Uploaded June 1999; original printed and distributed in limited edition, NATOPS Style EP's could exist. Collector's items aviation classic in humor and easy explanation of how fighter pilots talk. (Or did in 1980's).
For now, use the "find in page" function in your browser to find any terms.
All ranked by their alpha-numeric indicator:
Alpha
Bravo
Charlie
Delta
Echo
Foxtrot
Golf
Hotel
India
Juliet
Kilo
Lima
Mike
November
Oscar
Papa
Quebec
Romeo
Sierra
Tango
Uniform
Victor
Whiskey
Xray, Yankee, & Zulu
*** ALPHA ***
AAA: We begin our glossary with the more ominous aspect of military aviation: Anti-Aircraft Artillery. (Pronounce it like the USA auto club: "triple A".) Pilots avoid this by JINKING and popping CHAFF and FLARES.) See SAM.
AB: See AFTERBURNER.
ABSOLUTE CEILING: The answer to the question, "How high can it fly?" All aircraft require an atmosphere dense enough to allow its CONTROL SURFACES to maneuver and its engines to produce sufficient THRUST. Because the design of each aircraft is different, each craft's controllability degrades at different altitudes/ densities. The altitude at which a craft would normally lose control is referred to as its Absolute Ceiling. (The space shuttle cheats by using rocket power and thrusters, so it wouldn't have a normal Absolute Ceiling, since it doesn't have traditional Control Surfaces.)
ACLS: Actually Crash Landed Safely. Well, pretty close ... it's the Automatic Carrier Landing System, (aka Spin 42), a complex computer data link electronics system with components in both the airplane and the ship or landing field. To initiate the system, the pilot selects ACL control, the system engages, and automatically guides the airplane on to the SHIP (or runway at a FIELD that is equipped with Spin 42 equipment.) The ACLS components are controlled by a Seaman "Nintendo" Class, who sits below deck and guides the plane onto the carrier deck with joy-sticks. If the plane crashes, he simply puts another $25,000,000 coin in and tries again with the next pilot. These systems are installed in the computerized PLANES in case the weather is ZERO ZERO or the pilot chickens out. Not the same as ILS.
ACM: Air Combat Maneuvering. This is DOGFIGHTING, (you know, the turning and burning, yanking and banking part.) The quintessence of military flying. ACM is a FIGHTER JOCK's reason for living. ("Sorry, Honey, I have my priorities, er, um, I mean, my country comes first and they make me to do this.") To a layman, ACM can only be imagined by watching the pilots replaying their aerial exploits by O CLUB antics replete with twisting and flailing about of hands, and the words, "There I was ..." ACM is an INTRODUCED ITEM during ADVANCED training; AGGRESSIVENESS is now openly graded (e.g., "above average in aggressiveness.") This is where SCISSORS and YO-YOs come in handy in keeping the bad guy off your SIX.
ACRO: ACROBATICS: See AEROBATICS.
ACTI: Air Combat Tactics Instructor. A QUALification that FLEET pilots may acquire after successfully completing a series of flights evaluated by MAWTS pilots.
ADF: Automatic Direction Finding Equipment. "What?" Dad says, "You mean these kids can't even find their own direction anymore? Well, back when I was in, I'm talking about the Big One ... by golly, we had to find our way to and back out of every two-bit country this side of ..." Yes, they have it real simple now, but these newfangled things don't always work (see MAGIC), so the navigation classes they've had might come in handy after all. True too, the planes they're flying now go a little faster than the F-4U Corsairs and the guys can use some help.
ADI: Attitude Direction Indicator. A positive attitude is always best, right Mom? This is a dial in the cockpit which shows attitude and direction, the 360 degrees of compass heading stuff.
ADVANCED: ADVANCED STRIKE TRAINING: The stage of Naval flight training (after INTERMEDIATE) where the STUDENTS start flying planes that actually look like real JETS. The TA-4 Skyhawk (affectionately called "Scooter", see APPENDIX under T-44) is flown during this stage. Students can now fly into clouds.
AERO: This term usually refers to the aerodynamics class taught for each aircraft. Explanations of how and why coke machines fly (plus other esoteric lore that only aerodynamic engineers could love) are discussed at length, (such as Bernouli's principle.) British term for flying.
AEROBATICS: Maneuvers unnecessary for normal flight, and which are voluntarily initiated by the pilot. (For involuntary maneuvers unnecessary for normal flight, read your EPs). ACROBATICS are circus acts, but pilots often refer to aerobatic movements as ACRO. (Take it up with the flying Wallendas.)
AERODYNAMIC BRAKING: The act of keeping the "nose" of the plane off of the runway long after the MAIN MOUNTS have touched down. This allows more of the plane's body to push against the air and this wind resistance slows the aircraft down. Saves wear and tear on the brakes. The space shuttle landings illustrate this well. Not the same as AIR BRAKES (or breaking wind.)
AERODYNAMIC LOCKOUT: What happened to Dorothy and Toto when they were caught in the tornado and couldn't get the cellar door open. In the aviation world, it's when the SLATS become locked in the "out" position by the wind. Like being "down and out." Causes involuntary ACRO.
AFDO: Assistant Flight Duty Officer. See DUTY (not sea duty.)
AFU: All Fouled Up. (We're keeping a G-rating here, ok?) See related items, SNAFU, SYLCON.
AFTERBURNER: This is the second meal a wife cooks, after burning the first one because she made the big mistake of assuming hubby would be home when he said he would. Rule #1, don't start dinner until he takes his FLIGHTSUIT off, sits down in his chair, and pops open a beer. (Taking the phone off the hook isn't a bad idea either.) On the aircraft, this is a device on the rear of some JET ENGINEs that dumps raw fuel into the BURNER section to create a dramatic increase in thrust (and noise.) Also called just AB, BLOWERS, BURNER, GATE. Some planes have multiple stages of afterburner, e.g. the F-4 Phantom and F-14 Tomcat.
AGGRESSIVENESS: An attribute attractive in males, not in females; ladies use the term "assertive". Aggressiveness is a crucial quality -- leading an AVIATOR towards the mythical status SIERRA HOTEL. See TYPE A.
AGGRESSOR SQUADRONS: Those whose MISSION it is to act as enemy for realistic training flights/fights against RAG or FLEET squadrons. True aggressors have the best flying possible, i.e. lots of it and all ACM.
AI: Airborne Interception. This is a radar system that assists in location and interception of bad guys. Used during AWI flights. For those in beginning flight instruction, this refers to the Aviation Indoctrination class, a six-week course (three weeks academic, three weeks land and sea survival) for already-commissioned officers (Marines, Academy grads, intra-service transfers, ROTC) at Pensacola, Florida, where it is heard, "You are embarking upon the most difficult thing you will ever do in your life." If married, the couple hears, "If a marriage can survive this, it can survive anything short of a nuclear strike, (or an unwanted PCS move, depending.)"
