Uhu Posted April 15, 2015 Posted April 15, 2015 Hello! Well, the topic title says it - are there any rules, official or inofficial, for the creation of callsigns? I'm not thinking about individual pilot nicknames, but more about things like flight callsigns (e.g., in game: "Gunslinger", "Zebra", "Olds" etc., or, in Vietnam, "Sandy", "Misty" and so on). I'm curious about it. ^^ Regards, Uhu Quote
+daddyairplanes Posted April 15, 2015 Posted April 15, 2015 In game you just need a wav or it wont announce you IRL dependscon the era and circumstance. National Gaurd flights usually have callsigns reflecting the culture ( Jazz for Louisiana, Taco for New Mexico). In Desert Storm, Wild Weasel flights usaully had beer callsign. One day an Eaglecunit askedto switch for a day. Eagles got left alone and the Weasels racked up some more hard kills. Quote
MrGoTime Posted April 15, 2015 Posted April 15, 2015 In game you just need a wav or it wont announce you IRL dependscon the era and circumstance. National Gaurd flights usually have callsigns reflecting the culture ( Jazz for Louisiana, Taco for New Mexico). In Desert Storm, Wild Weasel flights usaully had beer callsign. One day an Eaglecunit askedto switch for a day. Eagles got left alone and the Weasels racked up some more hard kills. I was going to basically echo that. I can't speak for the air force, but for the Army/National Guard, our callsigns generally revolve around the culture or unit moniker. For example, I was in an Apache unit who had a "pirate" theme, so depending on the flight company, their call sign was Pirate, Corsair, or something like that (followed by the last two digits of their tail number, although sometimes the digits are assigned), ie Pirate 16 (Pirate One Six). Honestly the Louisiana units I worked with went by Mojo or Bayou. Some Utah units I've seen have been Warhorse, Hammer, Hawkeye or Pirate. I've also seen Smooth (from North Dakota), as well as a few others. I'm just sad that the Army doesn't do noseart anymore. Quote
+331Killerbee Posted April 16, 2015 Posted April 16, 2015 (edited) Well, It Depends........ Usually, The Unit would be assigned a "Callsign" when the Squadron is formed.... Like MrGoTime and Daddyairplanes have stated, They usually falls around the Units Moniker. Such as My old Unit.....It was Bee 01, 02.......ect. The Units Mascot is a BumbleBee. Now if one was in another Aircraft, But didn't know the Callsign, He would use the TailCode to communicate. Again, like 331, It would be Victor Lima 01, 02, 03....ect. VMA-331's Tailcode is VL. Now in Country, All Bets are off.........The Units are assigned "Callsigns" from the overall Command....... I'll use Vietnam for example. When a Unit went "Feet Dry" they were given a new "Callsign" in Country......... In the Case of Vietnam. They came from PAC. Pacific Air Command USAF. They had overall Command of Air Assets in Country. Here's some Examples of Marine "Callsigns" from Vietnam........ BAT VMFA-115 Normally Eagle Basketball VMGR-152 Sumos Circumference 1st Mar Div O-1 doesn't exist anymore Condole H&MS-13 Sumos of a different Flavor Cowpoke VMO-2 Pony Deadlock VMO-2 UH-1 Doesn't exist Fingerprint VMO-6 Ditto Hellborne VMA-211,311,121,223 Avenger,Cat,Pawn,Dawg Hostage VMO-2 Pony Indian Country VMF(AW)-235 Bozo Klondike VMO-6 Not around anymore LoveBug ----- LoveBug was the Callsign of the Sit-Rep F-4 out of Chu Lai. Oakgrove VMO-3 Later to become HMLA-269. Was assigned Scarface and keeps it to this Day. Pigment VMCJ-1 Eagle Stood Down in 1975. Playboy H&MS-11 Hustler Ringneck Da Nang's Sit-Rep F-4's Seaworthly VMO-6 There ain't none anymore. Spook VMFA-314 Knight Trojan Queen VMA(AW)-533 Hawks Castor Oil VMFA-542 Tiger They are a AV-8B Squadron now. WheelChair VRC-50 ? Depends now. They are the Navy's C-2 Det. Now they would revert back to their original "Callsign" when they went "Feet Wet" leaving Country. Much like how "Air Force One" uses it's Callsign when the President is aboard and is not aboard. Now the Overall Command might assign a Special "Callsign" for the purpose of Special Operations or Special Mission. For Example.....We've all heard of this one..... Arc Light That's pretty much how it's done. I hope I've been of some Help to You in understanding this,,,,,,, Semper Fi! 331KillerBee Edited April 16, 2015 by 331Killerbee Quote
