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Pilot Callsigns

The web's largest collection of callsign stories

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The Three Rules of Callsigns

  1. If you don't already have one, you will be assigned one by your "buddies".
  2. You probably won't like it.
  3. If you complain and moan too much about 1. and 2., you'll get a new nickname you'll like even less!

So, how do you get a callsign?

Do something stupid or have it fit with your last name. Obvious examples, 'Crash' or LT 'Cheese' Kraft. Sometimes it's based on a physical appearance thing like 'Carrot'. After you've earned the respect of your buddies, you'll get a more 'heroic' callsign.

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Submit a Callsign - and don't forget the story!

Most recent additions

Our callsigns list contains 1695 callsigns. Here are the latest additions:
Crybaby
 (added: 2 Mar 2024)
Guy flies EA-18Gs in the Navy. His first cat launch, he forgot to put his head back on the seat and slammed it. He was weeping on the radio and we came up with it on the spot.
Romeo
 (added: 2 Mar 2024)
Young man who flew L-39's for airshows and would always stop by to say hello to his group's maintainers whenever he could, ended up being good friends with most of them. Maintainers would always see him stopping at the security post talking to a young blonde security guard almost every day, but he denied any sort of romantic interest. Fast forward to a Top Gun movie night, where the one of my buddies, much to the young man's embarrassment, caught him making out with the security guard behind a storage shed. From then on, he was deemed "Romeo". And no, Romeo and Juliet never did work out.
Flare
 (added: 2 Mar 2024)
I was in a mock dogfight on the F-16, my first one. I don't remember many details, but I do remember I was stressed, excited and desperately wanted to win. All of that blurred my judgment and the bandit "launched" a 120 in BVR. I notched it, but instead of chaff, I deployed flares... That's how I got my callsign.
BBS
 (added: 2 Mar 2024)
He loves boobs, so we call him BBS stands for BooBieS
SWAGGIN
 (added: 28 Feb 2024)
Dutch Viper driver who was named Sybian due to a noticeable tremor in his hands. A day after the naming, his PC commander decided Sybian was ‘too offensive’ and ordered a renaming. After initial refusal by the squadron bros, he was eventually renamed while on TDY. His name became SWAGGIN - Sybian Was A Godd*mn Great Initial Name.
Suárez
 (added: 28 Feb 2024)
Viper driver who has a tic where he tries to bite his shoulder. Named after the (in)famous soccer player Luis Suárez who was notorious for biting other soccer players in the neck/ears/privates(!) during matches.
TONIC
 (added: 28 Feb 2024)
Religious Dutch fighter pilot, who on his first flight at his new home base, was cleared to enter a crossing runway to subsequently enter and backtrack the active runway for take off. Instead, he entered the active runway at the intersection and took off without backtracking from about midway on this already ‘short’ 7800ft runway. TONIC - Take Off Numbers are Irrelevant to Christ
RIOT
 (added: 27 Feb 2024)
Dutch Viper driver who misidentified the target and accidentally strafed the control tower at the Cornfield range. Rolled In On Tower - RIOT.

Miraculously nobody was injured, despite multiple direct hits to the control tower.

ANTIFA
 (added: 11 Jan 2024)
Had a buddy who was a Navy pilot but couldn’t stand the Hornet community. So we named him ANTIFA (Anti-Fighter Attack)
007
 (added: 7 Jan 2024)
We called him 007.
0 motivation
0 skills
7 shit breaks
Gandhi
 (added: 6 Jan 2024)
Fellow pilot that would always sit cross-legged in chairs and spoke really camly. Also a really skinny guy
Koko
 (added: 11 Dec 2023)
A man of very few words, often he just pointed at something he wanted you to pass to him and often answered questions by nodding or shaking his head and grunting.

Named after Koko the gorilla that learned sign language.

HotHands
 (added: 4 Dec 2023)
During rifle training, I held the bare barrel of an SA80, instead of the barrel cover.
Goldfinger
 (added: 4 Dec 2023)
USN Flight Surgeon assigned to a tenant command on USAF base Misawa Japan. Known for never omitting any portion of the flight physical. Worked with three USAF flight surgeons. They gleefully recounted the story to his own pilots when a rubber glove broke on him during the sensitive portion of a physical exam. Callsign followed almost immediately
Hawaii 5-0
 (added: 2 Dec 2023)
Not a pilot but work on hovercraft called LCACs with the Navy. Basically we went on an exercise in Hawaii called RimPac or Rim of the Pacific for those unfamiliar. One night I went out on the town, as the Navy does all too well, with a friend from my command, long story short I black out and somehow found my way to the beach and decided to take a nap in the sand. A few hours later I came to as I was being handcuffed and put into the back of a cop car. They took me to the military hotel in the area and i wasn't in the handcuffs for too long but had to call people from my unit to come pick me up. Henceforth known among my crew as "Hawaii 5-0". Pretty tame and not the worst callsign one can be called so I lucked out in the end.
Fifi
 (added: 15 Nov 2023)
July 1990 - Sitting in weaponeering class, which was part of learning to fly the A-6 Intruder.

One of my classmates turned to me and said “I heard you have a poodle”, in the same tone you would use if you caught someone in the middle of some deviant act.

I replied “so what?”.

He (a marine) was outraged. “It must be your wife’s dog, right?” Not being smart enough to see the dignified exit, I vigorously defended our little dog. Big mistake. He turned to the rest of the class and announced “Patrick has a fucking little Fifi poodle, and likes him!”

I’m now almost 60 years old, and my close Navy friends still call me Fifi.
NAFOD
 (added: 19 Mar 2018)

No Apparent Fear Of Death.

I was an Ensign in my first fleet squadron, The Golden Warriors (VA-87). We were doing carrier qualifications on either the Kennedy or the America, I can't remember which. It was 40 years ago. Lt Bob "Wimpy" Christiansen was my Landing Signal Officer (LSO) and nicknamed me NAFOD for getting 6 out of 10 1 wires in the daytime. The target is the 3 wire of 4 total. My night traps were fine but I was "spotting the deck" in Navy parlance during the daytime, which is not a good thing.

