002 - Callsigns

On this episode, US Navy Captain Brian “Ferg” Fergusson explains callsigns-those whimsical, often juvenile nicknames many military aviators go by instead of their real names when flying and on the ground.
Only in the movies do fighter pilots end up with cool callsigns like “Viper”, “Iceman”, or “Maverick”. In the real world, callsigns are generally plays on names (e.g. “Notso” Sharp), reflective of a pilot’s physical resemblance to some well-known character (“Shrek” Olsen), or the result of a mistake the pilot made at some point in his or her career (“Skids” Pennington). Callsigns are at times derogatory, and frequently not politically correct, but they are almost always funny.
Ferg explains how callsigns are assigned, whether they ever change, and why it’s actually a good thing when a new fighter pilot despises a newly-assigned callsign.

[@arcosiancosine1065]

My uncle's callsign was tank. He got it because he is right at the upper end of the allowed height and weight for the F-16 and during his pilot training when they practiced parachuting he landed hard and the guys in his wing said he "landed with the grace of a tank"

[@fredmdbud]

"Faceshot" - he was featured in the documentary "Speed & Angels", when he was qualifying on the F-14 Tomcat

[@kraziivan_]

I just watched that doc last night.

[@gustavorocha78]

Indeed

[@aceofthebase7400]

How did he not hear about Faceshot from speed and angels????

[@Bender2497]

@@aceofthebase7400 Faceshot was actually later changed to MJ. I know him, flew with him as instructors. MJ stands for Mary Jo Buttafuco, that lady who was shot in the face. Same thing happened to Jay.

[@pontiacGXPfan]

@@Bender2497 Nick Bender Overmann?

[@Jbdunham]

Sounds a lot like nicknames in the work force. Stuff like Lantern (not bright and has to be carried), ET (just wants to go home), KitKat (always taking breaks), and Lawn chair (folds under pressure).

[@Jbdunham]

And the same rules apply. 1. You generally get it for doing dumb stuff. 2. You won’t like it. 3. Don’t complain about it or it’ll stick harder or you’ll get a worse one.

[@HabitualButtonPusher]

My high school buddy flew S-3 Vikings, his Callsign was "Spaz" he totally hated it. In fact we all started calling him spaz as well and still do to this day. He was always a steady guy but had a tendency to get tongue tied around "authority figures". It's great you talked about "Face Shot" was neat to see his portrayal in the film Speed & Angels.

[@stephencannon3140]

I am not a pilot but part 121 dispatcher. (American) You both being Delta Pilots know what we do. Not call sign related but one DL flight. The Captain dropped his hat. I picked it up and noticed a business card....Colorado Air National Guard. Assistant Adjutant. BGEN (0-7). I asked if I could twist the story and tel them that a 0-7 drove me around instead of the other way around....he laughed!

[@bendog6872]

One of the best...... GUE pronounced "gooey" Go Ugly Early. One that was passed on to someone I fly with.....MAMAL Most Annyoning Man ALive. He has NO idea why we call him that.

[@hisvorpalsword]

Dude can you imagine getting taken out by a guy named "Chum"? Sickest callsign ever.

[@Mr.Bassman]

Great show, I have no flying experience whatsoever but still enjoying these.

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

No experience needed!

[@pbcb561]

I'm not exactly sure how I came to your podcast on my podcast app but I'm glad I did. I've listened to the surface-to-air episode and the first two episodes. It's a nice mix of technical information as well as getting to know about the job and the people who do it. Keep up the good work.

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

Will do. Thanks for the feedback!

[@vickykirkland6629]

Just found your channel 😁. Very cool . I am enjoying the pod casts. Full of funny and interesting stories 🥰

[@jreneau6441]

It is unfortunate that you didn't talk more about the "NSFW" Call-signs. At the end of the broadcast you note that these aren't the views of the Navy. One would think that would be enough to talk freely about Callsigns. Are you still out of Coronado? I'm a west-coast guy as well!! You shouted out China Lake in this podcast. Have you ever thought of bringing folks that our Flight Test for Weapons or Aircraft Development that aren't fighter pilots? I think it would add another great perspective on the life of aviation.

[@simflier8298]

I like the story i once heard of a pilot that wanted to be called Shark. Ironically, he got minnow

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

Hah. You are about to hear that very same story on the next podcast episode...

[@yxeaviationphotog]

I heard Pete Petigrew talk about that in the commentary track, on the Top Gun dvd (just before the O-Club scene).

[@eliaskaser220]

Hahaha, I just laughed out loud in the middle of a restaurant after reading this 😆.

[@brandonleewright4285]

Call Sign #Awesome Sauce

[@yxeaviationphotog]

I have a few friends in the fighter community, up here in Canada. One, "Shrek" kinda has the same build, "Fudge", due to his last name, Paquin. A majority of them are still a mystery. Not being a card carrying memmber of the brotherhood, I have never really asked. I have heard others ask and my friends usually answer with "I'll tell you over a beer....one day". So, I haven't made it a point to ask. lol But, it's always fun to try and figure some of them out.

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

For sure! Some are easier than others.

[@yxeaviationphotog]

@@FighterPilotPodcast Some of the acronym's are funny. I saw one show where a guy got the callsign "SLAG". Sounded really cool. Then found out it stood for "Screams Like a Girl", due to a comment he made about screaming during one of his first cat shots. Pretty funny stuff.

[@THE-BUNKEN-DRUM]

Hahaha. Loving them callsigns.

[@brandonleewright4285]

Call Sign #Perfector

[@stephencannon3140]

From my time in the Navy and Marines. CDR. “Skid” Roe LT. “Wrench” Tork Maj. “Hadji” McGhee

[@CadetClark1996]

I have a buddy who flew the Super Hornet and his callsign was "Piglett"

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

Hah!