AILERONS: Movable edges on the trailing part of the wings that make the plane lower one wing and raise the other; good for turns.
AILERON ROLL: This is a simple roll about the axis the plane is traveling. In modern jet aircraft, it takes about half a second to do - just move the STICK sharply to the left or right. The media uses this maneuver to illustrate that someone is SIERRA HOTEL, even though BARREL ROLLS are much more tactical, but I guess they look sloppy and take too long. (Neither aileron, nor barrel rolls should be eaten if you aren't feeling well, eat DONUTs instead.)
AIR BOSS: This is the aviator's god who speaks to the pilot in a large, booming voice, giving guidance to the pilot while he's around the BOAT. Aka BIG BOSS, one of the DEMI-GODs.
AIR BRAKES: See BOARDS.
AIRCRAFT: See APPENDIX for a listing of airplanes.
AIRFOIL: Best invention after the wheel. This, the father of LIFT, usually refers to a structure that looks like the cross-section of a wing: (__________. However, any entity which produces lift may be thought of as an airfoil (such as a Bodhisattva: illuminum-foil; a whale: aquafoil; etc.
AIRSPEED: Speed in flight. Referred to in KNOTS. Airspeed is further defined, ad nauseam:
CAS: Calibrated AirSpeed. IAS corrected for instrument error. (Now is an especially good time to ask, "Why don't they just fix the airspeed indicator?") Usually referred to as "calibrated", "fly calibrated" - this enables a SECTION to fly the same speed, whereas just using "indicated" they could be off by lots of KNOTS.
IAS: Indicated AirSpeed, or just "indicated." The speed which the airspeed indicator indicates. Not really an airspeed, but a measure of dynamic pressure - derived from temperature, altitude, angle of attack, velocity, etc.
TAS: True AirSpeed, or just "true." This is the CAS corrected for pressure, temperature, altitude variations. How fast the aircraft is actually traveling through the air.
GROUNDSPEED: Ah, now, here's something important ... just how fast is the plane traveling over good 'ol terra firma? Relevant, because the pilots use their ground-speed to figure out how long it will take to get to where they are going. Groundspeed = TAS corrected for WIND along the flight path.
MACH: The speed of sound. Named after the mathematician Ernst Mach. MACH 1 being the actual speed at which the "sound barrier" may be "broken." MACH 2 is twice the speed of sound. The speed that sound travels varies with temperature, but usually MACH occurs between 570 knots (up high) and around 670 knots (at sea level.) Above the tropopause (the region at 36,090 feet which separates the troposphere and the stratosphere), the speed of sound is a constant 573 knots, this is because the temperature in the stratosphere is a constant minus 56.5 degrees Celsius. Some planes are not designed to go MACH (e.g. the T-2 or the TA-4) due to inadequacies in airframe design. (Not that that ever stopped your true NAFODian from trying.)
IMN: Indicated Mach Number. Increments of speed related to the speed of sound - as opposed to knots - and is expressed in decimals: e.g, .85 is 85% of MACH. When the IMN reads "1" on the machmeter, the plane has reached the speed of sound. There is no adjustment for sensor or instrument error. By the way, the breaking of the sound barrier "boom" is caused by the air rushing back in and crashing its molecular selfs into each other in the wake caused by the passage of the craft, and not the jet (or bullet, missile, etc.,) breaking through the air. Too many complaints of broken windows and frazzled nerves coerced the military to severely restrict where pilots may fly MACH. These areas are "supersonic corridors" and pilots may BOOM at will. Like most of Nevada and over the oceans.
AIR TO AIR: ACM, one v. one, one v. two, many v. many stuff; "I have an air-to-air hop."
AIR TO MUD: ATTACK stuff; "He's an air-to-mud driver." Aka "air-to-ground"
AIRSTART: To restart engines while flying. See FLAMEOUT.
ALPHA: See AOA.
ALPHA STRIKE: Everyone going for the same target all at once in a coordinated attack.
ALTIMETER: A gauge which shows how high the airplane is above an object, the ground, the ocean, another plane, etc. Altimeters come in two kinds, barometric and radar. The barometric altitude gauge, works off of differential air pressure and is usually adjusted to the current barometric pressure before each flight. The radar altimeter works off of radar love, or magic, or wavelengths, or whatever it is radars really use.
ALTITUDE: Height above terra firma. Specifics include:
AGL: Above Ground Level. Obviously this varies directly with terrain -- something to keep in mind. In conversations this is usually exaggerated on the low side, "... there I was, not more than 50 feet over Lemoore ..." (Maybe that wasn't exaggerated.) In the FLEET some planes are equipped with a terrain avoidance system which automatically keeps the plane at a certain altitude AGL.
MSL: Mean Sea Level. (Sea level that is not wearing a happy face.) The reference to altitude in the big-picture sense. It assumes the world is flat, flat being defined as an average sea level.
ANGELS: Code word for altitude. The last two ZEROs of any altitude is dropped: ANGELS 300 (three-zero-zero) would be 30,000 feet. "Join up at ANGELS 1.5" means, "fly up to 1,500 feet and look around for someone to join up on. Commonly a specified altitude is referred to as a "flight level", or in print "FL."
AMAD: (Pronounced: A MAD) Airframe Mounted Accessory Drive. An external piece of equipment that runs generators and hydraulic pumps, catches on fire and breaks. (Relative of Hafez Assad.)
AMB: Aircraft Mishap Board. Paddle used to spank a pilot's rear end with, if they survive a self-inflicted accident. This review board is usually a group of senior officers who decide if the pilot who survived his mishap was doing something unauthorized. Their end product is a MIR: Mishap Investigation Report.
AN: Airways Navigation. In the TRAINING COMMAND, "I got my AN this weekend" means the CROSS-COUNTRY flight is scheduled, and the STUDENT gets to go home for a visit ... or, more likely, he gets to go to the INSTRUCTOR'S home town, and stay at a bad BOQ. The AN routes are the same routes the airlines fly, those highways at about FL 350, known as jet routes.
ANGLE OF ATTACK: See AOA.
ANGLE OF BANK: The reasons why you can't get a loan for $125,000 to buy the red Lamborghini of your dreams. Aerodynamically speaking, it's the angle between the horizon and the wings. Notice during turns one wing of the plane is up and the other is down, "banking" into the turn. No flat automobile-like turns. Defined in degrees, e.g., "You'll need 30 degrees angle of bank for that maneuver." Controlled by the AILERONS.