Sadly Wimpy was killed a few years later flying into the water. Great guy. Probably saved my ass. RIP

STOIKY
 (added: 5 Apr 2018)
Stop Talking Or I'll Kill You.... Ever debriefed a guy that has more to say than the IP?
Cable
 (added: 16 Nov 2023)

No, not from a carrier landing. It's from when I was off base, pulling out of a bar on my motorcycle and ended up getting clotheslined by the cable of a winch on a wrecker.

The bar was having a car towed, and this tow truck driver hooked up to it and was trying to pull it away from the edge of the lot enough to get in front of it. He just happened to be pulling it across the entrance and exit to the lot, and didn't see me pulling out, and threw tension on the cable...just as I was riding towards the exit. The cable stripped me off the seat of the motorcycle, in full view of two of my squadron mates.

Merlin
 (added: 16 Nov 2023)
First name, Erlin. Top Gun fanatic and could recite entire scenes. Always twirled a pen or pencil during sortie briefs and debriefings.
Ready
 (added: 16 Nov 2023)
Ready-Fire-Aim!

He never planned the work out all the way, causing it to be done over again.

Scooby
 (added: 15 Nov 2023)
Her last name was Woo
Cheeks
 (added: 14 Jan 2011)
Water skiing while deployed and fighting Eagles out of Tyndall, Fl. Put in hack for two weeks, stood the duty...rode the pine...got the call sign.

Comment by one officer who caught me, "Stupidist thing I've ever seen, also the funniest; now go to your room and I'll tell you when you can come out."

I hear tell the Navy is scrubbing their call signs to comply with current convention... boring, inaccurate, meaningless, limp.

“W” or Dubya
 (added: 9 Nov 2023)
My daughter was a Flight Equipment Tech assigned to an A-10 squadron at Davis-Monthan. Her last name started with a “W” and the Hog drivers found out she was a big fan of Bush 43.
Bunny
 (added: 7 Nov 2023)
Bounced a few times onto a carrier deck... Pretty self-explanatory.
Leftie
 (added: 4 Nov 2023)
Saluted an Officer with my left hand on my first day
SMS
 (added: 3 Nov 2023)
Stands for "seven miles scent" a translation from a popular (at the time) Chinese song "七哩香", about a boy in love with a girl and he recognised the scent of her perfume everywhere he went. Everywhere this F-16 mechanic went, she left the scent of her perfume.
Mayhem
 (added: 3 Nov 2023)
A mechanic working on F-16s. Anything he touched immediately had problems. Even when it had been checked and inspected, things still went wrong as long as he touched it.
Top-Rope
 (added: 2 Nov 2023)
Had a friend who was flying F/A-18s for the Navy. Newly in the fleet, he kept bragging about how easy the Case 1 recovery (a landing in nearly picture-perfect conditions) he was in pattern for was going to be, and how he was going to show everyone why he graduated at the top of his class. Lined up, came in too high, and had to do a bolter. Came around again, caught cable 1 (for reference, the prime target was cable 3 of 4). He said that particular crow didn't taste so good until the name grew on him.
Shiva
 (added: 14 Oct 2023)
Based on the Hindu God, "Shiva the Destroyer". When your LT kills everything in the sky that isn't friendly...
Taint
 (added: 12 Oct 2023)
Last name Oldham. First platoon sergeant didn't like and decided to rename me, he called me tainted meat, but it was too long to yell and everyone figured out quickly what's funnier.... Taint.
X-Man
 (added: 3 Oct 2023)
Navy exchange pilot Lt. Cross
Deuce
 (added: 3 Oct 2023)
Ejected twice. First time at Luke when another jet hit him from behind/above in the landing pattern. Did two swings in the parachute and suffered two broken legs. Appeared in the class photo on crutches.

Second time the engine failed on takeoff in Saudi Arabia. Saw flames between his legs and ejected.

Lava (Lamp)
 (added: 1 May 2023)
Looked good but wasn't very bright
Adolf
 (added: 18 Sep 2022)
A German COS that was a jew. It was too perfect.
Notso
 (added: 26 Sep 2022)
F-15 pilot, last name Sharp
NUF
 (added: 14 Feb 2023)
Opposite of Fun. NUF was a single guy that acted like a 80-year old grandpa when it came time to push up the fun meter.
Obi-Two
 (added: 7 Sep 2023)
Ewan McGregor, famous for playing "Obi-Wan" (/ˈoʊbiːˌwɑːn'/) Kenobi in Star Wars, has a brother Colin. Colin McGregor is an RAF pilot, formerly working out of RAF Leuchars. His callsign is Obi-Two.

This only makes sense if you know that “Wan” means ‘one’ in Scots language. Undeniably cool.

Boomer
 (added: 7 Sep 2023)
“Boomer” took out all of the windows in a strip mall in Georgia while engaged in unauthorized DACT with a couple F-15s out of Warner-Robins.
Nurse
 (added: 7 Sep 2023)
One young newcomer decided to tell us about how he had not finished Medical college. Sooo... since he was not a Doctor, he must be a Nurse!
Vomit
 (added: 7 Sep 2023)
A Polish/Eastern European last name guy who had so many letters in his last name no one could pronounce it. The name came from the fact that it looked like someone “vomited” letters all over the place for his last name. He was just “Vomit” from then on.
Horse Killer
 (added: 23 Aug 2023)
I killed a retired race horse (which had been at stud for nearly 20 years) in Pennsylvania during an emergency landing of the SH-2F Seasprite Helicopter (during a NATOPS check flight). The worst thing? The horses name was Red Rebel.

My wife, as a joke, proceeded to create / established the "Equine Euthanasia Association" with business cards and everything. There were three of us - charter members (as it were). The check pilot (me), the pilot being evaluated, and the air crewman. They even heard about it at the Pentagon and years later, whenever I called the Pentagon, I was referred to as Horse Killer.

Jell-O
 (added: 9 Aug 2023)
USN F/A-18 pilot Vincent Aiello. Callsign came from last name.

