[MilCom] Re: Callsign M-PIRE, EMPIRE, VAMPIRE

[Sandy4218 at aol.com]

OK, here's the first hand info rather than accepting second hand stuff and 
getting everything all screwed up. 
Forget the VAMPIREs. They didn't go anywhere; and callsign M-PIRE is NOT VX-9.
All the activity the past 3 days has acutally been VFA-106 returning from El 
Centro.
The ROMAN callsigns are the regular F/A-18C/D aircraft from VFA-106. The 
other callsign is  EMPIRE. This is also VFA-106, but it is the F/A-18E/F models. 
They are trying to keep the Super Hornets separated from the regular Hornets 
since they park on opposite ends of the field at Oceana. The M-PIRE part is 
merely the flight service abbreviation of EMPIRE so that the callsign plus 2-digit 
suffix will fit in the 7 character callsign box on the flight plan.
Some of the EMPIREs were actually VFA-213 aircraft being flown by VFA-106 
pilots. Guess they're flying them until VFA-213 can get "safe to fly" status. 
Sheesh what a mess!! Next time I'll go eyeball it myself instead of taking 
somebody else's guess.

Sandy
Denver, CO