"Disposable" Pilot names that you use

[HumanDrone 4]

One thing that puts OFF at the top of the heap is it's faithfulness to history and overall "immersion" factor, joining up to a squadron or Jasta, etc. But when you're just getting started, I think it's customary to have some pilots that are "throw-aways". I don't figure my current pilot will last too long, but I will learn from this hapless digital creation.

 

So I thought, why not have a chuckle or two with our disposable pilot names? My guy right now is a (not very funny) 2nd Lt. Thomas Dirtdigger. My brother in law likes to fly (if you can call it that) for the Germans, and he is now Fleigher Rex von Schnapps - and if you saw the way he flew, you'd conclude that he had imbibed quite a bit of said spirits prior to take-off! So in the tradition of, say, our friend here, Herr Prop-Wasche, what do you call your "throw away" pilots used for training, experimentation, etc?

 

(No disrespect is intended to those living or dead. Just thought we could have a little fun...)

 

Bonus for our friends who have a funny name in another language that they can explain for us English speakers!

 

Best,

 

Tom

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

Oh, yes indeed Tom. Many of us here have done exactly as you describe. Given this recent post of yours, perhaps you should consider putting in your papers for "The Barmy OFFers Club". I've a hunch you'll qualify and then some.

 

The Barmy OFFers Club

 

.

[Wayfarer 5]

Algernon Crumpetly-Flim.

One of the Buckinghamshire Crumpetly-Flims. His OFF information line (where it usually says '... set out to help to win the war for ... ' etc.) informs us that he set out to avoid getting a white feather from his Great Aunt Primula.

Edited May 1, 2012 by Wayfarer

[Olham 164]

My German test pilot for all sorts of new setups or aircraft manoeuvers is "Flieger Hans Wurst".

A "Hans Wurst" (Jack Sausage) is a nobody, a constant failure.

His English counterpart is Dudley "Dud" Downer.

[HumanDrone 4]

Well, now you've got me thinking...! In light of my "Human Drone" status, maybe I should christen one "Heywood Jahshootmee!"

 

And I appreciate the BOC invite, I will see about filing my papers here, perhaps at lunchtime. But while "Barmy" probably describes me pretty well, everyone IRL would agree that "funny" does not. My kids would tell their friends, "That was a joke. Like the funny kind but... different..." and my brother-in-law says, "Yeah, someone else can tell a joke and everybody's laughing their heads off, but if Tom told the same one, you could hear a pin drop, and everyone's just looking at each other with this disgusted look on their face..."

 

Olham, I like "Hans Wurst!" You get the first Foreign langauge bonus, and I think I'll have to petition Lou for an oak leaf cluster for your BOC badge! (if I get admitted, that is..)...

 

And Wayfarer, is the "white feather" a sign of cowardice?

 

Best,

 

Tom

Edited May 1, 2012 by HumanDrone

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

Hmmm, an Oak Leaf Cluster for the BOC badge? I think we have enough problems getting our hats on some days as it is already around this camp. And, since we are sharing a few of our flying monikers:

 

2nd Lt. Testy McTesterson

Leutnant Otto Knottfli

Feldwebel Hans Offderplaen

Sergeant Kenny Shewttum

Lt. Howard Kannetbee

Adjutant Frank Leigh-DeWerst

Captain (acting) Reginald “Reggie” Wankersmith

Sous Lt. Phillip M'Tanque Dummas

 

and a host of others.

 

 

.

[RamblingSid 3]

I seem to cycle through the same names:

 

Herbert Head

Upton Downton

Stan Down

Eddie Sativa

Albert Truss

Henry Crun

Moose Malloy

The brothers Wurst (Hans and Otto). Great minds think alike, Olham .

 

But I couldn't knowingly use the name of a real airman.

[Olham 164]

Olham, I like "Hans Wurst!" You get the first Foreign langauge bonus...

"Forreign lankwhich?! Vatt forreign lankwhich doo yoo mean, mein Herr? Zatt is my nativ Dsherrman!"

 

And Wayfarer, is the "white feather" a sign of cowardice?

Yes, indeed. Cecil Lewis (or was it Arthur Gould Lee?) described in his book, how he was on leave,

or he had just signed up, but was still in civil dress.

Two London ladies stop and hand him a white feather - the sign for cowards.

He reacted great; he said:

"Sorry, madam, but my mother told me not to take anything from strange ladies!"

[Burning Beard 14]

I figure all the names are throw-aways so I use......

 

British, Walter Whetwhistle

 

American, Misbegotten Jones and Jesse Smithorjones

 

German, Otto Ubering

 

 

Beard

[HumanDrone 4]

"Forreign lankwhich?! Vatt forreign lankwhich doo yoo mean, mein Herr? Zatt is my nativ Dsherrman!"

 

 

Mein apologies, Herr Olham, sir! But the boards are in English... (loved your accented typing! - Dsherrmnan!!! - great!)

 

Getting a great chuckle out of these!

 

Borrowing from the "Car Talk" folks in the US, how about the three stooges of the air, Dewey, Shootem, & Howe?