Also see: Famed Naval Aviator Aiello tells the story of one of the final U.S. Air Strikes of the 20th Century

Sponge
 (added: 31 Aug 2023)
My grandfather told me about this one from one of his buddies in Vietnam. he was called "sponge" as in "bullet sponge" cause it seemed every time they left whatever FOB or airbase they were at they would take fire and he would get either the most close calls or the most actual hits but they were never bad enough to be sent back to the US... until he got shot 6 times and was sent back to the states. My grandfather and his old platoon never were able to find him once back in the states and gave up in the late 70s.
Loose
 (added: 23 Aug 2023)
The handle accorded to an F/A-18 pilot with the last name of Cannon. He was an exceptional aviator, now retired.
Steamer
 (added: 23 Aug 2023)
One new major came into the squadron after a ground tour and tried to give himself the callsign of ‘Steamer’. He said that people called him that because he would get so angry that steam would come out of his ears. A Captain in the squadron said “Hey, my dog dropped a big old steamer in the back yard this morning”.
Witch
 (added: 20 Aug 2023)
On first solo check flight during training, turned down the wrong taxiway and ended up at the right runway but the wrong end and when corrected he cluelessly radioed for help and asked, "Which way do I go now?" At the call sign board, it was a unanimous vote for 'Witch'.
Dozer
 (added: 16 Jul 2023)
Drunkenly knocked over a child in a Middle Eastern McDonalds, another in a Lawson’s in Japan, another on the streets of Ireland, and one more time in a Japanese Mall… just like a BullDOZER.
Xanadu
 (added: 9 Jul 2023)
Liked Xanadu's bar in Osan a little too much. If you've ever been there you'll know what's up...
Hasno
 (added: 23 Jun 2023)
Young female Navy Lt. whose last name was Johnson...enough said.
Didja
 (added: 8 Jun 2023)
Last name Bangor
RADIO
 (added: 8 Jun 2023)
Running Around Drunk Into Objects. Commanding officer of my first squadron
B-DU
 (added: 26 May 2023)
While at the Kun, on my first pop pattern ride on Kooni Range, I lost a bomb…somewhere. In debrief, my HUD tape confirmed I inadvertently released a BDU-33 (in the pop). At that same time, our squadron interpreter received a phone call from an irate Korean National (pastor of a church in the small village of Maehyang). I had lofted that munition 2 miles off range and shacked his church! God forgave me, because it was a Monday (His house was empty). My fellow Pantons were less forgiving. “B-DU…so it is written…”
Cravin
 (added: 12 May 2023)
Last name Moorhead
Chock
 (added: 4 May 2023)
I was pulling a glider onto the runway by the nose. I tripped on a tuft of grass, and fell over backwards, ending up right in front of the main wheel. Fortunately the glider stopped before it ran over me. When the incident was brought up in debrief that evening, an instructor said, "I think we have a new callsign 'Chock'"
Wheelbarrow
 (added: 1 May 2023)
Only works when pushed
Deck Chair
 (added: 1 May 2023)
Tended to fold under pressure in cadet school
Blister
 (added: 1 May 2023)
Always appears when all the hard work is done
E.T.
 (added: 1 May 2023)
Always wanted to go home
Vulture
 (added: 16 Mar 2023)
Pilot who couldnt distinguish destroyed ground vehicles from functioning if they stood still, and thus fired at already 'dead' targets two times too many.
Windex
 (added: 11 Mar 2023)
A clean canopy is a must of course, but this guy would clean his again himself, even after his crew had just done it.
Sloth
 (added: 27 Feb 2023)
I am 6'7 and very slow, both physically and mentally. I stuck out like a sore thumb compared to my shorter, more athletic "friendly" fellow pilots. Eventually, my buds picked that call from this massive word document they had made.
Horizon
 (added: 14 Feb 2023)
They said I was either way ahead or way behind everyone else...like the horizon.
Spot
 (added: 12 Feb 2023)
During training, Spot would always closely follow the instructors around like a lost puppy. Earned him the name Spot the dog.
SPINRH
 (added: 12 Feb 2023)
Spinner. Pilot who was always a little awkward and never quite fit in with everyone. They referred to him as a Square Peg IN a Round Hole.
LINE
 (added: 1 Feb 2023)
Like I Never Exist
Pimp
 (added: 27 Jan 2023)
I made the mistake of bringing some stunning dates to my first few squadron parties. The collective response from my new squadron mates: "Nobody dates women that look like that, you must be running a string of girls in town - you're the Pimp now"
Coast
 (added: 22 Jan 2023)
Female pilot who always talked about being from the coast and was presumed to 'coast' through the academy with her looks
Pepper
 (added: 18 Jan 2023)
He was a Marine EA-6B ECMO who had prior service as a ground officer. Although new to the flying business when he joined the squadron, he was already a senior captain and seemingly didn’t enjoy being lumped into the same group with the new lieutenants, to include having to perform duties normally assigned to very junior officers. When presented his call sign, words were said to the effect of, “We’re gonna call you Pepper, because you’re not as salty as you think you are.”
Duca
 (added: 17 Jan 2023)
Brazilian flour company called pinduca has a bald child with a yellow shirt as a mascot, due to Eduardo "Duca's" shortness and childishness he was called Pinduca, then Duca for short
Stormy
 (added: 9 Jan 2023)
Last name is Weathers. F-4 Phantom RIO
Mayo
 (added: 31 Dec 2022)
The man loved eating. Was always the one trying to get people together to go out for diner. During basic training his backpack was stuffed with (old) MRE's he would save up. Also small packs of mayonaise, to eat with the MRE's when appropriate. During UPT he made a phonecall to order fries for several people, due to a mix-up in the order he ended up with a supply of mayonaise, for months.
NUBS
 (added: 27 Dec 2022)
Wasn't strong enough to get the overhead hatch open .. Hence No Upper Body Strength
Flix
 (added: 26 Dec 2022)
Full name was Felix, squadron just decided to shorten it, also because I have a habit of flicking people on the forehead when I get annoyed at them (which is often).
Sharky
 (added: 19 Dec 2022)
Quick kill, quick eat and a quick sleep
RUSTY
 (added: 16 Dec 2022)
Dude wouldn't shut up and loved to chatter; R U Still Talking Y
SHOW
 (added: 30 Nov 2022)
Scarlet Haired Ornery Woman. Pretty self explanatory actually. F-16 driver and evaluator. Taught AIC. Retired in 2012 but still does contract work.
Sack
 (added: 16 Nov 2022)
First name Paul.
Fudge
 (added: 9 Nov 2022)
Hawaiian guy whose name was Aina (pronouned eye-nah) put fudge in front of that one and you can figure it out
Jukebox
 (added: 26 Oct 2022)
Could play the piano when drunk
BFTA
 (added: 25 Oct 2022)
Pronounced 'bafta', acronym for Big Fat Trainee Aviator. Guy was 6'3" and bately fit into the aircrft at OTS.
SITH
 (added: 7 Oct 2022)
Slow in the head - great guy that just got by in flight school.
Tuff
 (added: 26 Sep 2022)
Last name was Loveman s it's 'Tough love man'
Otter
 (added: 21 Sep 2022)
