Callsigns during the 80's
Avoid imitations
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I recall 617 sqn, shortly after changing from Vulcans to Tornado GR1s, had certain callsign which had to be changed shortly after to the less contentious "Black Dog" no prizes for guessing what it was!
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In the far off days when 707 Squadron at Culdrose did mountain flying at Valley every few weeks we used to think up new callsigns for each trip to get a "bite" from the powers that be.
One of the most successful was Potato formation.
Tell off! "one potato two potato three potato four. You have to be of a certain age to find this one amusing......................
One of the most successful was Potato formation.
Tell off! "one potato two potato three potato four. You have to be of a certain age to find this one amusing......................
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airpolice,
Manipulating pilots for your own amusement, will anything ever change? Oh well, I liked the opportunity. I am still being manipulated having married one of your ex-colleagues. I have just been manipulated into having another beer in a taverna on the sea front on our remote Greek island (in the rain I must add).
Manipulating pilots for your own amusement, will anything ever change? Oh well, I liked the opportunity. I am still being manipulated having married one of your ex-colleagues. I have just been manipulated into having another beer in a taverna on the sea front on our remote Greek island (in the rain I must add).
Avoid imitations
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Yes, not so many Dads-in-law about these days. 
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Aye, only two left (coopers that is, not fathers in law). Alistair and Jonathon. Both trained under the eye of the 'Master', the late Clive Hollis of Theakston fame.
How about that for thread drift!
How about that for thread drift!
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Callsigns at Aldergrove
I must confess I was quite surprised to read Exascot's revelations in respect of callsigns going into Aldergrove. My first task into Aldergrove during the "Troubles" was on 30 September 1969 when we flew the then CAS to Belfast to see his son (a Life Guards Officer) who had been seriously wounded by the negligent discharge of a rifle by one of his troopers.
In the subsequent years I flew more than 300 other sorties into Aldergrove flying Andovers, BAe 125's and BAe 146's - in addition to sorties into Dublin; yet I never used a callsign other than ASCOT except for the single occasion whilst in Training Command when I flew a Jet Provost Mk3 to Shorts and swapped it for a Mk 3A they had just converted - when I used a Training Command TriGraph. My last task into Aldergrove was February 1995.
In the subsequent years I flew more than 300 other sorties into Aldergrove flying Andovers, BAe 125's and BAe 146's - in addition to sorties into Dublin; yet I never used a callsign other than ASCOT except for the single occasion whilst in Training Command when I flew a Jet Provost Mk3 to Shorts and swapped it for a Mk 3A they had just converted - when I used a Training Command TriGraph. My last task into Aldergrove was February 1995.
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G-HUEY
Not exactly on-thread I know but......I used to fly the Ex-Argie UH-1H for RAFBF side letters G-HUEY, north-bound from Boscombe flying past Upper Heyford one day I was aked what my aircraft type was....!
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Didn't F3s use Conqueror and Churchill?
USAF random 4 letter call signs threw up humorous combinations from time to time. Heard on Liverpool App from an UH-1 'Lord 51' inbound to Burtonwood "The Lord is with you" !
Eastbound C130 first call to Shanwick "Wank xx" After much falling about they were persuaded to change.
U-2s into the 'hall often used 'Sunray'
Lastly, the kneeling 748 full call was to Kent Radar. "Ascot 15xx I'm an Andover from Andover on handover over Dover over"
SGC
USAF random 4 letter call signs threw up humorous combinations from time to time. Heard on Liverpool App from an UH-1 'Lord 51' inbound to Burtonwood "The Lord is with you" !
Eastbound C130 first call to Shanwick "Wank xx" After much falling about they were persuaded to change.
U-2s into the 'hall often used 'Sunray'
Lastly, the kneeling 748 full call was to Kent Radar. "Ascot 15xx I'm an Andover from Andover on handover over Dover over"
SGC
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When dropping paras over 'Ladies Mile' we used to pick our own callsigns for the day, VAT69, Claret 62, Slipper 1, that kind of thing.
When E-3Ds go on det they often deploy using an Ascot callsign and understandably the crew get used to this. Once in theatre it switches to one beginning with Sole.. Having been using Ascot for a few days the normal check in on the first day is As_Sole...
When E-3Ds go on det they often deploy using an Ascot callsign and understandably the crew get used to this. Once in theatre it switches to one beginning with Sole.. Having been using Ascot for a few days the normal check in on the first day is As_Sole...
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Horsemen was not an F3 OCU callsign but was used exclusively by the QWI cse.