ANGLE OF INCIDENCE: Excuses, excuses. Oh, or is it just a coincidence that his plane consistently breaks down in Miramar on Wednesdays and Oceana on Fridays? If you've overheard a pilot talking about 'angle of incidence' then somebody is in way too deep. Why would any self-respecting pilot be explaining the angle at which an AIRFOIL surface is attached to a FUSELAGE in relation to the longitudinal axis? Talk to a local nerdnoid.
ANGLES: This is geometry in action. When doing ACM, the pilot needs to have the greatest amount of 'angles on' his BOGEY in order to get a good shot. Say, for example, the good guy is in the bad guy's SIX, he'll have a straight shot. If he's too far left or right (the 9:00 or 3:00 position would be 90 degrees off of the target's path) then he'll need to gain ANGLES on the BOGEY. Of course, with modern weaponry it's possible to shoot the other guy head on ("in the lips"), thereby bypassing the need to "get in his knickers." The goal is then to be the first one to point at the other guy. But, for the purists, those involved with the ethics and aesthetics of DOGFIGHTING, it's worse than sloppy to go up there and fire off 'belt-fed' missiles in the face without having deftly maneuvered into the target's SIX: Twenty miles out from a head-on pass: "FOX 2, FOX 2, FOX 2, FOX 2, all F-18's are dead, we're bugging, KNOCK IT OFF.") See WHISKEY AREA TACTICS. Air Force Tactics at Nellis.
AOA: Angle of Attack. One of the main ingredients in making a successful Navy-style landing. (See MEATBALL, LINE UP = Cafeteria style.) AOA informs the pilot how close the wing is to STALL. When the angle between the wing and the relative wind increases, so does the amount of LIFT produced by the wing, up to a certain point, after that 'critical AOA' the wing STALLS. AOA is spoken of in "units" or "degrees." Each plane STALLS at a different speed and AOA, therefore each plane flies either more or less units than another to do the same maneuver. ('AOA hang-up' refers to something I can't remember right now. See DONUT, ON SPEED, INDEXER. Just for Marines, AOA could stand for Amphibious Objective Area (a frog study site).
AOCS: Aviation Officer Candidate School. Thirteen weeks of fun in the sun at Pensacola NAS. Where "potential" Naval officers meet the Marine Corps' drill instructor (the D.I.) This is what "Zack" went through in An Officer and A Gentleman, except they used a northeastern location. The already commissioned officers go straight to AI. See OCS, CANDIDATE.
AOM: Oriental mantra used to aid enlightenment during meditation (try to stay awake!) In the aviation community (oh, those mystical masters) this is called an All Officers' Meeting (try to stay awake!)
APPROACH: The magazine on naval aerial safety. Also, the APPROACH is the lineup for landing.
APPROACH PLATES: Personalized license plates, like "HEYBABY', "DOUWNT2", "IM HOT". Professionally, these are publications which show the ways to get in and around all the airports. Kept in the cockpit.
APU: Auxiliary Power Unit. An external generator that does engine starts, ground air conditioning, provides electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic power, catches on fire and breaks. Not the HUFFER.
ARRESTING GEAR: (Handcuffs.) The set of WIRES which stop (TRAP) a naval plane, i.e. one with a HOOK. All CVs have GEAR as do most military bases. Not the LANDING GEAR.
ARRESTS: What happens when the arresting HOOK, on the tail end of the airplane, catches a WIRE. This is the abrupt stop after landing on the aircraft carrier, or runway that is equipped with this gear. See TRAP, CQ. "Arrest's" other meaning is more similar to "having one's wings clipped." See "making little ones out of big ones."
ARTIFICIAL HORIZON: An avionics instrument that repeats inside the cockpit what the real world is doing in relation to the aircraft. Usually this is a ball that stays level with the earth, thereby showing whether the airplane is climbing or diving. Aka ATTITUDE GYRO. Mirages do similar things for desert dwellers wondering what's beyond the curvature of the earth.
ATC: Air Traffic Control. Air Traffic Confusers. The people in the TOWER who "control" the air traffic; however they "advise" not "control" what the pilots do. Usually they do a marvelous job, but sometimes they annoy the pilots. Just remember: Without air traffic there wouldn't be air traffic controllers. Second definition for ATC is Auto Throttle Control. I know, flying sounds easier all the time, huh? See AUTOPILOT.
ATF: Aviation Training Forms. The grade sheet. In the TRAINING COMMAND and the RAG the INSTRUCTOR will use this sheet to critique the STUDENT'S performance during the DEBRIEF. Each type of flight has its own ATF form with items peculiar to that stage preprinted upon it. The usual grades recorded are "above average", "average", and "below average." See RULER JOB.
ATTACK: What a man who has been on CRUISE for six months does to his wife (or any female who happens to be within reach) when he returns ashore. ATTACK, aka STRIKE, is the name given to the mission of dropping BOMBS and STRAFING (shooting the targets on the ground with machine guns.) There are ATTACK planes, as distinguished from FIGHTER planes, although they don't look very different. Any ATTACK plane can do ACM, albeit in a mainly defensive manner. Most FIGHTERs can STRAFE if equipped with a gun, but not drop bombs. (The F/A-18 is the only plane "designed" to do both.) In regards to those who fly ATTACK planes, there is no name "attack jock" like there is FIGHTER JOCK. Those who "drive" attack planes are called AIR-TO-MUD drivers, or ATTACK PUKES (by fighter jocks.) The FIGHTER JOCKS are called FIGHTER PUKES by the ATTACK COMMUNITY. This name calling is known as intra-community rivalry and it keeps things lively at the club.
ATTITUDE: What the DI works at changing in the CANDIDATE. In aircraft chat, it's the PITCH, ANGLE OF BANK, and YAW of an airplane at any moment.
ATTITUDE GYRO: The instrument which lets the pilot know which way is up when he can't see outside of the COCKPIT. Now, if only there was something like this for him when he isn't flying. See ARTIFICIAL HORIZON.
ATTRITE: To leave training before completion due to the student's inability to perform satisfactorily; DOWNSYNDROME. In early stages, a student may simply be deemed "aerodynamically unadaptable", which means the neophyte vomits each time he sees an airplane. "Attrition" can occur in any of the stages of training (PRIMARY, INTERMEDIATE or ADVANCED) or at the RAG. The attrition rate refers to a percentage of ATTRITES any given SQUADRON, stage, or PIPELINE may have; e.g.: The A-7's PIPELINE has a 25% attrition rate. Some squadrons may earn the phrase, "Our mission is attrition," this being based on the STUDENTS' perceived high number of recent attrites, and the INSTRUCTORS' attitude that, "We're just trying to weed out the dandelions." And those possessed of NAFOD.
