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Pilot Callsigns

Callsigns starting with " C"
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Carrot
Red head pilot... and for some reason, was obsessed with carrots, and had a specific way of eating them.
Cheeks
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.

C.A.M.
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.
Cable

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.

Cack
I was an angry man as an A1C and my counterpart had the name "Balls" so I became Cack because you can't say C@ck in todays Air Force
Caddy
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.
Cajun
Last name: Burns
Calvin
Capt. Mark Cline
Camel
Lt. Geoff "Camel" Stow
Camel
My last name is Teo.... and is always mispronounced as toe on the schedule. U guys figure out the rest.
Candle
"Can't Do Learning", ironically, it was one of my instructor's nickname in Flight School ...
Candyman
While in Berlin for a tactics team conference, we visited a strip club called Mon Cheri, named after the chocolate-covered cherry candy. A stripper hid a piece of the candy in a special place, which someone had to find without using hands. I was coerced to find the candy or be without a callsign for the next three months.
Cannibal
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.
Cantget
Surname: Slade
CAP
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.
Captain
F-16 Driver in Japan - real name was James Kirk
Carnie
Came from carnivals having different freaks that do crazy and weird stuff. He fits that mold and being one of the hairiest people most folks ever have seen makes the name stick.
Carrot
a redhead
Cash
Everyone who sees it now thinks it's related to cash money... they couldn't be more wrong... i got the callsign because as an ART back in the day you could wear civilian clothes while crewing a jet (a fantastic thing btw) well... besides having a deep voice i wore black everyday, regardless of the weather... at one point they called me MiB (Man in Black) but Cash fit me better... named after the great Johnny Cash
Casper
Hired by the Syracuse Guard unit and United Airlines the same month. Went to airline training and didn't show up at the Guard unit for two months..as in "The Ghost".
Casper
Stuck because my wife sent a Casper the Ghost sticker on a piece of mail! Was known as Casper since a kid in Massachusetts.
Cavalier
Last name is Cavanaugh. 'Nuff said.
Caveman
During CAF survival training, guy enjoyed the worst of weather. After sleeping outside in the spilling rain and freezing cold, he woke quite rested. Instructor said "He's a F#@$ing Caveman"
Caveman
We gave the guy the name cause he actually looked like a caveman
Centerline
Earned this name because if the food was free, he would stuff himself to the point where he would have to loosen his belt
Cereal
I have a big nose, so I was a toucan, or Toucan Sam from fruit loops the cereal.
Chainsaw
While pulling "ALERT" and attempting to catch some ZZZZzzz's and snoring loudly I could easily cut and stack a cord of wood a night. Hence, Chainsaw.
Challenger
Challenger is my unicorn ! thus my friends call me Challenger.
Chaos
Erratic, but semi-predictable behavior.
CHAOS
While deployed to Guam, a B-52 Radar Navigator enjoyed a nice ride at The Viking. After getting a bit to hands on the "button" of the dancer, and getting jacked up by the bouncer is was determined he "Can't Handle Another Oriental Stripper".
Chatty
Kathy McDonald: It was bestowed upon me because 1) there used to be a famous Chatty Kathy doll in the USA, and 2) I sometimes tend to use a few too many words to convey info…
Cheese
Last name was Mack. “Mac and Cheese”. Simple enough
Cheeto

Early days of GWOT, circa 2002. Young LT was older, non-Prior E, guy who was a Wall Street investment banker, or something similar. Very sure of himself... fit right in.

He was also "Metro" before the term had its peak as a pop culture movement, and he maintained the perfect shade of Bronze #5 from the local tanning salon. He was also decently in shape and like to think he was the next star at Magic Mike's Cabaret.

He decided his callsign, since he was "fast" and a badass, would be Cheetah ?

The Major wasn't having it... "Bro! You're as orange as a corn pop...you're Cheeto!"

