Forum: Air Force Life

I'm compiling a dictionary of USAF slang. Submissions are cheefully accepted.

Here are some excerpts:

ATF:
Advanced Tactical Fighter. Group of fighter prototypes that employ state-of-the-art design, materials, avionics, and weaponry to enhance combat performance. Term comes from the original name for the F-22 program. (See: A Toy Fighter).

Bear:
The Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO), the GIB. Refers to pilot’s opinion that a trained bear can replace the GIB. (See: FUF).

The Blue Zoo:
The United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado. Also known as “Colorado Kool-Aid U” and “The Colorado Home for Wayward Boys”

Box Office:
Formerly known as the Cockpit. Renamed by Female Pilots.

Drone:
1.An unmanned aircraft.
2. Any single seat aircraft flown by a female. (See: Box Office)

Jink:
To maneuver violently to avoid a threat. “I jinked to ditch that SAM”. “I jinked to avoid the First Shirt”.

Mixed Company:
A group of pilots which includes those so unfortunate as to not be fighter pilots.

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The term bear comes from the original Wild Weasel F-105F/Gs. I worked with a guy who had been a Bear, and I believe he said the term originated from when someone asked a pilot what the guy in back did and the reply was something like "He sits back there and growls like a bear in his pit."

Col Leo Thorsness was a Weasel pilot. Spent 6 years as a POW and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.

More about these "wild and crazy" guys may be found at [Link pending approval]

I was one of the original F-4G crew chiefs and worked 105's for awhile when the 563rd TFS transitioned. Alot of the Thud pilots were still sporting the 100 Missions Over North Vietnam patches. The "growling bear" explanation was in response by the Bears to the original "Trained Bear" reference. In reality, by 1978 the Weasel Crews were the tightest crews I've ever seen.

"First in, Last Out, Custer Faced a Threat Filled Environment Too"

How about "RFTLFLTS"? Pronounced "Riff-lits", it stood for Radio Frequency Transmission Line Flight Line Test Set. Used to check RHAW cables on Vipers, among others.

maddog2840 wrote:

I was one of the original F-4G crew chiefs and worked 105's for awhile when the 563rd TFS transitioned. Alot of the Thud pilots were still sporting the 100 Missions Over North Vietnam patches. The "growling bear" explanation was in response by the Bears to the original "Trained Bear" reference. In reality, by 1978 the Weasel Crews were the tightest crews I've ever seen.

"First in, Last Out, Custer Faced a Threat Filled Environment Too"

Wild Weasel (Thud Gs) pilots were known as "Nose Gunners" by their Bears. Wink

In the Air Guard we call active duty AF guys "RAFSOBs"...

Regular Air Force SOBs. Very Happy

No worries, I was one once. Wink

Don't forget DARTs Dumb A$$ Regular Troops. I wuz one once but got smart and became a FANG F*cking Air National Guard...

I assume this post should be here

http://www.f-16.net/f-16_forum_viewtopic-t-3354.html

ASSUME
a$$ out of U and ME

VarkVet wrote:

I assume this post should be here

http://www.f-16.net/f-16_forum_viewtopic-t-3354.html

ASSUME
a$$ out of U and ME

Hi VarkVet,

Uh....no. Because, believe it or not ,some people in the Air Force do not even see an F-16.

The thread you mention is a subset of the larger dictionary.

Speaking of sub-sets, I've hit the Mother Lode! Shocked

USAFA Slang

Speaking of Thuds, a few years ago, I heard about the Thud Song, but have never been able to find the lyrics, could anyone direct me to it?

I have a contact on YouTube that may be interested in putting together a music video with it. The Thud was a great bird.

ptplauthor wrote:

Speaking of Thuds, a few years ago, I heard about the Thud Song, but have never been able to find the lyrics, could anyone direct me to it?I

Thud Song?

This one???
I'm a Thud pilot, I love my plane
It is my body, I am its brain

My Thunderchief loves me, and I love her, too
But I get the creeps, with only one seat
And one engine, too

She's faster than lightnin' it says on her dials
To get a Thud airborne takes only two miles
She's packed with transistors, black boxes, diodes...

or this one???

Will you go Boom today,
One went Boom yesterday.

It was a 105,
Yes everyone's alive

no wait...I found it.

The Thud Song

Was that it?

Downrange: Somewhere away from home station, and most specifically in a combat environment.

Tango Uniform: Broken, or very messed up

Usage- "Make sure this is working right, 'cause I don't wanna be Downrange somewhere, and have this f#ckin' thing go Tango Uniform on me."

More USAF Slang HERE

It's the latest version of the dictionary.