AUGER: Term for crashing, "he augered in on his first SOLO." Comes from the Old English word meaning "... a tool for boring holes in the earth." This is a rather disappointing final flight. See BOUGHT THE FARM.
AUGMENT: A status of being a 'regular' as opposed to active duty 'reserve' officer. Most Marine Corps officers are reserves. The choice is not their own whether they can leave the service, or stay, unless they are regulars. And even then, if passed over for promotions, well, "Thanks for stopping by, but, no thanks, don't call us, we'll call you." I mean, these guys don't even get a goldtone Timex.
AUTOPILOT: One who flies cars. Flying without conscious thought. An automatic (magic) way to control an airplane. Opposite of MAN.
AVIATOR: Generally, anyone who flies. Defined specifically as Naval and Marine pilots who fly aircraft on and off of aircraft carriers (day and night, in all types of weather, during peace-time and war, ... up music .. etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.) See MAN-GOD.
AVIONICS: Catchall term for navigational, communications, radar and weapons systems. MAGIC.
AWACS: Advance Warning And Control Surveillance. That round rotating radar on top of aircraft, such as E-2s (HUMMERS), and Air Force E-3 Sentrys.
AWI: All Weather Intercepts. Type of flight practiced day and night, in all types of weather, during peacetime and war, etcetera etcetera etcetera. Basically, AWI consists of finding the other aircraft with radar. Like what the F-14 bubbas (those in the F-14s) did to the plane carrying the Achile Lauro hijackers during 1986. They intercepted it.
AWOL: Aircraft With Out Lift. Ouch. No? Absent With Out Leave, serious for the troops, but, normally the aviation officers don't go AWOL, I mean, they'd pay to be able to do this flying thing. Sometimes however, they are out of the office, or on a flight, or, somewhere his buddies don't know exactly ... but, it's certainly not AWOL. "Pssst, it's your wife. Better get back here quick.")
AZIMUTH: According to Webster's: distance in angular
degrees in a clockwise direction from the north point or, in the Southern
Hemisphere, south point; arc of the horizon measured clockwise from such
a point to a vertical circle passing from the zenith through the center
of a star. Thanks for clearing that up, but we'll just call it 'the
realm of the side to side.'
*** BRAVO ***
BBs: Bullets. See MILK BOTTLES.
BACKSEATER: Usually a non-pilot who's in the back. See B/N, RIO, WSO.
BACKUP: Most things are backed up, redundancy is rampant. An action that airplanes don't do very well -- except Harriers.
BAG: A covering in the rear cockpit of T's or simulators (see SIT) which prevent the STUDENT from gaining outside visual reference during instrument hops. May also be referred to as the "tepee," "puptent," or "18-inch vinyl overcast." See BI.
BALL: Usually an object of a game. See MEATBALL. Second part of a radio call made to the LSO or RDO to indicate the pilot has the light in the FLOLS sighted. The first part of the call is the type of aircraft the pilot is in, e.g. "Buckeye ball", "Corsair ball", "Turkey ball." Truly, even at NAS Lemoore, as a C-5 lumbered down the glideslope, it was heard, "Galaxy ball."
BALLISTIC: Reference of a thrust-to-weight ratio of greater than 1 to 1, making the aircraft capable of climbing straight up. Also means a guided missile after it's lost it's guidance; it goes from SMART to stupid. During some ACM maneuvers the fighters can become ballistic, meaning he's along for the ride, get out of his way, he's no longer in control. This ballistic reaction may also be observed in the course of daily human affairs.
BANDIT: The ones who "don't need no stinkin badges." See BOGEY.
BANNER: The target which is "shot" at in the GUNS phase of INTERMEDIATE training, the WEAPONS stage in the RAG, or any guns flight in the FLEET. This target is towed behind the TRACTOR plane on a thousand-foot cable. In INTERMEDIATE, there are no live rounds used (bullets) and the student must imitate the sound of a machine gun: "Ratatatatatatat." This lets the instructor know when the student is firing and the authenticity of this machine gun sound is crucial in the DEBRIEF: "Sorry Ensign Weak & Limp, I couldn't tell if you were firing a gun or coming down with a cold. Below average."
BARBER POLES: What the Marines see more of than do those long- haired Naval pilots. In the cockpit this indicates that the gear are not locked either up or down; say "oh, oh." When the wheels are locked down, three little wheels are pictured through three windows, like a slot machine. When the gear are locked up the word "UP" appears, and in the case of unlocked gears, the red and white barber poles appear in these windows.
BARF BAG: Just what you think it is. I'm as surprised as you that it's not called a Regurgitational Receptacle Unit, or a RRU (Roo Roo, see Death by ...).
BARREL ROLL: A major ACROBATIC maneuver useful in many forms for DOGFIGHTING. In a pure form it is a pull to a nose high position (maybe 45 degrees), slowly rolling inverted through the top of the roll, while changing heading 90 degrees, bring the nose back to through the horizon, roll wings level at the same altitude and direction the roll was commenced. The main displacement being laterally. See CANOPY ROLL, ROLLING SCISSORS.
BARRICADE ENGAGEMENT DETENTS: Actions taken by parents who disapprove of their daughter's fiance. In shoptalk the "barricade" is a net-like structure used to stop aircraft during landing emergencies. This web is anchored on either side of the landing surface (runway or ship) and the plane lands and rolls into it. "Detents" are small metal protrusions on the leading edge of the wing which prevent the barricade from sliding off after engagement.
BASKET: The funnel at the end of the refueling line from the TANKER. For inflight refueling (IFR) the pilot flies up to the TANKER and sticks his PROBE in the BASKET. (Look, I'm not a freudian psychoanalyst, I just report this stuff.) Also called the DROGUE.
BDA: Bomb damage assessment. How much damage was done expressed in a percentage. E.g. 50%/100% means 50% of damage done with 100% of bombs, or 100%/75% means 100% of damage done with 75% of bombs.
BDHI: ("Bood hee") Sanskrit root word referring to wisdom. In Shoptalk this is the Bearing Distance Heading Indicator (Bee Dee H Eye.) Another one of those dials in some cockpits which work off of MAGIC. Like the TACAN.
BFM: Basic Fighter Maneuvers. Like ACM, not FM. These include the BARREL ROLL, rolling SCISSORS, high & low YO-YO, etc., anything that gets a fighter in an offensive position. "Whatever it takes." Usually they are offensive -- even without modern jet aircraft.
BI: Basic Instrument, a phase of flights where the students learn to fly only by the instruments -- no peeking outside the "puptent." See BAG (what sailors carry their gear in. SeaBee: Naval Construction Workers.)
