Callsigns - Must their choosing obey to any kind of rules?

[Uhu 2]

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

[DEVIL11 28]

I highly doubt there are

[+daddyairplanes 8,635]

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.

[MrGoTime 20]

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. 

[+331Killerbee 840]

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

[+Typhoid 231]

"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. 

[Uhu 2]

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

[+Typhoid 231]

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.

[JediMaster 451]

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.

[+Typhoid 231]

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........

[+Viggen 516]

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