During a PT test, it was raining and when we came back inside and my hair was all dry compared to the others. Someone walked up to me and felt my hair and said, “This dude has Sea Otter hair!” And someone said, “Hey Otter! Get over here!”
Hunter
 (added: 14 Sep 2022)
Hellenic Air Force pilot, who likes hunting both with his aircraft (adversaries) and with his dogs (birds).
Chicken Man
 (added: 11 Sep 2022)
A guy with surname Sanders wanted to be called "Colonel" like "Colonel Sanders" of KFC fame. So naturally instead everybody decided to call him Chicken Man, or Fried Chicken. Shortened to just Chicken.
Sheckles
 (added: 8 Sep 2022)
I was always the money guy for squadron. I ran a lottery, I sold patch’s, etc… then when we were in Israel, I ran a beer mess. All this money was for squadron stuff and the Israeli currency is Sheckles.
Monarch
 (added: 8 Sep 2022)
I kept telling everyone else in my unit what to do, even though we were equals. They would get even more annoyed when I was right, which was most of the time. They started calling me "Queen Elizabeth," and then it changed to Monarch when I wore a butterfly t-shirt while on shore leave one day.
DEAF
 (added: 6 Sep 2022)
Didn’t Even Attempt to Flare. Self-explanatory…
Corn
 (added: 1 Sep 2022)
Commander Hole, USN
Foxy
 (added: 28 Aug 2022)
Malaysian's very first female fighter jet pilot was trying to land her MiG-29 but there seemed to be something wrong with her oxygen supply or tank. She cursed, "Fuck this OXYgen" hence the callsign.
WeeBee
 (added: 25 Aug 2022)
Viper IP at Kingsley during their F-16 days. Came into play during radio comms: "Tower, WeeBee ready for takeoff"; "Center, WeeBee with ya thru 5500 for 20K".
LAMBCHOP
 (added: 24 Jul 2022)
Acronym for “Little Angry Man-Boy, Can’t handle our program”. Had a hard time in the RAG but ended up getting through.
Waffles
 (added: 22 Jul 2022)
Committee found out I grew up in Belgium...right after I asked for a cool callsign.
Jeezus
 (added: 15 Jul 2022)
Surname Krites
Poky
 (added: 9 Jul 2023)
Named after a children’s book, 'The Poky Little Puppy". Always getting others in trouble, but mostly avoiding consequences for himself.
Cuffs
 (added: 5 Jul 2022)
I ran a High Gear program in the F-16 Program Office. The mission was to rapidly install a new bullet (PGU-38) on the F-16. The PGU-38 program manager (a nice guy) came to one of my meetings with one of the contractors at their location. Having just learned some new efficiency techniques that were actually quite productive for managing complex acquisition meetings, I applied them rigorously to all participants in the meeting, including to the visiting PGU-38 PM who out ranked me (Lt Col to Major). He wisely decided to let me run my meeting my way —:):):)—and we quickly took care of business. In the end my team and I got the new bullet installed on a highly accelerated timeline. And, as a tribute to my “aggressive management style” (his words), the bullet PM gifted me with a plaque that had 3 hooks on it which held: a pair of handcuffs, a dog choke collar, and a small whip. I’m still laughing over it, and it remains one of my most cherished gifts, proudly displayed then and now. Hence the call sign ‘Cuffs’ bestowed by a boss along the way (also a Lt Col) who saw the plaque and attached implements. Col (ret) Pam Arias
Pluto
 (added: 2 Jul 2022)
My call sign was chosen because when I was in the air, I had a habit of sneaking up behind the other jets, i guess it was because Pluto is known as the “invisible planet”. And I was also the smallest.
Easy
 (added: 20 Jun 2022)
Scott “Easy” Rider, nuff said
Conquer
 (added: 14 Jun 2023)
2Lt. Raihan Khondker - Having a unique last name with three back-to-back consonants was always a challenge for people to pronounce. It is pronounced very close to the word 'conquer'. Guess what my call sign became?
Cheese
 (added: 13 Jun 2022)
Last name was Mack. “Mac and Cheese”. Simple enough
HERO
 (added: 11 Jun 2022)
He Even Reads Odd. Guy had a speech impediment and would say the wrong words all the time when reading (exception instead of exemption, wired instead of weird, through instead of thorough, etc). Nice guy and a cool sign until he had to explain how he got it.
Bloodlust
 (added: 11 Jun 2022)
I was a young Infantryman in the Marine Corps. While serving in Iraq, I got pulled into the S1 during deployment to help out when they lost personnel (I had the highest GT Score in the Bn). I got to know the attached Pilot--call sign "Dangle"--and drove him and the other officers around. During some of our drives I kept talking about how I couldn't wait to get back to the Line (front line unit). I finally got transferred back to a weapons platoon. Two weeks later, I got asked, "What's going on Bloodlust? Do you miss us yet?" I was the only person who got to use my callsign over the Bn radio network instead of the traditional method, due to it spreading like wildfire among the officers.
Angrez
 (added: 10 Jun 2022)
Pronounced 'uhn-graze'. Hindi for english-speaker. South Indian IAF cadet who joined the academy without knowing a word of Hindi.
Multi
 (added: 9 Jun 2022)
RAF crewman, surname Storey.
Daily
 (added: 6 Jun 2022)
I'm a woman whose first and last name starts with Ta, and was thus christened as "Ta-Tas". Unfortunately someone way up the totem pole overheard it and demanded we stop using it. I spent the next few days complaining to anyone who would listen about having my callsign revoked by some humorless admin type that someone finally said "My god it's like every day is your time of the month." I immediately became known as Daily after that.
Sparky
 (added: 6 Jun 2022)
Was playing around in survival training and showed a few of the crew how to start a fire with some copper wire and a battery. Cause I much bigger spark than planned, lighting an entire book on fire.
NAVY
 (added: 5 Jun 2022)
A bad landing causes unnecessary wear and tear to the fighter's landing gear, like on an aircraft carrier.
Vader
 (added: 5 Jun 2022)
Vader as in Darth Vader; Norwegian pilot named Vidar came to flight school. He didnt have a callsign and was quite big and menacing looking so he became Vader
Walnut
 (added: 3 Jun 2023)
Had a young Lieutenant that worked with us and was an outdoorsy type - went hunting an fishing and that sort of thing. When he'd go hunting in the Fall, he'd climb up in a tree and wait for his prey to come "Danger Close". So one day he fell out of the tree, hitting a few limbs on the way down and broke his shoulder. So we came up with: "What falls out of trees in Ohio in the Fall? Walnuts and lieutenants." His moniker became "Walnut".
Touchdown
 (added: 1 Jun 2022)
He was a reasonably bright guy who every now and then would say or do something to make you completely question his intelligence. His buddies in the squadron decided he must've had a touch of down syndrome...just a touch. You could get his attention from a distance by extending your arms up in the air
Bagel
 (added: 26 May 2023)
Early in my career smoked out a kitchen when I left a bagel I was toasting for too long (got distracted) and caused a fire alarm to go off, sending everyone outside that evening. Apparently a coin toss was held as it was either going to be "toast" or "bagel", and "bagel" won out.

