Posted 6-11-2006 at 03:17 PM

Ever wonder why they use special code terms while in flight? Or why they have all these special call signs? They aren't just nonsense pilot language. All of these terms are used for a reason and these will be revealed to you here.

In modern aerial engagement, all flight personnel, pilots, flight leaders, wingmen and radar controllers use the same radio frequency. As a result it is easier for the enemy to tap in and eavesdrop, so therefore radio discipline is quite important. This is often a difference between life and death. To adapt, pilots and personnel all use the least words as possible and often some meanings are unknown to the enemy. To do this pilots developed their own set of vocabulary that often replaces a whole phrase or sentence. Here is a list of some of the terms pilots use:

Abort: Discontinue. In the air, return to base due to unforseen circumstances.
Airborne: A call to notify other members of your flight that you have successfully taken off.
Affirmative: Yes; also "Affirm","Firm" or "Roger" used.
Angels: Altitude expressed in thousands of feet. For example, "Angels 20" means an altitude of 20,000 feet.
Bandit: An enemy aircraft.
Bingo: Running low on fuel. A plane with Bingo fuel has enough to get back to base safely, but not much more.
Blind: Can?t see leader/wingman; opposite of "visual".
Bogey: Unidentified aircraft; could be friendly or hostile.
Buddy Spike: Called before locking a friendly Aircraft.
Bugout: Let?s separate out of here; usually given with a direction - "Bugout West".
Burner: Afterburner/s, also "Blower" or "AB".
Check Six: Look at your six o?clock position (behind you).
Chicks: Friendly fighters.
Contact: Radar contact.
Copy: I have received your instructions and I understand them. Also "Roger"
Eyeball: The jet whose primary responsibility in an intercept is to get a "Tally" on the bandit.
Fox 1: A radio call from a friendly aircraft announcing the firing of a radar guided missile.
Fox 2: A radio call from a friendly aircraft announcing the firing of an infra-red guided missile.
Fox 3: A radio call from a friendly aircraft announcing the firing of the gun/s.
Fox 4: A mid-air collision (this is only used as a joke, but for some reason it seemed a fitting inclusion).
Furball: A turning air combat engagement.
Heads Up: Warning to radar controller or flight that bandit got through.
Jam: Use electronic countermeasures or, sometimes, manoeuvre to deny turning room.
Jumping In: A call to notify other simulator pilots that you are entering the mission.
Merged Plot: The point where the blips representing various aircraft are so close together no further radar resolution is possible.
Mil: Military power, 100% RPM. Most power available from a jet engine without using the afterburner.
Music: Electronic countermeasures
Negative: No.
No Joy: I don?t see the bandit; opposite of "Tally".
Paint: I have detected a scanning radar, but it has not yet locked me. Usually followed by the RWS radar code.
Reno: Ability to discriminate multiple aircraft on the radar as the blips separate.
Rolling: A call to let other simulator pilots know that the runway threshold is clear.
Spike: I am being locked &tracked by an airborne radar.
Spike Mud: I am being locked/tracked by a ground based radar.
Splash: Target confirmed destroyed.
Tally (Ho): I have visual contact with the enemy aircraft.
Triple A: Anti-aircraft artillery (AAA).
Visual: I see my leader/wingman.
Winchester: Out of weapons.

ahh... Blind Bandit on Bingo being chased by a Bogey!

Affirmative. I copy. Contact Chicks Check Six. :puzzled:

Splash!

Roger that Chicks. :D

A few comments:

Fox 3: I think this is now used for firing an active radar homing missile (AIM-54 / AIM-120) while Fox 1 is used for semi-active radar homing missiles (AIM-7). The radio call for a gun shot is just "Guns, guns, guns!"

Music: as in "Clean them up, green them up, and start your music", used before entering the target area - Clear out and stow your maps and other stuff not neccessery for the bomb run, make sure you have all greens and no redlights on your panel, and turn on your ECM if you have them. Check the book Thud Ridge by Jack Broughton.

A couple of additions:

Feet Wet: "I just crossed the coast line from the direction of land and heading out to the sea. " Opposite of Feet Dry.

Feet Dry: "I just crossed the coast line from the direction of the sea and heading in land. " Opposite of Feet Wet.