TPA CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING INCREASED FREQUENCY OF PLT'S FAILING TO USE HEAVY WHEN REQUIRED DURING COM.

Narrative

RATHER THAN A SPECIFIC OCCURRENCE; THIS RPT ADDRESSES AN ONGOING ISSUE THAT IS BECOMING MORE PREVALENT. PLTS OF HVY ACFT ARE NOT USING/REFUSING TO USE THE WORD 'HVY' IN THEIR CALL SIGNS WHEN COMMUNICATING WITH ATC. I'VE NOTICED THIS BECOMING MORE AND MORE COMMON AS OF LATE. THE MOST COMMON OFFENDERS OF THIS IN TPA AIRSPACE ARE THE KC135 PLTS BASED AT MACDILL AFB (MCF). IN OVER 90% OF ATC COMS WITH THEM; THEY HAVE FAILED TO USE THE WORD HVY IN THEIR CALL SIGN. ANOTHER CHRONIC OFFENDER ARE THE ACR X PLTS. WE HAVE REGULARLY SCHEDULED B767 FLTS IN/OUT OF TPA; AND MORE OFTEN THAN NOT; THE PLTS WILL NOT USE THE WORD HVY. IN BOTH CASES; WHEN WE; AS ATC; STRESS THE WORD HVY IN ATC COMS WITH THESE PLTS; THE ATTITUDE WE RECEIVE FROM THEM IS ONE OF DISMISSAL OR OUTRIGHT INDIGNANCE. I BELIEVE THAT THE REQUIREMENT OF THE WORD HVY IS REQUIRED FOR A REASON: IT CALLS SPECIFIC ATTN TO ALL PLTS ON THE FREQ THAT A HVY ACFT IS OPERATING IN NEARBY AIRSPACE. THIS COMES INTO PLAY ESPECIALLY AT TPA GIVEN THE SECTORIZATION OF OUR AIRSPACE AND THE MULTITUDE OF VFR GA ACFT OPERATING IN CLOSE PROX TO THE FINAL APCH COURSES OF BOTH MCF AND TPA. THIS IS MOST DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE AND THE TREND IS DEFINITELY RISING.