Edited May 1, 2012 by HumanDrone

[Flyby PC 23]

Well, one time I thought a mission might be a one way ticket, so Toryboy Cameron got the short straw. He's posted as missing, but he's not well liked anyway. Bumchum Clegg and Gormless Osborne were glad to see the back of him.Never paid his Mess bill.

Edited May 1, 2012 by Flyby PC

[Shiloh 12]

German pilot: Marth A. Fokker

[HumanDrone 4]

Another German: Messer Schmidt!

 

(Reminds me of the old joke about the British WWII pilot telling a classroom of his wartime exploits... "There were Fokkers to the left, and Fokkers to the right... those Fokkers were everywhere!" The class was tittering and chuckling, and the teacher prompted "Perhaps you need to explain that 'Fokker" is a German aircraft manufacturer." To which the British pilot replied, in his best British accent, "Oh, of course! But these Fokkers were Messerschmidts!"

 

 

Tom

[Hauksbee 103]

While virtually all of my flying is QC, I have essayed a few campaigns. (on the German side) On those occasions, I have flown as Captain Hyazinth von Strachwitz II. (a real, WWI historical character, albeit a cavalry officer and said to be intelligent, aggressive and possesed of movie-star good looks. Just prior to the Battle of the Marne, his unit was probing in advance of the main body. It is claimed that his regiment was the only one to ever see Paris on the horizon.) Rather than lose forever such a pilot, I made good my loses by re-enlisting him as "von Strachwitz III. i think there was also a 'von Strachwitz IV.

HumanDrone: Yes, the white feather was a sign of cowardice. I googled it once. The story goes that some game bird has white feathers that are only seen when it's flying away from you. But nobody was quite sure which bird it is. During WWI, the white feather was used to great effect. Women would keep several with them when they left the house. They'd pounce on healthy-looking males on the street and badger them for not being in uniform. Groups of women would make a day of it lurking around Men's Rooms and ridiculing the men as they came out. There are accounts of men, who were refused by the selection boards, driven to suicide by the white feather campaigns.

Edited May 1, 2012 by Hauksbee

[redpiano 6]

"123 ABC" works for me.

[HumanDrone 4]

redpiano:

 

What parent would do that to their child? That's worse than "Moon Unit" or some of the other celebrity names you hear! & how would they be listed in the phone book?

 

All in good fun,

 

Tom

[redpiano 6]

Numbers are usually listed before numbers so they're be #1 in the phonebook!

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

Yes, but are they listed before letters? Sorry, couldn't help myself RP, your typo was just laying there, and, well ... I'm a smart arse.

 

.

[Wayfarer 5]

And Wayfarer, is the "white feather" a sign of cowardice?

 

Best,

 

Tom

 

Yes, as confirmed by Olham and Hauksbee, the white feather was a symbol of cowardice.

In part of a WW1 memoir I have read, someone was on leave and out in his civvies because his mum was boiling the lice out of his uniform. A woman on a bus thrust a white feather at him. He took out his pipe and cleaned it with the feather, smiled appreciatively and said, 'thank you, we don't get these at the front'. This earned him great sympathy from the other passengers, and her a lot of dirty looks!

 

I'm afraid Algernon's great aunt is a terrible, and rather huge, old battleaxe. Her poor late husband only finally gained her grudging approval by being eviscerated by the Pathans. Unable to personally go and give the Kaiser a thrashing, she badgered young Algernon unmercifully.

She has, however, been able to make a valuable personal contribution to the war effort in apparently being the original model for the mark 1 tank.

[redpiano 6]

.

 

Yes, but are they listed before letters? Sorry, couldn't help myself RP, your typo was just laying there, and, well ... I'm a smart arse.

 

.

 

 

 

Lol derpity derp, my bad.

 

Numbers are usually listed before LETTERS! so they'll be #1 in the phonebook!

[Bullethead 12]

I once tried to use Johan Gambolputty de von Ausfern-Schplenden-Schlitter-Crassenbon-Fried-Digger-Dingle-Dangle-Dongle-Dungle-Burstein von Knackerthrasher-Horowitz-Ticolensic-Granderknotty-Spelltinkle-Grandlichgrumblemeyer-Speltwasser-Kurstlich-Himbleeisen-Bahnwagen-Gutenabendbitte-EineNurnbergerbratwurst-Gernspurtenmitzweimache-Luberhundsfut-Gumberaber-Schonedanker-Kalbsfleish-Mittler-Aucher von Hauptkopf von Ulm.

 

Unfortunately, the Armistice came before I finished typing it in.

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

BH, I believe it's pronounced "Schmitt".

 

.

[Olham 164]

Yes, everyone in Germany with a name like that simply calls himself "Schmidt", "Schmitt", or "Müller".

"Meyer" is out of fashion since Görings change of name.

[Dave63 13]

Hugh Mann-Target

 

Fredrich VonPlonk

[RamblingSid 3]

Well, one time I thought a mission might be a one way ticket, so Toryboy Cameron got the short straw. He's posted as missing, but he's not well liked anyway. Bumchum Clegg and Gormless Osborne were glad to see the back of him.Never paid his Mess bill.

 

 

Flyby,

 

I like the cut of your jib .