In the the 90's we used Blacksmith, Gamecock Partridge and Tarragon on 43 F, well punchy eh!! Scimitar was the most popular used on 111 F.
On 5 AC we used Carbon and Scorpion mainly and on 56 R we used Scorcher, Skooby and Warlord. It was Eagle in the Falklands and I remember using Thunder a lot on 74 at Valley whilst holding prior to the OCU.
All seems so long ago now!!!
In the the 90's we used Blacksmith, Gamecock Partridge and Tarragon on 43 F, well punchy eh!! Scimitar was the most popular used on 111 F.
On 5 AC we used Carbon and Scorpion mainly and on 56 R we used Scorcher, Skooby and Warlord. It was Eagle in the Falklands and I remember using Thunder a lot on 74 at Valley whilst holding prior to the OCU.
All seems so long ago now!!!
The one that gave me the most laughs was "Goat".
It has obvious Service connotations.
Plus the check-ins:
ATC "Say again": "I say again Golf Oscar Alpha Tango, Goat baaaa".
"Goat check-in" "Goat 1, Goat 2, Goat 3, baaaaa".
It came after a long period of "dodgy" callsign allocations, "Pansy" etc.
Someone had it in for us!
lsh
It has obvious Service connotations.
Plus the check-ins:
ATC "Say again": "I say again Golf Oscar Alpha Tango, Goat baaaa".
"Goat check-in" "Goat 1, Goat 2, Goat 3, baaaaa".
It came after a long period of "dodgy" callsign allocations, "Pansy" etc.
Someone had it in for us!
lsh
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Cazatou, I think that I have an ident on you. The chap with the ‘bright idea’ either got promoted or taken away in a straight jacket (not much difference really). It didn’t last long, you may have been on leave. Or perhaps they didn’t dare impose it on you ‘fast jet’ guys upstairs at the time. Regret that my log books are in storage in Blighty or I could give you some more accurate dates.
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Each station had frequently changing trigraphs
GPT14 was a Gnat out of valley who would be referred to as G14 when working Valley
Last edited by NutherA2; 19th Dec 2010 at 16:21.
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Personal callsigns.
I have, in the last three years, flown 84 trips, 79 of them with the same callsign.
I can't tell you how hard it is to use the correct callsign when in a different aircraft. Even having it on the dash in front of me is not helping, I think of myself as that long term callsign when I think of transmitting.
Pathetic really.
I can't tell you how hard it is to use the correct callsign when in a different aircraft. Even having it on the dash in front of me is not helping, I think of myself as that long term callsign when I think of transmitting.
Pathetic really.
IIRC, Leeming F3s in the late '80s had Dagger allocated (to 23 I think). It lasted as long as the first check-in. "Dagger1", "Dagger 2"......interrupted by " dagga, dagga, dagga!"
Also at Leeming; NUAS in the early '80s, student callsigns in the N500 series. The broad Lancastrian Les was allocated N555. after week one it was always "Novemmmmba Fiiiiiiive Fiii" "OK Les, you're clear taxi"
Also at Leeming; NUAS in the early '80s, student callsigns in the N500 series. The broad Lancastrian Les was allocated N555. after week one it was always "Novemmmmba Fiiiiiiive Fiii" "OK Les, you're clear taxi"
Avoid imitations
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An RAF helicopter pilot known on our squadron for his terribly unfortunate stutter went on a army exchange tour (on Lynx, IIRC).
The army thoughtfully (!) gave him the callsign "Four Four Foxtrot" and made him lead formations on landaways.
"F..F...F....F.....FFFFFFFEr....FFFFFFFFEr.........FFFFFFFEr .......
The army thoughtfully (!) gave him the callsign "Four Four Foxtrot" and made him lead formations on landaways.
"F..F...F....F.....FFFFFFFEr....FFFFFFFFEr.........FFFFFFFEr .......
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During the last few weeks before Coltishall closed I was one of a number of photographers standing in the fields by the runway when the Polish Air Force were on an exchange visit.
Each formation consisted of a Jaguar or two with two or three SU-7's in tow and a few of us were monitoring the various ops freqs to get an early indication of the returning aircraft. One call I heard made me laugh so much I nearly missed the touchdown.
"Canopener, Canopener, Trousers down in five minutes"
Each formation consisted of a Jaguar or two with two or three SU-7's in tow and a few of us were monitoring the various ops freqs to get an early indication of the returning aircraft. One call I heard made me laugh so much I nearly missed the touchdown.
"Canopener, Canopener, Trousers down in five minutes"