Aircraft Equipment Suffix

[MajorMike]

I am confused about which suffix to attach to the Flight Plan and where exactly on the 'Filing a Flight Plan' to put it. It is mentioned that there is a list of suffixes on the FAA website relating to each aircraft but I cannot find it although I have looked at several articles on the web about this.
What would be the suffix for the Beech baron 58 or Boeing 737-600 or Airbus A320 for example?
Thank-you for your help,

Michael Houghton

[Keith Smith]

List of suffixes with related capabilities: http://flightaware.com/about/faq_aircra ... suffix.rvt

In terms of where to put it, it would go after your aircraft identifier in the flight plan. So, instead of filing BE58, you might file BE58/G

[MajorMike]

Thank-you Keith,
I had found this website you mentioned but you do not not answer my question if there is a list of suffixes relating to each aircraft which is what I was hoping for. I am still not certain which suffix apples to which aircraft.
The reason I want to clarify this is I ran into difficulty when I felt obliged to withdraw from a flight after I was unable to answer this question to Clearance Delivery.

Thank-you.

Michael Houghton

[stealthbob]

It was explained to me simply once...

If you use a GPS/FMC with GPS fixes to navigate file /G, if you fly using the VOR and ADF radios file /A.

The rest I am unsure as all my flights are /A

That being said it is good to know what is what and why...that link does have all the information you need. I just Google'd all the acronyms and read up on them all, made sense after that.

[Keith Smith]

The aircraft TYPE is irrelevant to the equipment suffix. The suffix describes certain navigational and transponder abilities of the airplane that you're flying. The Baron I fly might not have an IFR approved GPS on the panel, but has DME, so I would file BE58/A. YOUR Baron might have an IFR approved GPS, so you might file /G.

It is not a simple matter of saying that a given aircraft type will always use a specific equipment suffix...you have to look at how the aircraft is actually equipped. Otherwise, if every aircraft type was always equipped exactly the same way, there would be no need for the equipment suffix since the model alone would tell us everything we need to know. That's not the case, hence the need for a separate suffix to describe your aircraft's capabilities.

[bbuckley]

http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publicat ... -03-14.pdf

Refer to AIM sections 5-1-4 for VFR (basically says go look at the IFR section) and 5-1-8 for IFR. The key to remember is these are suffixes for EQUIPMENT, so they are not specific to aircraft types or models. If your airplane has a certified GPS installed that is certified for enroute and approaches, and a Mode C transponder, then the equipment suffix is /G. The most common GA suffixes are /U which is VHF nav radios, no DME BUT has a Mode C transponder, /A which is the same but WITH DME, and /G for GNSS such as Garmin 430 / 530 just for example. Table 5-1-3 has the current suffixes. RVSM is "Reduced Vertical Separation Minimums". AIM also has a short explanation of why these codes are important and how ATC uses them.

[bbuckley]

Sorry Keith, I was typing while you replied. Didn't mean to step on you...

[Keith Smith]

Sorry Keith, I was typing while you replied. Didn't mean to step on you...

Not at all, Bruce, another perspective is never a bad thing.

[Ryan B]

Also keep in mind for purposes of flight sims (FSX/P3D or XP10) make sure your GPS actually works well as sometimes the default FSX/P3D one doesn't really. I know you can't load SIDS/STARS, you can't add/delete fixes in the default. You can load an entire flight plan but the default FSX GPS is pretty much junk. I'd prefer to file /A and use VOR's/airways if I was using a default GPS. If you use a third party GPS like Reality XP GNS530W or Flight1's incredible GNT750 you will actually be able to file /G.

XP10's newer style GPS (similar to the Reality XP GNS530 and GNS430) is decent enough that you can add/delete fixes etc... so it's usable albeit clunky I've found. It won't load SIDS/STARS (yet!) but you can manually enter everything and the database can be updated unlike FSX/P3D. (NOTE you can update the Reality XP and F1 GTN databases).

Anyway you'll basically file /A (transponder mode c with DME) or /G (transponder mode c with GPS/GNSS) while on Pilot Edge. You may file something like /L (transponder/RVSM with GNSS/GPS) or /Z (transponder/RVSM without GNSS/GPS) if flying big jets (those might have changed now I can't even recall) - as long as you have a navigraph subscription in XP10 or FSX/P3D.

If you fly an older jet with no GPS/FMS etc file /W - you'll be using VOR's/airways/radials and you'll have a transponder with mode c.

[bbuckley]

Most of the time I fly FSX in a Carenado Archer II (PA28A) that I have installed the RXP GNS430W into the 3D cockpit and added the GMA340 audio panel so that it is identical to my RW airplane (N3744Q). So my aircraft code and suffix is PA28A /G. The RXP GNS430 is a good representation of RW. I get much more practice on PE programming and reprogramming the 430 than I could ever possibly get in RW IFR. It's great (but it's still a 430 so it has the limitations that come with an older piece of gear).