What does it mean when a fighter jet is on another jet's six?

Question

Watching the History Channel, I think it means to be on that jet's tail, directly behind it.

Answer 1

exactly... 6 o clock is right where you dont want an enemy as this is where he will put a missile right up your tailpipe

Answer 2

It means Another Fighter Is on Your Tail or On your Six as in 6:00, Behind an enemy Fighter Would Have to Be the Best Tactical Position. It Started in WW1.... But they Did Not Have Rear View Mirrors, But in WW2 Many Fighters Had Rear View Mirrors So Attacks From the Behind Lost The Element Of Supprise. Fighter Jets Now Have Radar, But You Can Only See Infront Of You. Most Fighter Jets Still Have Mirrors So You Can See Your "six".

Answer 3

Fighter pilots refer to positions relative to their aircraft by using the clock face as a reference.

While 12 o clock would mean dead ahead, six means directly behind (a position nobody wants his rival to be in).

All dial readings are commonly used and tacitly understood by each other.

Answer 4

Directly behind.

Think of the sky surrounding an aircraft as being devided into sections, as if in the middle of a giant clock.

12 oclock is straight ahead, 3 oclock is to the right, 6 oclock is straight back and 9 oclock is to the left.

Much easier than saying something is 180 degrees from your direction of travel.

Answer 5

Imagine you're in the middle of a large horizontal clock face. 12 o'clock would be directly ahead, 3 o'clock would be to your right, and 6 o'clock would be directly behind, etcetera. It's a navagational thing that began in WW I.

Answer 6

Think of a clock with yourself in the middle, facing the top.

You face 12 o'clock

Your right hand is at 3 o'clock

Your left hand is at 9 o'clock (if you stick your hands out)

Behind you is 6 o'clock

So, you are correct. "On your six" means right behind you.

Answer 7

Many right answers above, especially by "Derail" who also told why it is so.

I guess in the digital age we have forgotten the good old mechanical watch. Using the methodology followed in the time depiction in a mechanical watch was a smart thing to do. It gave quick, crisp threat awareness to the fellow combatants.

Answer 8

You are correct. Directly behind. To be on his 12 would be directly in front.

Answer 9

Actually this is an old joke, the first two being made on pakistanis, which goes as under. Instead of India taking the flight from russia, it is the pakistanis who get from americans and asking how to use the same. The second one, is clinton, benazir, monica and mushraf, The last one is ok with arab

Answer 10

Directly behind as in "at six o'clock"

Answer 11

You are right, it means directly behind.