BIG BOSS: The AIR BOSS, who controls all on the flight DECK, and in his PATTERN. One of those with god-like voices.
BINGO: Code for gambling rings in church basements and retirement communities. BINGO means a pilot is low on gas. When the minimum, predetermined fuel quantity is reached, the pilot must RTB.
BIRDS: Ornithologists' subjects. In aviation it usually refers to planes.
BIRD STRIKE: However, this refers to real birds, hurling their feathered bodies against the unmerciful surfaces of aircraft, sometimes winning, (at speeds in excess of 200 kts. fragile bird bodies can turn into deadly projectiles.) This action is taken on the recommendation of foul labor unions, in an attempt to regain their territory, now overrun by aircraft.
GUN BIRDS: (Birds so incensed they've joined a militant wing of the Teamsters.) In INTERMEDIATE STRIKE these are T-2's that have PIPPERs. All of the TA-4's in ADVANCED have gunsights on them, and all of the planes in the RAG and the FLEET are so configured.
T-BIRD: Remember, those beautiful automobiles of Detroit's heyday? A two-seat plane (trainer) as opposed to a STRAIGHT (a FLEET seat). Also called simply a "T".
BIT: Built In Test. (Computer terminology, eight bits in a byte. It's a good thing to know, might as well learn it here.) The computerized systems in aircraft allow for this self-testing as a way to trouble shoot degraded or malfunctioning areas. Beware redundancy in saying "BIT test." Testing ... test, test.
BIT THE BIG ONE: See AUGER, BOUGHT THE FARM.
BITCHING BETTY: The synthesized female voice which warns of impending doom, such as engine fires: "Fire left, fire left." "Fire right, fire right." "Get out now or you're a dead man." "Get out now or you're a dead man."
BLACK BOX: See MAGIC, FM.
BLEED AIR: (Tragic event that occurs at dawn and dusk when planes go supersonic and rip open atmospheric membranes. This is where the "red sky at night/red sky in the morning" axiom comes from.) Air which is siphoned off of the main turbines (engines) and utilized for such things as AIRSTARTs (see CROSS BLEED) or cooling off stuff that's too hot - no, the pilots are supposed to be too hot.
BLIN CODES: BIT Logic INspection. Read-outs checking the BITS to identify FCS failures.
BLUE ANGELS: The public relations flying team of Naval Aviation. Currently flying the F/A-18 HORNET. BLUE ANGELS may also be a descriptive term referring to someone doing a showy maneuver over the FIELD.
B/N: Bombadier/Navigator. A backseater who targets and navi-gates while the pilot aviates, (in the A-6 he sits in a right- hand seat.)
BOARDS: SPEEDBRAKES. This is one or multiple flat surfaces that can be extended from the fuselage into the airstream to help slow the plane by creating greater wind resistance. AIRBREAKING occurs only on the runway, but the BOARDS can be utilized anytime. You may hear an aviator say he "popped the speedbrakes" (or "popped the boards"), however they do not "pop", but are hydraulically extended. F-4s?
BOAT: Name given to the aircraft carrier by aviators. See CV Appendix for a listing of carriers. Most of us have learned that any vessel larger than a football field is called a ship. But, I imagine that it looks much smaller to the aviator who first sees this postage stamp-sized object in the vast expanse of the ocean and realizes he must land his plane on it. So this to their credit, they'll persist in calling it a BOAT and perhaps we should humor them, just remembering the proper term when we chat with the sailors. To "hit the boat" refers to landing on the ship. See BOUNCING, CQ, ARREST, TRAP. "Hitting the boat" does not refer to RAMPSTRIKE, hopefully: "No, I mean he really HIT the boat."
BOAT PARTY: Although probably a good idea, this is not a fund raiser for Laotian (updated, Haitian) refugees. This is a traditional TRAINING COMMAND party given by the CQ PLAYERS who just completed their BOAT. The LSOs are invited and a public DEBRIEF (more like a roast) is held - much to the STUDENTs' embarrassment, if a good time. The outrageous bets made with the LSO before the CQ are now cashed in upon: "And, since Bud here didn't get all OK passes, as he anticipated, he owes me his Corvette, a case of Jack Daniels and his wife. Aaa ha ha ha ha! I love this business. Come here, now, Missy."
BOGEY: A target when unidentified. When identified it is the BANDIT, or "a friendly". "BOGEY at 9:00" means Casablanca is on tonight.
BOGEY DOPE: No drugs while watching Humphrey Bogart movies, please, instead make this request to your friendly AWACS personnel to get your target location.
BOLTER: An unplanned "touch 'n go" where the plane either landed long and missed all four WIRES, or for some reason the HOOK "skipped" the WIRES. For grading purposes, it is safe, yet BRAVO ALPHA. Usually the call "Bolter, bolter, bolter" will be loudly made on GUARD, with the pilot's callsign clearly enunciated, then, exasperated, the LSO will add "take it around, again."
BOMB: What ATTACK pilots drop, or PICKLE. There are many types of bombs for different occasions. If painted blue, they're inert; they don't make a BOOM.
BOOM: A loud sound. See AIRSPEED (MACH.)
BOUGHT THE FARM: What a pilot can't do after retirement, because he terminated his life with the STICK in one hand, the throttle full open, and an "ah ... sh ..." on his lips. But, at least he died doing what he loved. (This is comforting to his loving survivors?)
BOQ: Bachelor Officer Quarters, or just "the Q." Motel-like structure where the bachelors or unaccompanied officers may stay throughout their TOUR, or just overnight, at any particular place. "UOPH" is sometimes available: Unaccompanied Officer Personnel Housing, similar to a BOQ, but usually nicer. (BEQ is the Bachelor Enlisted Quarters.)
BOUNCE: The Navy-style landing. The plane is flown at a constant AOA and rate of descent until it hits the ground, this is "bouncing" (a controlled crash.) As opposed to basketball, it's recommended to only do one bounce per pass. (No dribbling, please.) In PRIMARY training (and Air Force-type training) the pilot learns to FLARE. However, Naval Aviators do not FLARE, unless there are problems with the landing gear or some other type of emergency requiring a soft landing.
BOW CAT: The catapult at the front of the ship, there are usually two, the other is the mid or main cat? Cats stretched into the shape of arrows. See CAT. (What the cat does before the bravo:)
BRAVO: Encore, encore! Call sign for the letter "B" commonly associated with the word "bull", although sometimes means "below" when used with ALPHA, for "average".
BRAVO ZULU: SIERRA HOTEL job. Congratulations.
