9/16/2023 0 Comments Us air force gunship squadronThese callsigns would then be handed over to the next pilot on tour. Within the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force callsigns are allocated to the squadron or flight and not the individual flying the aircraft, although some UK military pilots may still have a nickname used among their colleagues.įor example, during Operation Herrick in Afghanistan, AH-64 Apache attack helicopters had the callsign 'Ugly', then followed by a number, used to identify each aircraft. F18 fighter jet with callsigns 'Grumpy' and 'Lamb' painted onto the fuselage (Picture: Alamy).Īccording to the US Department of Defense, aircraft callsigns were first used when radio became a commodity around 1930 and as radio communications grew in prominence during World War II, including callsigns for planes, ships and occasionally geographic points. There is also the rule that once a pilot has flown during a combat mission with their appointed call sign, it should never be amended. "Unless you've really done something to highlight yourself after you've been given a call sign, typically it will stay the same," said the former commanding officer of US Navy Fighter Weapons School (AKA Top Gun) Commander Chris Papaioanu. It's not like in the movies where pilots have cool callsigns – most pilots initially hate the callsign they are given.Ĭhanging a callsign is very rare and the original name can stick with a pilot throughout their career or whichever squadron they are posted to next. It adds: "Most current callsigns are still based on the same sources as in the early days of aviation – a derivative of a last name, physical features, personalities or pop culture." The Department of Defense says that while naming rituals vary from service to service and squadron to squadron, the main rules usually apply "throughout the aviation community, no matter the branch".
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