+Typhoid Posted April 16, 2015 Posted April 16, 2015 "Much like how "Air Force One" uses it's Callsign when the President is aboard and is not aboard." Air Force One, Navy One, Marine One are only used when the President is embarked. When he is not, those units revert to their normal callsigns. Quote
Uhu Posted April 17, 2015 Author Posted April 17, 2015 Yeah, the Air Force 1 has "Special Air Mission + tailcode", without the president on board, isn't it? @Killerbee: thank you, but I have a follow-up question: who does this callsign assignement that you described ("Usually, The Unit would be assigned a "Callsign" when the Squadron is formed")? Is that the result of an informal agreement of unit members present at the squadron formation, maybe a single flash of wit? Something else? Please satisfy my curiosity. :D Regards, Uhu Quote
+Typhoid Posted April 18, 2015 Posted April 18, 2015 Yeah, the Air Force 1 has "Special Air Mission + tailcode", without the president on board, isn't it? Regards, Uhu it depends. When the President goes on board anything - that becomes AF1, Navy1, etc. When he came aboard the NEACP, we became AF1 and when he left, we went back to Nightwatch. When he came aboard USS Belknap, we became Navy 1, and when he left, we because Belknap again. Quote
+JediMaster Posted April 20, 2015 Posted April 20, 2015 I think what he means is what does that particular VC bird use if neither Pres nor Vice Pres is on board, like if it's going for maintenance or something. Quote
+Typhoid Posted April 20, 2015 Posted April 20, 2015 I think what he means is what does that particular VC bird use if neither Pres nor Vice Pres is on board, like if it's going for maintenance or something. it would be whatever the 89th Airlift Wing callsign is. It would not be a Special Mission callsign because that is carrying someone. "someone" could be any of the huge list of dignitaries authorized to use VC aircraft of the 89th. such as; Cabinet Officers Members of Congress Cabinet Officer deputies and key staff DoD key personnel and key staff Members of City Councils are not currently on the list........ Quote
Viggen Posted April 22, 2015 Posted April 22, 2015 (edited) I was going to basically echo that. I can't speak for the air force, but for the Army/National Guard, our callsigns generally revolve around the culture or unit moniker. For example, I was in an Apache unit who had a "pirate" theme, so depending on the flight company, their call sign was Pirate, Corsair, or something like that (followed by the last two digits of their tail number, although sometimes the digits are assigned), ie Pirate 16 (Pirate One Six). Honestly the Louisiana units I worked with went by Mojo or Bayou. Some Utah units I've seen have been Warhorse, Hammer, Hawkeye or Pirate. I've also seen Smooth (from North Dakota), as well as a few others. I'm just sad that the Army doesn't do noseart anymore. The Chinooks in my unit are Mafia. Nose art would be cool. Most Chinooks get a unit crest on the nose, and sometimes on the aft pylon work platform. The latter is pretty much exclusively Guard though. I've also seen Black Hawks with division patches on the engine cowling. It's pretty boring though. Almost forgot to mention that Chinooks also get a less than stellar name given to them on the ramp. EDIT: Aussie -47s have nose art! Edited April 22, 2015 by Viggen Quote
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