BREAK: What happens to the aircraft after a 10 "G" BOUNCE. Otherwise, THE BREAK refers to the turn over the field before turning DOWNWIND for the FINAL landing approach. If done well it shows whether the pilot is SIERRA HOTEL or not. See GORILLA BREAK. A BREAK that is early, fast, and sharp is the most chic, while a late, slow, and limp turn is definitely not the right stuff. See NUMBERS. The reasons for doing a BREAK are: It helps to slow the plane down before landing, it "wows" spectators and motivates the troops, and, most importantly, it's fun. See HARD DICK, LIMP DICK. The Air Force calls this the "overhead."
BREAK UP AND RENDEZVOUS: Making up after the argument. Even though the fight was terrible the getting together afterwards is so much fun that it keeps this tradition alive. This is also a maneuver used during FORM HOPS to practice splitting the flight up and then rejoining. See CROSS UNDER, UNDER RUN.
BRIDLE: The strap which attaches the plane onto the CATAPULT. Mustangs aren't real fond of these or BITS.
BRIEF: (Underwear.) In the TRAINING COMMAND, this is the little chat before the flight when the INSTRUCTOR gauges if he'll be safe going up with the STUDENT. He'll ask, "What HOP is this?", "What are you going to do while we're up?", "What are the Emergency Procedures?", and, crucial in the summertime, "Do you know how to work the air conditioning system?" If the STUDENT doesn't answer any of these questions satisfactorily he could get a "readyroom" DOWN. See DEBRIEF. In the FLEET, BRIEFs are the practical and logical dispensing of intelligence and all points pertinent to the MISSION. Included are, radio frequencies, lost comm procedures, route of flight, formations, weapons details, weather and divert fields, emergency procedures, alternate missions, etc. Also a time for more senior members of the flight to question LEAD's rationale.
BUFFET: An unstable state the aircraft enters just before STALL. Some airplanes (the T-34, T-2C) give advance warning of STALL by having the rudder pedals vibrate, called "Rudder shakers." (Also an alcohol-induced degraded state after being too long in Margaritaville.)
BUG: An annoying little beeper, which can be a helpful reminder for altitude, fuel, or flight control warning limits.
BUG OUT: To tactically disengage in an ENGAGEMENT in ACM. Turn, turn, run away, live to fight another day. See KNOCK IT OFF. What a guppy's eyes do.
BUGSMASHERS: Light civilian aircraft, aka puddlejumpers.
BURNER: Those hot spots on top of the stove. To "stroke the burner" is a sadistic person's way of encouraging children to keep electric heating elements as pets. SYLCON for AFTERBURNER.
BUSTER: Trying to bust the engine, "Let's BUSTER." More specifically, it's to fly at MRT, just before the BURNER kicks in.
BUTTONOLOGY: The study of buttons. Akin to SWITCHOLOGY. (The love of buttons is Buttonosophy, one who loves buttons a Buttonophile, a fetish for buttons would be Buttonism.) In modern day aircraft, it is possible to have a number of misdirected happenings occur due to the pilot's fingers hitting the wrong button, or switch; "FINGER FIRING." See HOTAS.
BVR: SYLCON for beaver? Maybe, but, usually
it's Beyond Visual Range, the opposite of VID.
*** CHARLIE ***
CAG: Got something caught in your throat? Commander Air GROUP.
CALIBRATED: See AIRSPEED, for flight instruments, otherwise, it means something is within spec (specifications) -- it's okay.
CALL LETTERS: Each letter of the alphabet has it's "name", used so that it's not confused with other letters over the radio static.
CALL SIGN: The nicknames pilots use over the radio. These names are either flattering (assuredly self-given) or humbling and humiliating (given by peers or instructors.) Also means someone's HANDLE.
CANARD: A hoax, a false, especially malicious report. Also, a suspicious way of putting an airplane together: the horizontal stabilizer is put forward of the main lifting devices (wings). Looks false, malicious even.
CANDIDATE: The first name of all of those who are seeking to be released from civilian life at OCS/AOCS.
CANKED: (Or canx.) Even though this sounds like a sore on someone's lip, and may feel as bad to the pilot it just happened to, this just means that he was canceled from his scheduled flight.
CANOPY: The cover which encloses the pilot. It's best if it's see-through, protects the pilot from BIRD STRIKEs, and ejects before the pilot does.
CANOPY ROLL: Like an AILERON ROLL over another plane. Cute way of getting from one side to the other.
CAP: A geographical meeting area, like over a nightcap, where the fighters wait to be given a VECTOR. Combat Air Patrol.
CAS: (Humming: ... And the Marines would once again ...) This is Close Air Support, a Marine mission. This means, that the planes come in close to the ground troops, supporting their forward edge of the battle area; FEBA. CAS also stands for Control Augmentation System in the more advanced airplanes, the AUTOPILOT. For Calibrated AirSpeed, see AIRSPEED.
CAT: Domestic animal, smaller than most dogs, has sharp claws, no eyebrows. Infrequently, CAT refers to Clean Air Turbulence, you call it windshear. In aviationese, it is the abbreviated form of CATAPULT. This is the device on the aircraft carrier used to launch airplanes from its deck. The definition comes from the ancient military device used for throwing large stones.
BOW CAT: The catapults on the front of the ship.
CAT SHOT: The act of getting thrown off of the deck of the aircraft carrier, like a large stone. What happened to "Morris" after he ______________ (fill in with cat crime of your choice.)
COLD CAT: A SOFT CAT (who is wet and shivering.)
SOFT CAT: A declawed cat with nice fur. Also refers to a CAT SHOT without enough "oomph" to get the plane cleanly airborne. In extreme cases the plane will just roll to the end of the deck and fall into the deep blue sea.
WAIST CAT: The CATs in the midsection of the FLIGHTDECK.
CAT 1: CAT 2: CAT 3: CAT 4: A not very imaginative way of naming kitties. Short for CATegory of status and type of training needed in the RAG; i.e. CAT 1 pilots have not been to the FLEET yet, CAT 2 pilots have, CAT 3s are more experienced but are not going to be flying too much (WING or GROUP commanders, CAG LSOs), CAT 4 is refresher training. CAT also stands for category of generations of airplanes. CAT 1 being the least sophisticated type of plane, through CAT 4 being the most modern jets in terms of turn radius, weapons systems, thrust-to-weight ratio, etc.
CAT OFFICER: I knew they had an officer as a figurehead for everything, but this is ridiculous. (Also, those cats who are saluted as they drive through the front gate.) On the SHIP this is the officer who the pilot salutes to indicate he is ready to be shot off of the BOAT. The cat officer then makes a last looksee to see if everything is as it should be, and if all is right, he'll signal to someone to push a button, and the plane becomes a hurtling stone.
