Peter wrote:
I admire your optimism, in hoping to find “information” in the ATPL theory
hahaha, so true.
I remember reading about this in a Spanish book on Air Law and Air Navigation.
It basically said that the basic rules for an airway designator are:
- Prefix of 1 or 2 letters. These prefixes can indicate whether the airway is an upper airspace airway (it has a U as the first letter), or an RNAV airway…
- Number of up to 3 digits.
- Suffix of 1 letter.
This is all off the top of my head.
I don’t think they really mean much. It’s similar to roads naming and numbering… Some follow some form of pattern but many do not and there is no “robust” naming system that explains all the designators…
Timothy wrote:
I only just remember them. I think they went in the mid to late eighties.
I’m pretty sure colour names was still being used when I paused flying in 1996.
At that time there were still “purple airways” in the UK. I never figured the point in telling potential terrorists exactly where the “royal personages” would fly.
Airborne_Again wrote:
Aaaah. Nostalgia.
I only just remember them. I think they went in the mid to late eighties.
I searched throughout my atpl books and found very little information about this.
I admire your optimism, in hoping to find “information” in the ATPL theory 
Timothy wrote:
the old Ambers and Reds
Aaaah. Nostalgia.
wbardorf wrote:
For instance, why does the airway designator change for some airways when crossing the London FIR boundary?
So, so many things change when crossing the London FIR boundary 
I guess fewer and fewer of us remember the old Ambers and Reds 
It has always struck me as a mess. I am not sure in practice the naming convention makes any difference.
I searched throughout my atpl books and found very little information about this.
I provided the textbook answer but would be equally curious how the airways are named in practice. E.g. there is a system to highway naming in most countries.
For instance, why does the airway designator change for some airways when crossing the London FIR boundary?
