Why do thethe pilots say "heavy" after the name of the plane?

Question

I you listen to radio comunication between a plane and the controll tower the pilots always say "heavy" after the flight code. "Swiss 101 heavy" for instance.

1) 20,43,59 AVA052 - Thank you sir you have any estimates for us
2) 20,44,09 R67 - Avianca 052 heavy we just got off the line its indefinite hold at this time . . . hold at CAMRN .
3) 20,44,23 AVA052 - OK Avianca 052 heavy . . .
4) 20,44,43 R67 - Avianca 052 heavy expect further clearance time . . .
5) 20,44,50 AVA052 - Zero five two well I think we need priority we’re passing (unintelligible)
6) 20,44,58 R67 - Avianca 052 heavy Roger how long can you hold and what is your alternate
7) 20,45,03 AVA052 - OK stand by on that
8) 20,46,03 AVA052 - Yes sir we’ll be able to hold about five minutes thats all we can do
9) 20,48,08 R67 - Avianca 052 heavy Roger what is your alternate

This is a transcrip of Avianca flight 052 which crashed near JFK due to fuel starvation so it's not related with the amount of fuel.

Answer 1

Taken from Appendix A of the FAAO 7110.65R "Air Traffic Control"

"AIRCRAFT WEIGHT CLASSES

a. Heavy. Aircraft capable of takeoff weights of more than 255,000 pounds whether or not they are operating at this weight during a particular phase of flight.

b. Large. Aircraft of more than 41,000 pounds, maximum certificated takeoff weight, up to 255,000 pounds.

c. Small. Aircraft of 41,000 pounds or less maximum certificated takeoff weight."

Any aircraft that is classified as a heavy in this manual must use the word heavy when communicating with airtraffic control on or near the airport, with the exception of the Boeing 757, which also must use "heavy". The use of the word "heavy" may be ommitted when an aircraft is operating within the en route envirnoment, aka "center".

Answer 2

Travis is correct, most of the others, not so much.....


In a somewhat interesting side story to the transcript you provided, that Avianca plane was a DC-8, not a 747 as someone else said. The plane crashed due to running out of fuel and the captains refusal to declare an emergency.

The craziest thing about the whole incident, there was a CNN reporter at the crash site a few hours after it happened and she made the brilliant observation that many people did in fact survive the crash because there was no fire to speak of, and then she said, and I am paraphrasing here,

"Thankfully the fuel tanks were empty when it crashed or the death toll could have risen much higher"

yeah, she said that, I think she was a blonde......

Answer 3

Well, some of the answers above were somewhat correct. The term "heavy" is a designation for air traffic so they'll allow extra spacing behind aircraft above a certain weight. In the U.S., planes weighing more than 255,000 lbs. are designated as "heavies." This includes certain models of the B-757 and larger aircraft. The term "heavy" also alerts those behind to exercise caution by not allowing the space to decrease too much between them and the preceding aircraft.

Every aircraft, once it leaves the ground, produces lift. In the process of creating lift, "wake turbulence" occurs or, to say it more correctly, "wingtip vortices" are formed. These strong vortices, which trail off the back of the wingtips, are sometimes described as mini-tornadoes. When the humidity is high and conditions just right, you may even see these vortices streaming behind an airplane, especially as they land or take off.

Wake turbulence may be felt by commercial airliners at any altitude, even all the way up at cruise. When we feel it there, normally it's as a very brief jolt and that's the end of it. On international flights, we can even offset our route a few miles without additional clearance from air traffic control in order to avoid being stuck in another plane's wake for an extended period of time. One or two jolts is about all it takes to convince us to offset our route for a while.

The least desirable time to encounter wake turbulence is just after takeoff or on final approach when we're at lower altitudes, but remember the word "heavy" alerts pilots to the type of aircraft ahead. Sometimes air traffic control will give us an extra "heads up" as well by telling us what type aircraft we're following.

The best way pilots can deal with wake turbulence is to steer clear of it as much as possible. Since the vortices sink, pilots can simply delay their own descents slightly when on approach. On takeoff, if they feel it's necessary, pilots may delay takeoff even a little longer after being cleared for takeoff by the tower controller. (If the delay is more than a few seconds, the pilots will let the tower know they're waiting and why, in case there is other conflicting traffic.)

The designation "Heavy" has NOTHING to do with how much fuel is on board, or how the aircraft maneuvers.
TR

Answer 4

Heavy means a large aircraft over a certain weight. I believe it is 300,000 pounds but I'd have to check to be sure. By adding "heavy" the pilot is letting the controller know that they are a VERY large aircraft and won't be able to turn or maneuver as quickly and easily as smaller planes.

Answer 5

Travis H has it right, it has nothing to do with fuel remaining or even the actual weight of the aircraft. The designator "heavy" is applied to any aircraft which is CAPABLE of flight at or above a total weight of 255,000lbs, whether it is at that weight on that particular flight or not. Controllers need to provide greater seperation between "heavies" and other aircraft, so by using the word "heavy" in the callsign the controller knows he has to leave more room.

Answer 6

Heavy means it is a 747.

A: Alpha
B: Bravo
C: Charlie
D: Delta
E: Echo
F: Foxtrot
G: Golf
H: Hotel
I: India
J: Juliet
K: Kilo
L: Lima
M: Mike
N: November
O: Oscar
P: Papa
Q: Quebec
R: Romeo
S: Sierra
T: Tango
U: Uniform
V: Victor
W: Whiskey
X: X-Ray
Y: Yankee
Z: Zulu

so United Airlines 747, flight 2459 would be

"Uniform Alpha Two Four Five Niner Heavy"

Answer 7

heavy is used after the call sign of AC that are over a certain weight, not sure right off hand what it is, if I was at work I could look it up. Most of the UPS and Fed Ex planes at my airport use it with their call sign, they are mostly 757's and Airbus' also we get KC-10's and C-5's that use it alot also.

Answer 8

Co-pilot..Bum Lan Ding

Answer 9

"Heavy" if the pilot tops 350 lbs -- almost the weight of a Piper Cub I flew

Answer 10

heavy means it is a large jet propelled aircraft. "American I51 heavy" is refferring to that specific aircraft as a jet. there could be another American I51, but to be heavy the aircraft has to have jets and be able to carry more than 75 passengers.