Uncontrolled airport: Full or partial call sign?

[Johann]

Let's hear it.

Of course, assume there's no one on frequency with a close enough call sign.

What I read is that partial is recommended. Uses less air time, easier to remember if someone needs to refer to me, and since this is not ATC having to keep track of airplanes (for enforcement or whatever), it's good enough.

My instructor used the full one when we went, but I still think partial is better. Any good argument for using the full one?

 

[Jim Logajan]

Considering that you're allowed to not communicate at all while operating at an untowered field, I don't see legal a problem with saying just your type.

Radio station ID is required by the FCC (not FAA) so that people who, say, don't realize their transmitters are emitting harmonics outside the bands it was approved for, can be warned of the problem so they can fix it. (The FCC generally does warn before initiating enforcement action.) You might not realize you are causing a problem - hence the ID requirement.

The radio spectrum is vastly more crowded than the skies are crowded with aircraft, and using radio station IDs in each transmission is a way of showing no ill intent should problems arise.

"Podunk traffic, blue Mooney 123 entering the 45 for left downwind 18, Podunk," would seem to satisfy both see-and-avoid and FCC requirements without too much wordage.

 

[Jim Logajan]

The FCC requirement is that all transmissions include the station identifier. I suspect this would mean that using pilot controlled lighting requires violating the regulations....