Chemo
Schlonger, evidently was not PC.
Cherry
First Name: Buster (no lie!)
Chevy
Capt. Vervolet
Chicken Man
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.
Chief
Natural Leader
Chief
Native American
Chiefmac
Love of Big Macs and always saying too many chiefs and not enough indians.
CHIMBO
OCD Navy F-18 pilot. Chick In a Man's Body
Chip
My last names Andel, playing off the Chip'n'dales
Chock
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'"
Chocks
F16 pilot started taxying before the chocks were removed
Chode
The pilot's last name is Robichaud. [Ed: see Urban Dictionary]
Choo Choo
On a ville run in Korea, was hanging on a RR crossing gate (made of pig iron) when the gate went up. I kept hanging on and the gate bent right in half. The local police arrested me and my OpsO bailed me out.
Chooch
Chuck Erkelens flew Corsairs against the North Koreans and demonstrated a proclivity for killing supply trains with HVARs. Sadly, Chooch has "gone west".
Chuck
Last name Norris - so it was an instant thing. Didn't really stick until he got trapped in revolving doors because they stopped - 'Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door' etc.
Chum
A little to much to drink at the O'club. Gave a little back in the O'club pool. Like the bait you put out for sharks, hence Chum!
Chum
Contracted HIV Using Myspace...got tonsillitis from a girl he met on myspace while in the BCourse.
CHUM
Expected a cool call sign. Didn't happen... When you have to jump up and puke over the side of the boat, right in the middle of the naming party - You are instantly named!
Church
Last name Iglesias
Chutes
Deployed the drogue chute on an ACES II during preflight by messing with the silver pin that holds the flaps together
Cider
Last name Cummens
Circle K
One lone night at a Cricle K store was a little drunk....too much....sat down outside and refused to leave wanting to sleep it off....our Safety Officer said put him in my white Dodger....which they did....except it was the wrong white dodger.....the young lady that owned it was kind enough to take me home and let me sleep it off (I was a gentleman with her.) The next day she drove me back to the base. We dated for a while till I changed duty stations.
Circle K
Got a little intoxicated one night. Stopped at a Circle K store to grab a late night snack. Two local Police Officers were there one them knowing my dad, who was a cop for 35 years. While we were talking I jumped in the patrol car and activated the lights...locked the doors so they could not get in. After a short time I stepped out only to be "held" until the Sqd XO could arrive to take custody of me. No charges were filed but the next day someone had put a Circle with a K in the middle of my wall-locker.
Circum
In 1982-3 I was assigned to 80 TFS, Kunsan in the Life Support shop. The Juvat tradition is that Tac Call Signs are assigned upon Green Bean tours and are permanently engraved upon your challenge coin. The rule seemed to be that your call sign would be something that you would object to. My last name is Scism, so The LSO was tasked with designating my call sign, but he was over-riden by the DO, who decided my call sign would be Circum-Scism. The policy of course was for identification purposes if war broke out. and if we called in, by phone or radio this would be part of authentification. So in the bar, in Silvertown, when I drank my Juvat Cocktail and was ceremoniously dubbed, The squadron declared that if my my Tac Call Sign was to be Circum, I had to demonstrate that I was Circumcised. Audentes Fortuna Juvat!
Clam
Lt. Jamie "Clam" Shell
Clang
CLueless Arrogant New Guy.
Cleet
Last name Torris. 'nuf said.
Cleetus
'Maj. Scott 'Cleetus' Bridgers of the 157th Fighter Squadron at McEntire Air National Guard Station likes to have fun with his call sign. In flight school, aviators ribbed Bridgers about his thick Southern drawl. So they named him 'Cletus' after one of the bumpkin characters on the 'Dukes of Hazzard' TV show. Bridgers, though, took the joke further. He added an 'e' and when he writes his call sign, he turns the 'e's' around because 'I'm a backward country boy.''
Clepto
Name says it all, always stealing - women money, kills......
Clownboy
Speed bump really hated his first replacement name, with some attitude to be taken seriously. He didn't ask for another.
Clownfish
Used to be a naval diver before entering the jet cockpit... Very funny guy before, with a large nose...
Clutch
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...
COAB
C**t of a bloke. I heard this story from an Aussie Cargo Pilot that he went through flight school with this guy who was the biggest prick you'd ever want to imagine. They named him COAB, and the a##hole actually liked it.
Coast
Female pilot who always talked about being from the coast and was presumed to 'coast' through the academy with her looks
Cockroach
2nd Lieut. Robert M, named after when he found a cockroach had entered his flight suit in transition training ... When he told it to his instructor/wingman, whole squadrons shortly knew it and named him "Cockroach". Not a very bad call sign, because he likes searching in "dirty" websites ....
Colbalt
When i was 14 i had cancer in my leg. the doctors replaced my left tibia and knee with a colbalt and titanium replacement. I told my buddy in the squad and the next day he says "morning, Colbalt" and it stuck
Colt
After getting housed at the annual CanKun party he passed out in front of the Sq, Gp, & Wg CC's feet while the Sq/CC was yelling at him to get up. Unfortunately, he had only been in Korea for about 10 hours at that point which didn't make for a very good first impression. The following Monday he got a "welcome brief" in which the Sq/CC told him he had better fix his drinking problem which he had to have a friend later explain to him since he didn't remember the party's epic conclusion. After that he had to "fly under the radar" until he got named, just like the AN-2 Colt the North Koreans use for stealthy infiltration
Coma
A very slow talking Southern guy.
Comadreja
The Comadreja ususally hunts at night. It kills its prey by biting it at the back of the neck. Be carefull and watch your six!!!
