how do fighter pilots get there calling signs?

Answer 1

They either pick them themselves, or they use the nicknames the other guys gave them.

Haven't you watched Top Gun?

Answer 2

Perhaps things have changed in the Air Force since my days, but the only call signs we had were assigned by mission planners and more often than not, different for each mission. There was a valid tactical reason for that. This business of being named something by your peers and then having that stenciled on your flight helmet and it becoming an airborne call sign is something I never saw, other than in the movies. Maybe the Navy pilots do, but I don't KNOW that. As to ego, the River Rats have a saying: "If you don't know who the world's greatest fighter pilot is...it ain't you!!!"

Answer 3

:D Be nice RoyalBrittania, pilots need some ego, it helps foster the confidence to do a quite dangerous job without dwelling on what might be.

On being overtaken on the taxiway at Leuchars by the battle squadron heading off to intercept a Russian somewhere north of the Shetlands our two heroes of flight said "it would be nice to do that for a year", "yeah, just to perfect the art". You can't tell me any pilot says that without the benefit of at least some ego.

Strangely our test pilots didn't get called by nicknames or Hollywood style call-signs, I flew with Dennis and Trevor (as an observer) and that's what they got called. Even after Trevor accidentally parked our Hunter on the main runway without benefit of the undercarriage.

Answer 4

In the RAF at least, on the radio, the callsigns are usually relative to the squadron, base, or task in hand, and often don't mean much on the face of it. I'm out of date now, but f'rinstance "Blackcat" was a callsign used by Jaguars from the Coltishall wing, "Chieftain" was used by Tornados from Marham, "Colt 111-121" was another Coltishall Jaguar call.

That's different, of course, from the nicknames pilots may give themselves

Answer 5

Sometimes it's a play on their name -- one new F-15 jock I was stationed with had an impossible to pronounce Polish name that was began with the letter 'K' and was 10 letters long. I christened him "K-10" and it stuck. Another guy was named Olds, so of course we called him "Buick."

Sometimes it's a result of something incredibly brave and manly that they did. One guy was amazingly good at getting a bogey off your backside (six o'clock position) so we called him "Six Pack." He had the abs to go with the name. ;)

Then there's the source of probably the majority of them -- something INCREDIBLY stupid but survived just the same. One guy got EXTREMELY drunk one night and hooked up with the UGLIEST woman in 9 states. He's been known as "Skank" ever since.

BTW, a Fighter Jock without an ego is a DEAD fighter jock. Ego and attitude are critical in that business. If you're not part of the brotherhood you can be excused for not understanding that. And if you are, you don't need any explanation.

Answer 6

In the RAF routinely used callsigns are overriden by tactical callsigns when on operations. The tactical calls usually avoid any indication of origin, type or mission purpose.

Answer 7

In the RAF our jockeys normally get them through a break down of their nick names or they get given a new one. In direct contrast to the cartoon names the yank pilots get ie 'viper' our pilots usually end up with 'jj' and 'sperm'. Humour is more important to us than ego. Ego is not encouraged in a professional air force.

Answer 8

Usually is a name bestowed on him by his peers during training and it refest to a personal trait, obsession or blunder.

Answer 9

I reckon they name themselves, coz they've all got little dicks & the planes they fly are extentions of their manhoods!...They should all be called Muppet or Friendly Fire!...What a bunch of Mugs!...I'm ex-Army.....the boys on the ground...up close & personal.......not sitting pretty, 2 miles up, playing a video game!.