Hated it at first, but the name grew on me.

Quest
 (added: 26 May 2023)
Given to a caretaker who spent an entire day fixing one fuse at an RAAF bare base before a training wing could be ferried there. The inventory paperwork was wrong, the forklift was being serviced, the only replacement fuse was faulty, and he had to drive 70km to the nearest town to procure a new one.
Batta
 (added: 19 Apr 2022)
Marine Lt. Pohl while stationed in Iwakuni Japan seemed to take great pleasure in eating grasshoppers after drinking.. Batta means grasshopper in Japanese..
Bonk
 (added: 19 Apr 2022)
A new Marine Lt. after getting to his first Hornet squadron often followed the skipper quite closely. If the skipper stopped too quickly the Lt. would "Bonk" into him.
Lizzard
 (added: 19 Apr 2022)
I have a very long tongue. For some reason I kept sticking it out at the club. Some young lady started calling me by that name. Fellow pilots started calling me that so I started putting it on the briefing board. I didn't know how to spell it correctly being a Marine, thinking it had two Z's. It stuck.
Yukon
 (added: 18 Apr 2022)
Female Hornet driver from Alaska. Didn't mind the callsign so much, just that her squadron mates that bestowed it on her were too stupid to realize the Yukon is in Canada and not Alaska.
Puppette
 (added: 18 Apr 2022)
Female Hornet driver in a squadron that traditionally gave the FNG the callsign "Pup" until they earned something worse, or someone new showed. She felt that as a female, the call-sign should acknowledge the fact with the "-ette" suffix. The squadron went with it and by the time another new pilot joined, she had had the call-sign so long she was fond of it and refused to give it up. Later, after Tailhook, the PTBs decided to police everyone's callsign and through some twisted logic that probably said more about their own dirty minds concluded that her callsign was some sort of sexual reference and demanded it be changed. Predictably, she refused and earned everyone's respect for doing so.
Master
 (added: 18 Apr 2022)
Young air crew walks into a debrief with the entire air wing after accomplishing something impressive, so which someone shouted a compliment and to which he responded cockily, "I am the master!" To which no less than the wing commander replied: "That you are, Bates." Own-goal!
Clutch
 (added: 14 Apr 2022)
Selected in AD pilot training for Project Season (AD guy placed in a Guard unit for 'seasoning'!) Spent a year in A-7s that transitioned to F-16s (blk 42s) for the last 2 years... I had also been prior enlisted (avionics guy on C-141s and C-5s) and wanted to fly heavies after the guard tour; so the board named me "Clutch" after the 1960s cartoon Clutch Cargo...
Angry
 (added: 28 Mar 2022)
Thunderbird 9 - Flight Doc. Always nice - gets really yappy. Perfectly described his personality
Riot
 (added: 28 Mar 2022)
Flight Doc. Fitness nut always kept bottles of water in his helmet bag on left console behind throttle. One of his first flights while taxiing to the arming area, he reaches for his helmet bag and the handle snags the throttle advancing it to near mil-power. Random inputs on throttle - RIOT.
Vador
 (added: 20 Jan 2022)
Belgian Air Force solo display pilot Stephane Darte... Hence Darth Vador, and he's a Star Wars fan as well. The F-16 used for his display was nicknamed The Dark Falcon, in a special paint scheme.
Sweet Pea
 (added: 5 Jan 2022)
At Pensacola I held the door open for a civilian that was leaving the classroom. She responded with "Thanks Sweet Pea" in front of the whole class.
Juker
 (added: 17 Oct 2022)
Guy dodged 6 Iraqi SAM Missiles, then he landed safely.
POISON
 (added: 17 Oct 2021)
On a deployment, our intel guy got a little to drunk and fell in the bathroom.... hitting his head on the toilet. Hence the name POISON.... since he Passed Out In Shitter One Night
Atom
 (added: 15 Feb 2021)
Guy was the smallest pilot in the squadron
Static
 (added: 15 Feb 2021)
True Story: F-16 pilot with this call sign was in the process of transferring a F-16 from SC to Louisiana for a Hurricane evacuation. As soon as the pilot leveled off about FL26. He had an IFE with a engine warning light. Without declaring IFE or contacting ATC he dove through airspaces and aimed for nearest field: KXNO. Luckily, the FD was out fueling fire trucks that morning. His wingman performed a low altitude high speed pass over the field to get our attention. There was no communication with ATC tower at XNO, nor was it staffed at the time. Even then they probably only heard static on the radio. I was one of the firefighters that day and noticed the F-16 parked at the end of the runway aiming off the end. We responded to safety the aircraft (pinned gear, and chocking a/c) and allowed for safe shutdown. Mechanics later determined had the engine run for a couple more minutes it could have exploded. It was actively leaking oil out the engine when it landed.
Fish
 (added: 1 Mar 2021)
F*@# Is She Huge. When she looks like Xena: Warrior Princess
Pebbles
 (added: 10 Mar 2021)
Canadian pilot who landed slightly short of the runway, resulting in a huge cloud of dust and small rocks thrown up by her jet wash.
Vita
 (added: 5 Sep 2021)
Very Intoxicated’Til Asleep. Pilot was awarded this call sign at Red Flag 15-1. Apparently he couldn’t hold his liquor.
Ikea
 (added: 5 Sep 2021)
I Know Everything Already - This pilot came to us straight out of AMS, not prior enlisted like most of our pilots. This pilot had all the ego that goes along with being an officer. They eventually settled down.
Vienna
 (added: 18 Aug 2021)
Enlisted person from Motor Pool on a call with too many in command for a joint mission. She tried to say something like "my marines". It wasn't heard that way on the call. Navy captain comes back with "Muh-weenies? Excuse me?" The Marine captain in aviation couldn't stop laughing. Vienna sausages are little weenies. She hates the nickname.
