P-3 or CP-140?

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PilotDAR
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P-3 or CP-140?

Post by PilotDAR »

I was flying out of Kamloops all day today. As I held for 27, I heard an aircraft approaching straight in for a touch and go. I looked left, and saw the black smoke trail with a black dot, and two landing lights in the middle. I few miles back, I heard it's pilot identify it toe Kamloops Radio as a "P-3". Hmmm, I think to myself, P-3 = US military Orion, what's it doing flying a touch and go in Kamloops? As it passed in front of me, it was "that" airframe, though had Canadian military markings, not US. Well, at least it was at home, but wouldn't it be a CP-140 Aurora? Rather than a P-3? We don't have both CP-140's and P-3's do we? Maybe our pilot did not know exactly what he was flying?

The type identification was repeated a few times as he went around the circuit for a second touch and go (he seemed not to reach down all the way to the runway on the first on), so it was not a one time Oops.... But, with the CP-140/P-3, a beautiful DHC Buffalo, and then later a Hercules, it was really safe at Kamloops today!
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Victory
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Re: P-3 or CP-140?

Post by Victory »

I wonder if pilots said they were flying a CF-188 if anyone would know what they are talking about.
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kevenv
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Re: P-3 or CP-140?

Post by kevenv »

Same designator is used for both.
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Re: P-3 or CP-140?

Post by PilotDAR »

Ahhh, that makes sense! He was speaking the identifier, rather than the type!
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Re: P-3 or CP-140?

Post by linecrew »

PilotDAR wrote: Wed Apr 10, 2019 6:13 am Ahhh, that makes sense! He was speaking the identifier, rather than the type!
A lot folks don't know the nuances of aircraft type because they don't have aviation backgrounds or aren't geeks like a lot of us on here. It's the reason behind why you see references to aircraft types like B732 instead of a 737-200 because that's what appears on a flightplan and that's just what they know.
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Re: P-3 or CP-140?

Post by Pavese »

Could also have been an exchange crew member from south of the border where that same sight picture would indeed be a P3. :wink:

D 8)
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Re: P-3 or CP-140?

Post by PilotDAR »

I did find this list:

https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/ ... 2-1393.htm

and funny the Lockheed P2 Neptune is on it, but no mention of the P3. Perhaps there have been civil P2's and no civil P3's - not my area of knowledge.

I do recall that there's a similar list for smaller types, but darned if I can find it. When entering controlled airspace in my Thurston Teal some time back, I had a heck of a time explaining to the controlled what it is (It is type certified). He came back shortly after and informed me that its type designator was TEAL - that was easy!
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B208
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Re: P-3 or CP-140?

Post by B208 »

My understanding from the Aurora guys is that they give their type as P-3 because when they work internationally everyone knows what a P-3 is; nobody has heard of a CP-140. The Twin Otter guys and Dash 8 guys don’t give their type as CC-138 and CT-142 for a similar reason.
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Re: P-3 or CP-140?

Post by marlin »

Looks like it's lumped in under the L188 Electra category on that list
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Re: P-3 or CP-140?

Post by PilotDAR »

Looks like it's lumped in under the L188 Electra category on that list
So it is... good eye! Which means that had it been a Canadian military pilot landing in front of me, he would have been correct to use the "L188" designation, rather than "P3". So now I'm thinking US exchange pilot, which had crossed my mind when I realized it was a Canadian aircraft - I had expected to see a US plane pass in front of me based upon hearing "P3" on the radio....
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Re: P-3 or CP-140?

Post by rigpiggy »

Years back we ditched a sea king, because the USN wouldn't let a ch-124 land on their cruiser only to be fished out by an sh3 seaking
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Re: P-3 or CP-140?

Post by linecrew »

B208 wrote: Thu Apr 11, 2019 8:18 pm My understanding from the Aurora guys is that they give their type as P-3 because when they work internationally everyone knows what a P-3 is; nobody has heard of a CP-140. The Twin Otter guys and Dash 8 guys don’t give their type as CC-138 and CT-142 for a similar reason.
Wouldn't most people, at least in Canada and working in aviation, know what an Aurora is though? I would hope?
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lownslow
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Re: P-3 or CP-140?

Post by lownslow »

linecrew wrote: Fri Apr 12, 2019 9:49 am Wouldn't most people, at least in Canada and working in aviation, know what an Aurora is though? I would hope?
Of course everyone knows what an Aurora is.
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Re: P-3 or CP-140?

Post by leftoftrack »

What's an Aurora?
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Re: P-3 or CP-140?

Post by linecrew »

leftoftrack wrote: Wed Apr 17, 2019 11:53 pm What's an Aurora?
As a Canadian pilot, that's like saying "who's Wayne Gretzky?"
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Re: P-3 or CP-140?

Post by leftoftrack »

who fly's Aurora? Ill look it up?
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Re: P-3 or CP-140?

Post by Scuderia »

Over the years I've heard Comox tower, referring to the Aurora, report "traffic is a P3" to both civilian and military aircraft.
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Re: P-3 or CP-140?

Post by Gannet167 »

Over the years that I flew the CC-144, I never once heard it referred to as such by ATC.
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Whiskey25
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Re: P-3 or CP-140?

Post by Whiskey25 »

Gannet167 wrote: Thu May 23, 2019 10:20 pm Over the years that I flew the CC-144, I never once heard it referred to as such by ATC.
Uhhhh.... the CP140 (P3) is and Aurora (CP140A Arcturus) and the CC144 is a Challenger.
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Re: P-3 or CP-140?

Post by Skyhunter »

Dude, really, it matters? I never used "CF18 or CF188" always just said F18. Pretty sure the Aurora guys would do the same and just use P3, it was what I heard on the radio most of my career when flying around Comox. Some guys might say Aurora, some CP140, and some P3.

Really, who the f*** cares.
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