Congo
I'm an African American pilot (414th). When I would go to the gym and play basketball with a few of my buddies we would always make bets who could get closest to a successful dunk. I always would win. My best bud one day joked that I could leap like a monkey.... lol. Then congo stuck somehow. Ive known these guys for quite some time so of course i take no offense to it.
Conquer
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?
Convict
Three hours before a sortie, my buddy forgot his ID in his hooch, the gate MP asked him for it, and he said, "let me in the F*****g strip hos." We both got arrested, i was allowed to fly. He was held overnight.
Cooler
I had an instructor in T-38's who said that while preparing to cross the pond the flight doc gave the pilots immodium AD. Well after taking the pills the flight got cancelled due to Wx. well, next evening ready for the hop he couldn't s$%t and he couldn't take another set of pills. So, long story short, halfway across the pond he used his cooler to hold the waste.
Cooper
Carpet Pooper. He pooped on a carpet.
COOTS
Constantly Over-emphasizes Own Tactical Significance
Copperhead
My hair is copper colored, I think you can put the pieces together,
Corn
Commander Hole, USN
Cornbread
Received during SERE School at Fairchild Air Force Base. We learned to make the in-ground rock ovens and cook in them. I made the best damned cornbread you ever tasted in that thing. All of the instructors would make me cook them cornbread in my rock oven. Word spread fast. It stuck. I ran into another SF guy in Afghanistan and he knew the story.
Corny
Maj. Erik "Corny" Cornelisse. My callsign was given to me at ENJJPT during pilot training. Cornelisse was much too difficult to pronounce. My trigram was COR (from Cornelisse) and this quickly became "Corny". In "Duffies", the bar at the O'Club the girls changed it to "Horny Corny". Later, back in The Nethelands, it changed back to "Corny". Although I might have told a bad joke here or there, the callsign "Corny" does not come from the word corny......
Cosmo
"ex"-Astronomer. I loved flying at night due to the ability to see all the stars.
Cotton Ball
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.
Coyote
Last name Wiley
Coyote
Most expensive way to kill a coyote? Hit it with an airplane...
CRAFT
Can't Remember A F***ing Thing
Crapper
I knew a guy who checked into my HSL squadron - called himself "Scrapper" for his basketball skills. It didn't take long for everyone to realize that this guys real callsign should be "Crapper." Rule #1 - don't give yourself a callsign. Rule #2 - never question or oppose a callsign given to you by your wardroom.
Cravin
Last name Moorhead
Creampie
Was watching a porn clip on his cellphone when taxiing and suddenly his ride got the external tank dropped on the ground, moving to hangar and caused a little explosion.
Creeper
On a mission was caught by his commanding officer stalking the girls of a village in Korea
Crispy
Given the name by the WEPTAC folks at Nellis AFB. My name is Chris P...
Crow
Cromartie
Crowebar
My name is Bill Crowe. For the last 20 odd years I have been called crowebar by my work mates because I am quite strong and can usually force most things open, or undo most tight nuts, screws etc. So if they can't get something open / undone they get the crowebar out!
Cruise
During SUPT I was constantly listening to Highway to the Danger Zone, Take my Breath Away, and always watched TOP GUN. I even tried to get my classmates to do the "she's lost that loving feeling," routine at the local bar. Anyways I ended up flying the F-15E and I love it.
Crunch
During my private pilot days I had a knack for performing unusually hard landings. They just hadn't clicked for me yet. One day I was on proficiency check flight with an old Navy pilot when I pulled off one of my 'landings' and he said with a bit of excitement, "Son you ought to give this up and join the Navy, you drive it right to the deck!" He also used to say that "Flaring is like squatting to pee." Must be a Navy thing. =)
Crybaby
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.
Crypy
Sgt. F Folsom was good at decripting code in a snap!
Cuffs
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
Cunny
Lt. "Cunny" Linggi
Cunny Hunter
Cunny changed to "Cunny Hunter" by Cunny's favorite Hornet pilot because they enjoyed great deer hunting over the skies of Ramadi.
Curly
Act like a dork or a stooge and this is what you get. Nobody appreciates slapstick comedy anymore. Geez.
Curse
Flight CC in 68 FS whose last name is Platt. Curse-Platt
Custer
Navy ECMO with last name Fluck. LT Rob "Custer" Fluck
CYNDI
A US navy pilot on approach to the carrier dowsed the deck with fuel because the dump valve was open - hence Check You're Not Dumping, Idiot.
Cypher
Broke through radio interference on a training flight.
Cyrus (the Virus)
68 FS intel officer who didn't really crash the PFPS mission planning computer while deployed to Kuwait but, who found out the MS Office suite was jacked up. He didn't know the pilots were aware that the Office suite was messed up and were going to get it fixed the next day. Intel dude thought he'd done something and unneccessarily "fessed" up since he thought he busted the mission planning computer. We had our naming ceremony for all the FNGs while we were deployed (dang! no booze or girly mags/movies!). We had all the un-named officers (pilots, intel, MX) submit their own call signs as a ruse. The intel dude submitted pro wrestling names. Of course, we intro'd his naming with female wrestler names instead of "The Rock" "Stone Cold" "Sting" etc. Then one of the pilots embellishes how the computer got jacked up cuz the intel dude must have the virus "touch"...hence "Cyrus the Virus"

Other callsigns

Cajon , Cajun , Camera Guy , Cecil , Charlie , Chaz , Checkey , Cheeze , Chewy , Chico , Chithead , Chopstick , Clam , Clapper , Clips , Clit , Cobber , Cobra , Coke , Color , Combat , Conan , Conk , Conman , Corny , Cos , Cougar , Crash , Crisco , Critter , Cruiser , Cujo , ...
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | New
Submit a Callsign