Silly names
Joined: Feb 2001
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 1,222
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From: Worcestershire, UK
I'm an ex Merchant Navy officer and now a Marine Surveyor. Was also lucky enought at the tender age of 10 to be at Cape Canaveral to see the Mariner 9 Mars probe launched. Hence the name.
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,546
Likes: 2
From: Oxford, UK
Names, names!
What a splendid array of monikers! Thanks, every one for your imaginative titles and the reasons why....
People who are required to learn English may be puzzled by some nicknames. It took me quite a while to figure out Dan Winterland, Lou Scannon, Pete O'Tube, Art E. Fischler-Reisen. Some, alas, are bordering on the scatological (what else do you expect from a bunch of pilots?) Hugh Jarse almost looks respectable. bumitch? perhaps talcum powder might help...
Will Hung and Seymour Beaver obviously hope to impress....while monocock - with reference of course to the construction of certain aircraft (took me a while to get that one - being misled by his explanation. I've never yet heard of a gentleman with two of those items.)
Genghis the Engineer refers to his illustrious ancestor - who may well be actually his ancestor, because the DNA of Genghis Kahn is found in more than 30% of the population of Asia - and Europe!
but I0540 does not need to be concerned about the German chap Norbert W*nk who moved to the United States. Americans are not acquainted with the term.
People who are required to learn English may be puzzled by some nicknames. It took me quite a while to figure out Dan Winterland, Lou Scannon, Pete O'Tube, Art E. Fischler-Reisen. Some, alas, are bordering on the scatological (what else do you expect from a bunch of pilots?) Hugh Jarse almost looks respectable. bumitch? perhaps talcum powder might help...
Will Hung and Seymour Beaver obviously hope to impress....while monocock - with reference of course to the construction of certain aircraft (took me a while to get that one - being misled by his explanation. I've never yet heard of a gentleman with two of those items.)
Genghis the Engineer refers to his illustrious ancestor - who may well be actually his ancestor, because the DNA of Genghis Kahn is found in more than 30% of the population of Asia - and Europe!
but I0540 does not need to be concerned about the German chap Norbert W*nk who moved to the United States. Americans are not acquainted with the term.
Fleet Manager
Joined: Aug 2006
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 7,089
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From: Ontario, Canada
Americans are not acquainted with the term.
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,102
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From: E Anglia
R/T call one might make when one is flying one's flying machine along the downwind leg of the circuit of an airfield with a view, after the base leg and final leg have been completed , to placing said flying machine safely upon the ground.
A term we British call 'landing'.
So it's a kinda aviation linked 'silly name'
Bliddy furriners............
I'm going to lie down now............
A term we British call 'landing'.
So it's a kinda aviation linked 'silly name'
Bliddy furriners............
I'm going to lie down now............
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 105
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From: Somewhere in England
That one got me too, until the explanation in post #129 and even then it took a moment to twig that one needed to say it out loud and in a Cockney accent! As for me, well Amateur Radio being one of my hobbies and that flying was to do with being elevated above the ground - aerial. Aerial was taken when I first registered so Aerials it was!
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 62
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From: UK
Quote:
Americans are not acquainted with the term.
Many moons ago, when I was a space cadet, I was told that the term "w*nker" is derived from "winger" which was a derogatory term applied to a wing man who didn't hold his position relative to his number 1 when flying in combat, during WW II.
Anyone else heard that?
Americans are not acquainted with the term.
Or this Canadian either. But then I accept that the people of the UK will continue to think up new words and acronyms, to confuse those of us on the left side of the Atlantic!
Anyone else heard that?
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 519
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From: London
Downwind to land..
Geddit now?
Geddit now?
The500Man's story: Triple-edited-clean-version
At university I knew a girl that I once had to remind that I was the man. later, I was signing up for an internet account somewhere requiring an anonymous screen name and I thought long and hard for 2 seconds and then typed in theman. It was taken! I wasn't going to be theman 1,2,....73 etc. So I applied a significant number instead. 500 relates to a famous motor racing event.
From that day forth I was the500man, except on Youtube where I can confirm the500man is in fact an imposter! (Don't ask what I use over there!
)
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 4,777
Likes: 9
From: Blighty
I seem to be some sort of cryptic enigma!
Me: ''CWL70, down wind to land".
Tower: "CWL70, Roger. Call Finals".
Me: (About a minute later). "CWL70, finals - gear down".
Tower: ''CWL70, clear land".
Me: "Clear land, CWL70".
Not so difficult to understand. I even used my real personal callsign from a few years back.
Me: ''CWL70, down wind to land".
Tower: "CWL70, Roger. Call Finals".
Me: (About a minute later). "CWL70, finals - gear down".
Tower: ''CWL70, clear land".
Me: "Clear land, CWL70".
Not so difficult to understand. I even used my real personal callsign from a few years back.
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 517
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From: London UK
The other side of the coin is that you can see things in names which are not there.
When I started on helicopters, I lurked in Rotorheads and I saw somebody post that Shawn Coyle had a good handle. I had actually convinced myself that it stood for:
"Sure, and see O'Wiley"
(best done in an Irish accent), before I realised that he is the author of an extremely good book on helicopters ("Cyclic and Collective").
When I started on helicopters, I lurked in Rotorheads and I saw somebody post that Shawn Coyle had a good handle. I had actually convinced myself that it stood for:
"Sure, and see O'Wiley"
(best done in an Irish accent), before I realised that he is the author of an extremely good book on helicopters ("Cyclic and Collective").
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,290
Likes: 289
From: Poplar Grove, IL, USA
I posted on the topic in the rotorheads forum. Like I said then, all the good names were taken. IFMU stands for In-Flight Management Unit. I wrote autopilot software on it for a rotary wing unmanned vehicle.
-- IFMU
ps a quick internet search seems to suggest that it now stands for "Internet F***** Me Up. Well, as Ray Bradbury said, computers have done nothing to improve the lot of mankid.
-- IFMU
ps a quick internet search seems to suggest that it now stands for "Internet F***** Me Up. Well, as Ray Bradbury said, computers have done nothing to improve the lot of mankid.
Last edited by IFMU; 18th December 2010 at 01:13. Reason: Added the ps
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,681
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From: Just South of the last ice sheet
When I joined Pprune I had a Piper Cub. It had nose bleeds if it went above 1,000 feet and it wasn't fast.
Low 'n Slow was already taken so I joined it all up but people occasionally got us confused especially in the glory days of Pprune Chat.
Low 'n Slow was already taken so I joined it all up but people occasionally got us confused especially in the glory days of Pprune Chat.