Naming Aircraft
No, pilots do not name planes. The practice of naming airplanes is very much active today. Some airlines who won’t send a plane into the sky without giving her a good name first are JetBlue, Virgin America, KLM, Turkish Airlines, Qantas, Virgin Australia, Virgin Atlantic, Hawaiian Airlines, Icelandair, and Norwegian Air. Boeing has assigned sequential model numbers to its designs for decades, as have most aircraft manufacturers. Boeing commercial aircraft use their model number as their popular name: Model 40, Model 80, Model 247, Model 307 Stratoliner, and Model 377 Stratocruiser.
British Airways Overview
British Airways’ main base is at Heathrow Airport, but it also has a major presence at Gatwick Airport and a base at London City Airport, where its subsidiary BA Cityflyer is the largest operator. Heathrow Airport is dominated by British Airways, which owns 50% of the slots available at the airport as of 2019. The majority of BA services operate from Terminal 5.
British Airways has a fleet of more than 280 aircraft, including the A380 and 787, and operates up to 850 flights a day. Passengers wishing to travel internationally with BA either to or from regional UK destinations must now transfer in London.
The new BA Boeing 787-8, registration G-ZBJJ, bears Mr Jarvis’s name. This naming is the first time in the airline’s history that a plane has been named after a member of staff.
All long-haul flights are operated using Boeing 777-200 aircraft. These come in either a three-class (Club World, World Traveller Plus, World Traveller) configuration or a four-class (First Class, Club World, World Traveller Plus, World Traveller). The Boeing 787, Airbus A350, and A380 do not operate at Gatwick. BA has 13 A350-1000s, with 250 pilots assigned to the type.
Plane Names and Registrations
KLM has a unique approach to naming planes, having started in the 1920s when their first plane was nicknamed "Dikke Dirk" (Fat Dirk). But the latest Boeing 787-10 is called "Orange Blossom" with a logo to reflect history.
During wartime, aircrew got attached to the aircraft and considered naming them a rite of passage.
Why do military planes have letters? They indicate missions like T for trainer, B for bombardment, and P for pursuit. The US Air Force has 39 types of customized aircraft for specific missions that each pilot knows perfectly.
Some famous warplane names are P-51 Mustang, U-2 spy plane, B-52 Stratofortress, and F-16 Fighting Falcon. The Pentagon has named some most expensive military planes: C17A Globemaster III, P-8A Poseidon, and VH-71 Kestrel.
Choosing Private Planes
Do private planes have names? Private planes are sometimes given eccentric names to celebrate life events or for social media connections. Airplanes have registration numbers like license plates for cars. These tail numbers are typically on the tail or engine. Private planes provide maximum privacy and comfort, including services like parking, hangar space, and fuel.
Why choose a private plane? The key reason is independence – itineraries and interiors can be customized. A charter provides no luggage limitations, allows pets, and saves time. Inquiries for private planes rose 85% in June versus the previous year, and bookings in May increased 210% over 2019. People now seek charters for new experiences.
Very few private plane flyers actually own aircraft. Most use charter companies that manage all aspects of the flight, providing a practical alternative to owning an aircraft. With flexibility, there are more reasons to opt for charters.