CAT WALK: The rim around the ship, complete with a net for when one gets blown overboard after being blasted by heat and wind from prop wash and jet exhaust. Only on getting out of the net does a sailor have to do the strutting little walk, this time with his tail between his legs.
CATAPULT: If you were observing SYLCON you wouldn't even think of adding those two extra syllables to CAT. Look at the definitions above and please stay with the program.
CEP: "Cee ee pee" not "sip." Circular Error of Probability. This is a number which measures how close to the target 50% of a plane's bombs will hit, based on the pilot's most recent passes. A low number CEP means they hit pretty close, and, as in horseshoes, this counts.
CG: Center of Gravity. Locally it's the core of the earth, more systemically it would be the sun. On airplanes, it's the spot where it would balance if you held it up by one finger.
CHAFF: Thin strips of metal of varying lengths which can be released from the "chaff dispensers" of a flying plane in an effort to confuse an enemy radar system, (and irritate his skin.)
CHARTS: What the aviation world calls maps.
CHECK SIX: See SIX. "Roger, the beers are in the frige." "Look behind you."
CHOCKS: Flintstone vitamins. To those involved with flight, these are the little square or triangular-shaped doohickeys used to keep the wheels of the plane from rolling around. CHOCKS can refer to being in the "parking place" (without the chocks necessarily next to the tires), e.g. "Delta 24, where are you?" "I'm in the chocks." To "pull chocks" means, to the PLANE CAPTAIN, remove the doohickeys from underneath the plane. To pilots at the O'Club to "pull chocks" means, "Do you want to blow this popsicle stand and go somewhere more happening?" To mothers, this means "Quick, get those vitamins out of your kid's nose!"
CIRCLE: As a verb, to circle means fly around in a circular pattern. A great circle is a circle of planetary proportions. It is a line the circumference of the equator which connects two places. It signifies the shortest distance to travel from one point to another for those living on a spherical object. (That includes us here on earth.) Great circle routes are not the reason you fly from Washington DC to Los Angeles by way of Chicago. It's also not real effective using great circle routes to take the kids to the baby sitter (unless she lives in Katmandu.)
CLARA: The woman that aviators don't want to call, but have to when they don't see the MEATBALL. A nervous voice keys the mike, he squeezes the word from his lips, "Clara ... " Tower responds in a matter-of-fact way, "Roger Charlie 409, be advised duty runway is 23."
CLASS A, B, C OR D MISHAP: Refers to extent of monetary damage to the aircraft; Class D being smaller amounts of cash (maybe $50,000 or less) up to Class A being total wipe outs.
CLEAN: Means the air flows "cleanly" over the aircraft. This depends upon the way the plane is "configured:" Having the gear and hook up, the speedbrakes and flaps in, the plane is CLEAN. See DIRTY.
CLOUD CARD: The pilot can miraculously fly through clouds now since he has his instrument rating.
CNATRA: Pronounced like 'old Blue Eyes'. HQ for all Naval Aviation students. Chief of Naval Aviation Training. Where orders come from, Corpus Christi, Texas.
CO: The Commanding Officer. See RANK in APPENDIX.
COCKPIT: Where the pilot unleashes his TYPE A characteristics in a cybernetic dance with the aircraft. Too poetic? How about 'the place where cockfighting takes place'? It's a bit more dynamic than just 'where the pilot sits in the airplane.'
COD: Pronounced like the fish not "cash on delivery," but the definition is more like the latter: Carrier Onboard Delivery. This is the aircraft (usually a C-2 Greyhound) which brings mail, supplies and people to the BOAT. When the aviator is on CRUISE (DEPLOYMENT, FLOAT) this is how mom's broken chocolate-chip cookies and his girl friend's "Dear John Letters," (I mean love letters) reach him.
COKE: For "fittings" see KOCH, for "machines" see Aircraft Appendix.
COLLATERAL DUTY: Flying, and being figurehead of at least eight areas. These duties are what allow the Marines to function as an independent entity and who therefore can deploy at a (few) moments notice. They can get to where they need to be AND then function pretty much on their own once there. Not that these are entertaining, just necessary and time consuming, especially for single seat squadrons. Understand that being a pilot is not considered a full time profession in the Navy/Marine Corps' mind; officers are expected to fly and fly well without making a big deal out of it. See LDO, FUNCTIONAL AREA.
COM: First part of Command, frequently used in multi-syllabic acronyms like COMLATWINGPAC, COMCABEAST, The Com, etc.
COMBAT SPREAD: Nine year old peanut butter. A tactical formation which enhances mutual support and lookout, a basic fighting position with two aircraft side by side, one mile apart. See FORMATION.
COMM: Short for communication. "COMM 1" for communications button or channel number 1. Also, in refernce to how one handles radio talk, "Good COMM" means, "Gee, you speak very clearly and concisely."
COMMUNITY: A way of dividing aircraft; JET, HELO or PROP communities. Also how the type of mission is distinguished: e.g., FIGHTER or ATTACK community. A member of a community pays strict allegiance to it - anyone in the other community becomes a "puke". F/A-18 pilots are fence sitters.
COMPARTMENTALIZATION: Big word that blatantly ignored the rules of SYLCON. A necessary manner of segmenting one's thinking in order to not let thoughts of little Johnny running away from home interfere with concentrating on bombing runs. Or thoughts of the girlfriend interfere with life at home.
CONE OF CONFUSION: An area directly over a ground navigational station where the radio signal is unreceivable. See NAVAID. This is also an area directly above some STUDENT'S heads.
CONTROL SURFACES: Any surface on the airplane which "controls" its movement. The two main surfaces are the AILERONS, which are movable flaps on the trailing edge of the wings (they make turns), and ELEVATORS, usually on the horizontal part of the tail (which make a plane go up and down.) There are now multiple mixed-combo-hybrids of control surfaces with names such as elevons, tailerons, flaperons, stabilators. The three types of control surfaces are 'conventional' and 'power boosted', which use mechanical linkage, and 'full power', which are hydraulically operated systems.
CORIOLIS FORCE: That mysterious happening which makes the bath water swirl clockwise down the drain in the Northern Hemisphere, and counter-clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. In aviation, the most practical application has to do with helicopters crossing the equator. The pilot must gain extra altitude to compensate for the temporary loss of lift while the rotors change direction. For jet pilots, there is a slight effect on long-distance navigation and the pee pee tube.
COURSE: Center line to the runway on GCAs. "On course." COURSE RULES are the ways used to get in and out of an area, how fast, altitudes, etc.
