"I can't seem to remember my flight number"

[rjs176cp]

Is it easy to forget your call sign? It seems as if I pilots forget their call signs all the time. I often hear them read back complex directions:  "make a right turn at bravo left turn charlie hold short of runway XX for Delta uhhhhhhhhh 97".

[Fryy]

I'm sure it is, a lot of the time they're having to fly more than one leg which most likely would have different flight numbers.

[Pilot3033]

Is it easy to forget your call sign? It seems as if I pilots forget their call signs all the time. I often hear them read back complex directions:  "make a right turn at bravo left turn charlie hold short of runway XX for Delta uhhhhhhhhh 97".

The bug smashers I fly have their registration number/letters displayed prominently on the panel. I will admit that there have been a few times that I've had to glance down to remember my full callsign.

[KHAOS]

Yes.  And it's even more of a pain in the ass when you trade from one aircraft to another.  You can get so used to a callsign, you almost say it out of habit even though you're in a different plane. 

[StuSEL11]

Is it easy to forget your call sign? It seems as if I pilots forget their call signs all the time. I often hear them read back complex directions:  "make a right turn at bravo left turn charlie hold short of runway XX for Delta uhhhhhhhhh 97".

The bug smashers I fly have their registration number/letters displayed prominently on the panel. I will admit that there have been a few times that I've had to glance down to remember my full callsign.

The callsigns switch for operators with the three-digit ICAO prefix; most of them are airlines. The aircraft registration is completely separate from the radio callsign, which is the number filed in their flight plan that also (usually) corresponds with the number the airline designates for that flight.

[Pilot3033]

Is it easy to forget your call sign? It seems as if I pilots forget their call signs all the time. I often hear them read back complex directions:  "make a right turn at bravo left turn charlie hold short of runway XX for Delta uhhhhhhhhh 97".

The bug smashers I fly have their registration number/letters displayed prominently on the panel. I will admit that there have been a few times that I've had to glance down to remember my full callsign.

The callsigns switch for operators with the three-digit ICAO prefix; most of them are airlines. The aircraft registration is completely separate from the radio callsign, which is the number filed in their flight plan that also (usually) corresponds with the number the airline designates for that flight.

Umm, yes, I'm aware. I was drawing a parallel example in order to offer an explanation or insight as to why you hear pilots forget or mis-sepak their callsign.

[davolijj]

I've always wondered, do any airliners have any type of "flight number input box" integrated somewhere into the panel?  Something like an old transponder with flip numbers (except they go all the way to 9) where the pilots can dial in their flight number so they can refer to it throughout the flight?

If this sort of thing doesn't exist, I think it's something avionics manufacturers should consider.

[Pilot3033]

I've always wondered, do any airliners have any type of "flight number input box" integrated somewhere into the panel?  Something like an old transponder with flip numbers (except they go all the way to 9) where the pilots can dial in their flight number so they can refer to it throughout the flight?

If this sort of thing doesn't exist, I think it's something avionics manufacturers should consider.

It is my understanding that some FMCs have this possibility, but it would only really be displayed on the "route" page, not something like the fuel calc page.

[captray]

In the Gulfstream, the numbers are engraved on the panel. However, they are not illuminated.
I have troble remebering what I had for breakfast!

[PHL Approach]

When I jumpseated on a 75 once. The pilots just put a post it or a piece of paper with flight number on their yokes.

[KHAOS]

When I jumpseated on a 75 once. The pilots just put a post it or a piece of paper with flight number on their yokes.

I see that a lot.

I snapped this pic up on the flight deck of a 767-300 we had during our peak season at UPS this past December. 

It's a home-made sheet the Captain had clipped to his yoke, but it looked like it did the job well.  You can see the flight number smack-dab in the middle. 

[toeknee25]

When I jumpseated on a 75 once. The pilots just put a post it or a piece of paper with flight number on their yokes.

Yup I agree with KHAOS. I've read Kent Wein's blogs on Gadling.com, Cockpit Chronicles and Plane Answers and he posts some pics on flickr that he uses for some of the questions he gets. You can see in most of the cockpit pics he has that there is a piece of paper in the middle of the panel with the flight number

http://www.flickr.com/photos/flyforfun/4323559398/sizes/l/