[@edrod5772]

Jell-O, have you had on your show the inspiration of the first movie TopGun Heater Heatley as a guess yet? If so, which episode is it? Amazing, one of his photos inspired and changed so many people’s life.

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

Just interviewed Heater last week. Episode should air in June.

[@edrod5772]

@@FighterPilotPodcast I saw that. Heater posted on FB photos of his trip to SD for the 55th anniversary of TopGun. I see you guys ran into each other there. Can’t wait to see that episode. Thanks.

[@geeseylynn]

Yeah, probably "tank" is most appropriate - think tank, etc

[@jeffreyhonafius1264]

Was never aircrew(wanted to be) . Was v3 saratoga my calling was scarecrow or crow. I was and still am absent minded.

[@spiritofattack]

In the Air Force in the cold war, we did not have personal callsigns. Our units changed call signs suddenly for security reasons. With personal call signs, enemies monitoring our radios could tell who was there and therefore what units were involved. Don't they care about communications security any more?

[@bruhzy2139]

thing is, funny name.

[@stijnvandamme76]

The Navy does not use the personal call signs on comms.. each squadron has their own call signs, and each plane uses that callsign + modex number such , acouple of examples of the Tomcat era: VF-2 Bounty Hunters BULLETS VF-32 Swordsmen GYPSY VF-84 Jolly Rogers VICTORY VF-101 Grim Reapers GUNFIGHTER Technically those names are only used on the ground/boat/o'club...

[@manni17b]

Had you not mentioned the lip smacking I would have never noticed it, now I can't un-notice it

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

I know--my mistake. I've learned a lot about hosting in the year since releasing this episode (that and I still owe Ferg a public apology...)

[@Delta2Oscar]

Wasn't as bad as I thought. Maybe because I was laughing at the callsigns

[@stephencannon3140]

Some call signs are a play on their names... some are based on actions hopefully not too bad. Normally they get it at their first squadron and....the pilot to be named.....DOES NOT get a vote on their call sign. The other pilots meet and select. Pretty much you inherit the call sign for the rest of your career. The military aviation community is small and the chances of someone from your training class eventually meeting are pretty good. If you make a stupid mistake.....stupid as in no fatalities or serious injuries or property damage.but enough to almost guaranteed to have your call sign cemented in your career. Good examples and wouldn’t have though of some of them. What you could get away with 20 years ago even 10 years ago are taboo nowadays. I am airline now but former USN/USMC. One of my pilots got P-3. One night he was working a duty desk and unusually quiet for the night. As soon as his relief arrived it was about a two-three minute turnover. The joke was that the offgoing pilot launched out of the building like a Hawkeye Cat Shot......to this day he is Hawkeye to me and others.

[@brandonleewright4285]

Call Sign #ANGELCAT

[@triad0328]

If you run out of fuel once, can you get the call sign bingo? Or are common status words forbidden?

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

You could, sure.

[@geeseylynn]

Piglett, maybe

[@gunnarbrown840]

Can you make w podcast on how to be a Pilot in Military

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

Sure. Please see literally every other episode of our show.

[@richardrobichaud6994]

We always heard in rumorville for our navy bubbas that the worse the callsign, the cooler they were. Hence a guy like "Maverick" was a complete tool. Is there any truth to this at all, or is it just BS? For example, we gave a callsign to a UPT buddy of mine, who I later ran into down the road while we were at Pilot Instructor Training (PIT) because he was heading back to Vance as an instructor that was pretty rotten and awesome. He was from OK, did UPT at Vance (in OK) then went on the TACAMO (in OK), and was heading back to Vance to be an IP.....so in three assignments in the Navy, the only boat he'd been on was the one at water survival. We bequeathed him "Krusty," because he was a "dry Seaman." He a great guy so it made sense with what we thought the "navy" method was. If we were wrong in that assumption...if you see this, sorry Krusty, not sorry. Being an AF bubba our way is very similar in methodology as explained by you. I'm guessing you will be able to guess my callsign within 5 seconds of seeing my last name. I just stumbled onto this podcast recently (not a pointy nose guy by trade though) but keep up the good work!

[@AtlasFox]

Faceshot! As in... Speed & Angels?

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

Yes.

[@MattHew-dt3hk]

My dad got Lyme disease...callsign "Tick"

[@pontiacGXPfan]

Do something stupid or have the right last name. Jello Aiello and Ferg Ferguson, for example

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

True, most of the time.

[@geeseylynn]

Dont you have a comfy neck rest to protect your neck in these things? They make them safe for racecar drivers.......

[@gregy797]

to BailRisk copy...ahh..! HeavyPlaque just in asking if there still unwelcome

[@geeseylynn]

Dragons

[@paiggey]

Is noone going to mention the story of a SCHOOL being strafed at night.

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

...um, I guess not. Was it germane to our discussion?

[@geeseylynn]

Minnow

[@brandonleewright4285]

Call Sign #GODIOTRON

[@mdb831]

What are some cool female pilot call signs?

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

We just had ‘Voodoo’ on talking about the C-17

[@0rcsapo_]

Heard of a female Navy Hornet pilot. She was married to another Naval Aviator- specifically a helicopter pilot. She was named FASM Fucks a slow mover

[@tabascoindy5005]

Tabasco

[@gabrielbazan4632]

Fijen little joto🤣🤣🤣

[@deantait8326]

Never heard the lip smacks. Your hearing must be better , well you are 20 yrs younger

[@FighterPilotPodcast]

It was a pointless comment for me to make.