that particular designation but no explanation.  I searched on the web but the closest callsign I could find referred to a Romanian airline.  What does company jet mean?

[USFJoseph]

EG: USAir1619 follow company (or follow "company jet")

AKA USAir1619 follow the USAir in front of you...the same company as you.

[Jason]

I have heard a controller tell a pilot that his/her traffic is a company jet.  I have searched the forum and found references to that particular designation but no explanation.  I searched on the web but the closest callsign I could find referred to a Romanian airline.  What does company jet mean?

It literally replaces the callsign of the aircraft during the traffic pointout (name) because you and the traffic are both from the same company.  

If the pilot of a Continental (COA) has 12 o'clock traffic in 6 miles that is another Continental jet aircraft, ATC may report it as: "Continental 556, company jet at your 12 o'clock in 6 miles...."  "Jet" can also be replaced with "traffic" as "jet" only indicates he is a jet aircraft.

Roughly speaking, company traffic is just what it sounds like...."Company (same company, airline, charter operatior, whateveryou'dliketothink) Traffic."....or jet, take your pick.

Jason

[davolijj]

I searched on the web but the closest callsign I could find referred to a Romanian airline.  What does company jet mean?

This can be an elusive subject because although it is frequently used by many ATC facilities, there is no reference to "company traffic," or "follow company," or anything along those lines in the 7110.65P or the Pilot/Controler glossary.  It's in the same classification as "Tallyho," (traffic in sight) and "No joy" (negative contact).

[PaulRichardson82]

Thanks for the help.

[tyketto]

Also with this, realize that that ATc may also indicate the type of craft it is. While they could call it a jet, if the airline in particular operates more than 1 type of aircraft, they may have to indicate that in their call. Assuming UAL427 is a B737:

APP: UAL427, traffic 11 o'clock, 4 miles, 5000ft and descending, company Airbus.

Pilot: company in sight, UAL427.

APP: UAL427, follow company, cleared visual approach runway 25L.

Pilot: cleared visual behind the company, UAL427.

If the airline only uses 1 type of aircraft, you could hear them eliminate the aircraft type altogether. Southwest Airlines and Virgin Blue are good examples of this.

BL.

[FlySafe]

I agree there is no example in the 7110 that allows the word company but,  paragarph 3-1-6 states.

3-1-6. TRAFFIC INFORMATION

a. Describe vehicles, equipment, or personnel on or near the movement area in a manner which will assist pilots in recognizing them.

EXAMPLE-
"Mower left of runway two seven."
"Trucks crossing approach end of runway two five."
"Workman on taxiway Bravo."
"Aircraft left of runway one eight."

b. Describe the relative position of traffic in an easy to understand manner, such as "to your right" or "ahead of you."

EXAMPLE-
"Traffic, U.S. Air MD-Eighty on downwind leg to your left."

"King Air inbound from outer marker on straight-in approach to runway one seven."




saying "company" is the same as repeatinig "United" to United or "USAir" to USAir
The effect is, they already have it in their mind that they are looking for before they see it.

[digger]

Couple of more examples...

I've also heard "company" used for military aircraft, even thought technically speaking, they're not commercial--not a "company".

Also, I was in a CAP aircraft, when the tower controller (our group commander, coincidentally), requested we call him there, but on the "company" (CAP) frequency.