Paraffin Budgie
Chief Bottle Washer
Joined: Sep 2000
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
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From: PPRuNe
Budgies? I think that Miss Ferguson has a lot to answer for there, we always referred to angry palm trees as Paraffin Pigeons: certainly not 'budgies' 
To answer the OP, I haven't heard either term used much outside Brit circles. As to the origins, I suspect it to be a UK military inspired bit of slang especially as paraffin involved!
To answer the OP, I haven't heard either term used much outside Brit circles. As to the origins, I suspect it to be a UK military inspired bit of slang especially as paraffin involved!
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Wiltshire, UK
I think that Miss Ferguson has a lot to answer for there
(I prefer 'Steam Chicken' aka Shorts Sunderland)
Joined: Jan 2000
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From: UK
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2010
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From: Tucson, Arizona USA
I also googled it where I did find the SAR (RAF mountain rescue team their pet name for the yellow helicopter was a "Paraffin Budgie") and 748 mention plus this one, "Paraffin budgie (slang) Helicopter that serves an oilrig" on a North Sea oil site. Kind of covering all bases.
My friend called the G-LFBA helicopter (trials in 1995) the term as well.
Appreciate all the comments, interesting.
Richard
My friend called the G-LFBA helicopter (trials in 1995) the term as well.
Appreciate all the comments, interesting.
Richard
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 608
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From: Land of damp and drizzle
I've heard the term used in South Africa, FWIW: while wandering around a small airfield looking for someone to pay landing fees to, having parked up my R22, I was asked, "oh, is that your paraffin budgie?".
Joined: Aug 1999
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
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From: Gold Coast, Australia
Delving back through the mists of time, RN slang for helicopter was definitely Paraffin Pigeon pre 1970's. Google reference shows Jackspeak to be paraffin pigeon, so I would surmise that the morphing into Budgie sometime in the 80's may have been an RAF move.
Since North Sea references also tend toward P.Pigeon, and early NS crewing was predominantly ex RN, I would suggest that somewhere this got bastardised into P.Budgie and remains a term mainly used by UK Mil and in areas influenced by ex UK Mil aircrew.
We also used to refer to the jet jockey's mounts as aluminium death tubes, just to go a little bit OT
Since North Sea references also tend toward P.Pigeon, and early NS crewing was predominantly ex RN, I would suggest that somewhere this got bastardised into P.Budgie and remains a term mainly used by UK Mil and in areas influenced by ex UK Mil aircrew.
We also used to refer to the jet jockey's mounts as aluminium death tubes, just to go a little bit OT
Joined: Nov 2009
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From: Down West
I agree with SP, although the commonly used term is "Petrol Pidgeon" these days, but I remember as a young lad that my father was the SMR of the Whirlwind at Old Sarum, named the "Iron Chicken" after the clangers character. She still exists at an aero museum somewhere I believe
Joined: Jul 2005
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From: Stuck on 50:30 North
Paraffin budgies!
Definately used in the Army in my day (71 - 87).
The Army Air Corps display team
then, the Blue Eagles,were nick-named 'The Blue Budgies' (possibly where SF got the idea?).
Anyway, that was in the dim and distant past when the team flew Siouxs (Bell 47G's). When the team reformed with Gazelles, the old timers called them 'paraffin budgies'.
May not be the definitive explanation of the origin but, hey, it works for me
The Army Air Corps display team
then, the Blue Eagles,were nick-named 'The Blue Budgies' (possibly where SF got the idea?).Anyway, that was in the dim and distant past when the team flew Siouxs (Bell 47G's). When the team reformed with Gazelles, the old timers called them 'paraffin budgies'.
May not be the definitive explanation of the origin but, hey, it works for me
Joined: Feb 2002
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From: (LFA 7a)
There is the (in)famous story of a 22 sqdn Whirlwind (or was it a Wessex?) running out of motion lotion whilst heading north back to Boulmer. It landed on the hard shoulder of the A1 and was "towed" (pushed?) into a petrol station where the boss put 100 gals of Esso Pink (Parafin) and a quart of Castrol GTX (oil) into the fuel tank and offered a "Big White Queen will pay the bearer" chit to the bemused gal on the desk. He is alledged to have asked for the green shield stamps too!