Drippy
 (added: 5 Jul 2021)
Last name Fausett. Pretty much inevitable.
Wolfman
 (added: 24 Jun 2021)
Someone made a joke about the pilot being a werewolf after he mentioned his last name was Wolfram. His temper and ruthlessness aided the nickname, and it stuck, replacing his previous callsign.
Too Tall
 (added: 20 May 2021)
Lack of vertical prominence.
Torch
 (added: 8 May 2021)
Marine F-4 RIO. While partying at the Cubi Point, Philippines Officers Club during the 79-80 Coral Sea Cruise I set my Face on Fire while performing Afterburner Lights at the Bar where you atomize high proof Rum and ignite it with a lighter. Unbeknownst to me the Rum dripped down the sides of my mouth. My roommate standing next to met put me out with a wet bar rag but the damage was done. On a side note due to the embarrassment of bandages and salves on my face I volunteered for In Port Flight Deck Watch Officer and got to meet the brand new Captain/CO of the Coral Sea who never forgot my “incident” including 10 years later when he was a 3 Star Admiral.
Butane
 (added: 8 May 2021)
First assignment FNG 0-2 doing my initial overseas BFM checkout. Flying against an IP that most everyone thought was a doosh. Clearly my jet was tweaked up a bit because I managed to reverse and get a gunshot on the first 2 engagements. 3rd engagement I aggressively unloaded and rolled again and he calls a Knock it Off and RTB before my gunshot. He rips me a new one in the debrief saying I was too aggressive, out of control, and that I violated the 500ft bubble and says he’s busting me. I took the VCR to my flight commander (great dude) and he threw the BS flag, said the closest I got was 550ft. Big shitstorm ensues with the OpsO, he made the IP pass me. At the bar that night I was named Butane: a highly flammable gas that is slightly denser than air.
Steamer
 (added: 8 May 2021)
Shortened from Stanley Steamer, “The little engine that could.” First assignment 78TFS Bushmasters A-10s mid80s at RAF Woodbridge. I was the guy who spent 14 hours a day in the squadron: mission prep, learning tactics and threats, SnackO, Weapons shop Bean Counter, LPA, CRUD, Choir practice Friday nights at the OClub. We killed it. I also liked that it could mean a big fresh turd- not many call signs with a worse visual than that! ?
Coyote
 (added: 16 Apr 2021)
Most expensive way to kill a coyote? Hit it with an airplane...
Vix
 (added: 13 Apr 2021)
The only female in the squadron. People thought I was hot. My last name is Fox. Female fox is a Vixen. You get it.
T-Rex
 (added: 7 Apr 2021)
Ate two full racks of BBQ ribs faster than anyone else ate one. The comment was made that it was like watching a Tyrannosaurus!
SNIFF
 (added: 3 Mar 2021)
Saltiest New-guy In the F-ing Fleet
Bingo
 (added: 13 Feb 2021)
Not a pilot, which makes this c/s even more offensive. During training in San Antonio, TX, class decided to take advantage of a holiday weekend and make a group trip to the gulf coast. Two of us rode motorcycles while the rest piled into cars together. At our first fuel stop, I decided my bike (with no fuel gauge) still had plenty in the tank to reach the next planned stop, so we continue onward. Drained the tank and the reserve just a few hundred yards from the highway exit at our next stop. Classmates got out and pushed me and my bike up the ramp and into the Shell station. At graduation, they dubbed me "Putter." In a subsequent course, my new classmates (several were pilots) "corrected" it to Bingo. I'm a logistician by trade. Fuel management is one of our competencies.
O-Tool
 (added: 1 Nov 2020)
OTO0L as in One Takeoff, 0 (Zero) Landings. Mid-shipman arrived from the academy for his first flight in the Navy during his midshipman "cruise" in the back-seat of a two-seat F-5E. He and his pilot were in the air for thirteen minutes before having a mid-air collision. Both the pilot and mid-shipman ejected safely and was assigned the callsign OTO0L. He went on to become a fighter pilot with the Navy.
Prince
 (added: 16 Dec 2020)
Post deployment, got liquored up while drinking with buddies at local strip club. Thought it was a good idea to leave said club with two dancers and go get his junk pierced. Returned an hour later to buddies in disbelief until I unzipped my pants and a latex glove covering a somewhat bloody, newly pierced junk flopped out like a midget trying to shake hands. Of note: no other piercings or tattoos.... I started with that. Go big or go home.
Copperhead
 (added: 9 Dec 2020)
My hair is copper colored, I think you can put the pieces together,
Cannibal
 (added: 9 Dec 2020)
No, this was not because I ate someone... The story is that I had managed to get some Doritos once, and I am a redhead. While I was eating the Doritos some one said "Cannibalism...she's eating her orange brethren." and it kinda just stuck from there.
Smear
 (added: 25 Nov 2020)
She was a Juvats flight surgeon and they couldn't call her Pap. They also called her Orca which became her known call sign.
Liz
 (added: 25 Nov 2020)
Viper pilot and 35th FTS "Panton" at Kunsan. He had Elizabeth Taylor's dark hair and dark eyes. Last name Taylor.
Narco
 (added: 22 Nov 2020)
Short for "Narcoleptic", depending on if I'm telling the story or one of my buddies is, I either fell asleep or passed out from heat exhaustion under one of the Huey helicopters while taking a fuel sample. Of course no one's going to let you forget something like that!
K-9
 (added: 22 Oct 2020)
Similar to the story behind ‘Alphabet,’ this guy had a difficult name to pronounce that started with a K and was 9 characters long.
Blackout
 (added: 16 Oct 2020)
We were in a bar with the squad after training and he blacked out after 3 shots of whiskey and a bottle of beer.
Bags
 (added: 16 Oct 2020)
