For years, a myth has circulated on WhatsApp, social media, and even in Parliament—that the “VT” prefix on Indian aircraft stands for “Victoria's / Viceroy’s Territory.” A claim so widespread that it forced DGCA and the Aeronautical Society of India to investigate it in 2016, thanks to an MP raising it as a national shame. Let’s set the record straight—with aviation history, not forwards. 📜 The Real Story: The “VT” prefix doesn’t stand for anything colonial. It was assigned to India under the International Radio Communication Convention of 1928 , which allocated call signs to countries for radio-equipped ships and, eventually, aircraft. Here’s how it happened: In the early 20th century, radio call signs were introduced for civil ships and later extended to aircraft. Big powers like the UK, France, Germany, Canada, and the USA chose prefixes like G, F, D, C, and N/W/K, respectively. The UK got the letter “V” and began assigning its colonies two-letter extensions: ...
Comments
Post a Comment