Before taking an "incentive" flight in the Viper, the crew chief gave me two hefty trash bags to stuff in my boots "just in case". I told him I would be just fine, even one would be more than enough, and not necessary. Filled em' both...
Spyro
 (added: 7 Sep 2020)
Short form of my Greek lastname (I'll let you try and figure it out). I bear no relation to the purple cartoon dragon "Spyro" from everyone's Playstation days.
Deadman
 (added: 5 Sep 2020)
During UPT, I was talking with some of my classmates about some of the less than well considered things I did as a teenager, such as barrel rolling a Cessna 172 after I soloed. One of them said "You're lucky that you're not a dead man". The name stuck permanently.
Bubble Hinge
 (added: 14 Aug 2020)
I'm not a pilot, but Submariner. I attended and graduated the Aviation Safety Officer (ASO) course in Pensacola in order to develop a similar one for the Submarine Force. My classmates felt I needed a callsign too. Bubble for being a submariner. Hinge is a derogatory term for someone who has totally bought into the career life. We have a "hinge" on our heads where the Navy opens our skulls and scoops out our brains.
Joker
 (added: 6 Aug 2020)
Because I was always smiling and had way to make everything into a joke, this was during the apex of the "that's what she said" phenomenon, while in Boot and later RIO training. Smiling was the only way I could get a ride out of the DI's without eating a fist, actually made one of them crack a smile. Yes, I paid dearly for it. A few years later they had a guy like me come thru, his first name was Glenn, so he was named "Quagmire". They made him perfect the famous "giggity, giggity" bit.
Boy Scout
 (added: 19 Jul 2020)
On our first day in we got our haircuts and initial gear issue. In the barracks I started putting it all together and someone asked how I knew how it all worked. I said “Boy Scouts” because it was similar. That was the start. On our first day on the range, one of the instructors asked where I learned to shoot. I said “Boy Scouts”. Voila
Nomad
 (added: 14 Jul 2020)
SERE guy who was impossible to piss off (no-mad) and wandered around showing up in weird places seemingly being everywhere at once.
Grovesy
 (added: 8 Jul 2020)
In my previous occupation as a security officer working at music festivals all over the country, UK based I got to know the lads quickly and got on well with the supervisors and the boss off the company I worked for who always went to work the festivals with us used to call me Grovesy (My surname is Groves) that name stuck and eventually became my radio call sign used to shout me over the radio where ever we worked and I now use it as my callsign in flight sims when flying fighter jets.
Dong
 (added: 4 Jul 2020)
Got the name for having the last name ding. And having a huge.... ;-)
Skate
 (added: 26 Jun 2020)
In the Navy, back in the 80's the term "Skate" meant someone who walks around and looks like he's doing something when in all actuality he... isn't. I had this lovely callsign bestowed upon me during the Gulf War while I was supervising a bunch of FNG's during UNREP aboard THE U. S. S. Ranger (CV-61).
Trophy-head
 (added: 20 Jun 2020)
The man had large ears. What can I say.
Mubto
 (added: 12 Jun 2020)
Monkey Undergoing Brain Transplant Operation In a sentence, MUBTO warned Speed Bump to not complain about his call sign. Earn a better one. That's how he got Speed Bump and then Clownboy.
Clownboy
 (added: 12 Jun 2020)
Speed bump really hated his first replacement name, with some attitude to be taken seriously. He didn't ask for another.
Speed Bump
 (added: 12 Jun 2020)
Annoying object used to impede progress. He didn't like his original call sign.
B-Line
 (added: 26 May 2020)
First name Brian. During FTXs and/or flights, I would "B-line it" towards the objective.
Smokey
 (added: 20 May 2020)
A-7 (all USN models). I started out as “Bear” (6’4”-230lbs), big enough to hunt bears with a switch, but after causing a forest fire when a smoke flare malfunctioned during a SAR-EX, changed to “Smokey.” Brian French I started out as Bear (6’4”-230lbs), but after causing a forest fire when a smoke flare malfunctioned during a SAR-EX, became “Smokey.”
Happyass
 (added: 20 May 2020)
I always showed up in a good mood, tried to always stay positive in bad situations; to the point that it became a bit annoying to others. Unbeknownst to me, I gained a reputation for my overly positive attitude. One day my CO calls my last name and I responded with a cheerful 'Yes Sir' and a smile. Then he orders me to get my happy ass into his office to discuss something. Upon emerging from his office, my new callsign, 'happyass', was assigned. Not the one that I was hoping for, but it could have been so much worse. The shortened version, 'Happy', while seemingly better, had it's own issues with references to Santa's reindeer and the seven dwarfs.
LOTHAR
 (added: 16 May 2020)
Loser Of The American Revolution. Royal Navy pilot on exchange with a US navy squadron.
ACE
 (added: 14 May 2020)
E-6 Wing Commander. Back when he was in pilot training, his girlfriend (eventual wife) came to his graduation. He was caught with her in the backseat of her car. The story preceded him to his first assignment, where they promptly gave him his callsign: Anal Cavity Explorer.
Wizard
 (added: 7 May 2020)
I was really into Dungeons and Dragons in the 80s. Anyone whose played knows that it's really hard to get a gaming group together and it's almost like admitting a social disease (at least in my era). "Hey dude, the word "Tarrasque" mean anything to you?" But you need a gaming group, so I had to convert a few people. Well why not start with my Flight? With some liquid courage and a borrowed copy of the 2nd edition I went full christian missionary on them. They thought it was super nerdy and started calling me Mr wizard. I never did get my DnD group, but the name stuck.
CAP
 (added: 1 May 2020)
The story is simple : I wanted to become at least a Captain, and I love two things : Coffee and Books, so the other started to jokingly call me "Cap' Coffee and Books", with became "Coffee And Books" : CAP.
Stall
 (added: 19 Apr 2020)
Pilot was late for several briefings, and ended up with a reputation for showing up just in the nick of time.
G-Force
 (added: 19 Apr 2020)
Pilot blacked out on his first flight during training, to the amusement of the instructor.
C.A.M.
 (added: 17 Apr 2020)
Continuous Awkward Moment. I used to say some crazy, off-the-wall things in my squadron that would make people give me those side-ways glares. Example: while in Afghanistan this one guy in our can (living space) used way too much body spray before going to work one day. I walked outside huffing and puffing, some of the other pilots asked me what was wrong, and I responded “have you smelled the inside of my can? It smells like a urinal in a Portuguese cat-house.” Definitely got some side-ways looks.
Lecter
 (added: 14 Apr 2020)
One of our guys engaged a target in Afghanistan and the frag from the AGM killed a bunch of lambs in a field. Callsign Lecter from Silence of the Lambs.
Orca
 (added: 10 Apr 2020)
The friendliest but deadliest whale!
Cereal
 (added: 11 Feb 2020)
I have a big nose, so I was a toucan, or Toucan Sam from fruit loops the cereal.
Short Stuff
 (added: 4 Feb 2020)
My partner called me short stuff in front of my pilot friends one time. Since I was probably the shortest person around the name stuck.
SpatialD
 (added: 31 Jan 2020)
Last name is Dee, this call sign has nothing to do with a swirling dogfight flown out of the MOA after orientation came into question.
Ricky
 (added: 20 Jan 2020)
Polish guy in an English squadron, actual name Miroslaw - even shortened to Mirek, most of the boys couldn't pronounce it, so they shortened it again to Ricky.
Deathwing
 (added: 13 Jan 2020)
A lot of us played World Of Warcraft, hence the reference. The reason we gave this guy this callsign was because whenever he dropped ordinance he went absolutely sadistic over comms, and it genuinely terrified us many times.
ZEUS
 (added: 28 Dec 2019)
Given to me by my squadron at Wright-Pat. I had a task I was taking my time getting around to. My supervisor came to my desk and asked me what the progress was, I lied and said "It's nearly done" He then asked me to pull it up and show him. He sat there and watched me complete the spreadsheet from start to finish and bestowed my callsign/nickname ZEUS. He said it stood for "Zero Effort Unless Supervised". It stuck with me my entire Air Force career.
Excel
 (added: 19 Dec 2019)
Had a Excel-Table for everything during flight school
Frodo
 (added: 19 Dec 2019)
That guy lost his engagement ring during a party in a las vegas stripclub.
Vincent
 (added: 19 Dec 2019)
Only a few people know the meaning. Short for: "vingt centimètres" (means twenty centimetres in French). He had the largest **** in the flight school.
Half Pint
 (added: 4 Dec 2019)
Hardheaded Angry Little Fucker Possibly In Need of Therapy
Amber
 (added: 4 Dec 2019)
He disappeared so frequently from work they had to send out the [insert callsign] for him to come back.
Caddy
 (added: 3 Dec 2019)
Three of my instructors were playing a game of golf in the park with a Wal-Mart sand wedge and a sleeve of tennis balls. I saw them and asked to join them, but a sleeve of balls only has three. So they made me caddy for them, running the club between each golfer, cleaning it, and "suggest" clubs--of which there was only one. Good shots were given a "good choice, Caddy," and bad shots the opposite. The name just stuck. Years later, one of them was helping me build a deck at my house, and our wives were talking and watching. I made a raunchy joke, and my wife used my real name. His wife was surprised; having known me for years, she didn't know what it was.
Preacher
 (added: 30 Nov 2019)
My name is Jim Jones. A short time before I began UPT a reverend with the same name had caused a large group of people to drink poisoned kool aid in a bizarre religious cult ritual in Guyana. In typical tacair fashion this was deemed the perfect call sign for a newly minted air force pilot. I ended up 11fx and assigned to the F-15C, so I would have answered to any silly thing they wanted to call me. :)
Bushwacker
 (added: 22 Nov 2019)
There used to be 30-foot-tall trees on short final where I was doing type conversion in a prop job. I cut 'em down to ten feet. Still got one of the twigs I pulled out of the cowling that day..
Fearless
 (added: 22 Nov 2019)
During fighter qualification volunteered to fly extra night ground attack (night owl) missions after having qualified in all categories. . Consensus that I was either a dumbshit or fearless.Fortunately squadron mates at the alcohol fueled naming ceremony liked the alliteration of Fearless Fred. Thank God!
ELF
 (added: 8 Nov 2019)
Engage Lots of Friendly during my ACM course.
Cotton Ball
 (added: 30 Oct 2019)
She made the mistake of trying to give herself the callsign "CinderBlock" and shorten it to CB. We ran with the CB and changed it to Cotton Ball.
Ice Cream
 (added: 20 Oct 2019)
As an LT, they would remember my first name (Daniel) before my last name. It turned into Lieutenant Daniel, then shortly thereafter Lieutenant Dan, which reminded them of Forrest Gump when Forrest said “LT Dan....Ice Cream!”. Call Sign - ”Ice Cream”.
Church
 (added: 9 Oct 2019)
Last name Iglesias
Lube
 (added: 9 Sep 2019)
Initials are K.Y.
Funky Cold
 (added: 12 Aug 2022)
Active Duty Navy since 2001 and my last name is Medina...so obviously people started calling me Funky Cold since 2001. The funny thing was that I have no idea what it meant when I first heard of it. The guys showed me the video and from there it stuck!
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