CQ: Carrier Qualification. The phase of flights leading up to and including "hitting the boat." See BOUNCING, FCLP. If the aviator is successful at the boat, he is a QUAL (he's qualified to continue to engage in this awe-inspiring activity.) If the pilot "disquals" (disqualifies) this means that he either never was able to land onboard (see BOLTER) or that he was unsafe (colorful.) At the very least, in the training command disqualing requires a second trip to the BOAT. Grade point averages are notoriously low for this stage of flights, and if one aviator tells another, "Well, I qualled." And his friend responds, "Yeah, that's the important thing." It means his grades really plummeted, but he should be glad he made it onboard, that's the important thing. (See LIMP DICK.) The fellow who does the best at the ship is awarded the title of the HOOK.
CRAB: See BITCHING BETTY. The slanted way a plane flys through a cross WIND; like an eight-legged crustacean.
CROSS BLEED: Stigmata. A way to get the second engine started from the turning of the other engine. (Works best if there are two engines.)
CROSS COUNTRY: For skiing, see snow-covered mountains, otherwise, these are overnight flights. For TRAINING COMMAND particulars, see AN.
CROSS UNDER: In formation flying (FORM) this is the maneuver to get the WINGMAN on the other side of LEAD. Varies from UNDER RUN in that CROSS UNDER is a planned movement.
CRUISE: A loose formation flight position. It allows the pilots more maneuverability. "Going on CRUISE" is being deployed out to the BOAT for a TOUR; usually 6 to 9 months at a time. See DEPLOY, DET, FLOAT. For Tom Cruise, see Top Gun, the movie.
CRUISE CONTROL: The effect Tom Cruise exerts over women, however, in his films he's usually cast in parts that require Cruise "outta control". In vehicles, cruise control is associated more with automobiles than planes, it's called more specific names up high, like 'ATC cruise mode.' See AUTOPILOT.
CV: These are the letters which precede all aircraft
carriers. "C" for Carrier, "V" for fixed wing, "N" for nuclear powered.
There are 15 either operational or in the works. For a complete list
see the CV Appendix.
*** DELTA ***
DACT: Dissimiliar Air Combat Training. Training against/with different aircraft types. E.g. F-14s flying against F-5s. Really dissimiliar would be gliders against helicopters. That's not dissimiliar, that's weird.
DAS: Deep Air Strike. Going far into enemy territory. More specifically a strike or bombing mission which takes place beyond the fire support coordination line.
DDI: Digital Display Indicator. Television monitor inside the most modern aircraft (or new Cadillacs.) Can show a variety of information at a push of a button, change of a channel. (Not variety shows nor sitcoms, -- soap operas, maybe.)
DEAD RECKONING: Has to do with wills and insurance payments. In flying talk, it's a primitive navigation technique based on heading, groundspeed and time.
DEATH 'N DESTRUCTION: See Insurance Salesman.
DEBRIEF: (To remove underwear.) The little chat after the HOP. When the STUDENT gauges if he'll ever be scheduled for another flight. When the grades are filled out on the ATF. Along with the answers to the regular questions about the student's flying ability and HEADWORK, there are a few other esoteric notions the INSTRUCTOR wonders about, such as "Would I be willing to risk my life with this guy again?", "Does he sound good over the radio?", "Did he keep the temperature at a comfortable level?", "Would I let my daughter date him?", and perhaps the most important, "Did he admire my flight history and laugh at my jokes?" In the FLEET this is a good time for the WINGMEN to tell LEAD, "You didn't BRIEF the flight very well."
DECK: Where sky meets earth. See FLIGHTDECK. 'Soft deck' and 'hard deck' refer to imaginary sky-meet-earth parts for training purposes. During ACM HOPS if one hits the deck (preferably soft), he may be called "a rock kill" or "ground mort."
DEFENSE AGAINST THE HIGH YO-YO: One of the cute names given to an ACM maneuver. Also, a 1950 King Kong flick. See YO-YO, SCISSORS.
DELTA WING: Those planes that look like flying isosocles triangles, e.g. the KFIR (F-21), or Tomcat (F-14) with wings swept.
DEMI-GOD: AVIATOR who holds the sacred positions of AIR BOSS or LSO.
DEPART: To leave controlled flight. You know, like STALL, OCF, SPIN not like ATTRITE, BUG OUT, DEPLOY, KISS OFF or AWOL.
DEPLOY: Short for "deployment." Longer than DET. Bye bye, see you next year, don't forget to write ... that kind of thing. CRUISE.
DESTRUCTIVE FLUTTER: When a friend's wife seductively bats her eyelids and is taken seriously. When an airplane starts flapping its wings like a bird.
DET: What one is in when one can't make one's payments. Or, short for detachment. There are "BOAT DETS," and "WEAPS DETS;" usually DETS are rather short, whereas DEPLOYments, CRUISEs, TOURs are long. ("What goes on DET stays on DET" refers to activities the PLAYERS don't want those back home to hear about. See TACAN.)
DI: Drill Instructor, a Marine Corps Sergeant introduced at OCS for the Marines, AOCS for the Naval Officers, and boot camp for the enlisteds.
DICK: Other forms of this common name include 'dick wad' and 'dick head'. These all refer to MAN-GODS when they fall out of favor, or for some, as they are always considered by their peers. "Joe sure is being a DICK today." Or, "Ever since he's become CO he's been a real DICK head."
DILBERT DUNKER: One of AI's "E" ticket rides. This simulates an aircraft DITCHING. A metal-frame cockpit is perched atop rails which lead into a swimming pool. When triggered, the "cockpit" races down the rails into the pool and flips upside-down. Doesn't this sound like fun? Then, all the prospective aviator needs do is unhook himself from his harness fittings and swim out of the contraption. This was demonstrated quite well in An Officer and A Gentleman. Remember it was the female, 'Ceegar', who wanted to do it again.
DIRTY: Opposite of CLEAN. If told to, "dirty up," this means to put the GEAR and FLAPS down and the SPEEDBRAKES out.
DITCHING: Turning an aircraft into a submarine. The alternative is turning oneself into a human cannonball; EJECT, PUNCH OUT.
DIVISION: More like addition, count 1, 2, 3, 4 planes. Two SECTIONS flying together. See FORMATION.
DME: Distance Measuring Equipment. More AVIONICS gear, part of TACAN system that shows distance from a known point.
DOD: Department of Defense.
DOG FIGHT: Recent addition to Olympics. Three rounds, regulation size ring, no spike collars, muzzles required.
DOGFIGHTING: ACM. The reason for MAN-GOD's existence.
DONUT: Responsibility of the coffee mess officer (really). When landing the pilot tries to keep the AOA indicator (INDEXER) in the center position in order to accurately fly "down" the GLIDESLOPE, aka ON SPEED. (Called the "donut" because it's an orange circle.) If successful, "I had a donut all the way down" - this doesn't mean he had stuffed a pastry in his oxygen mask. Order more BARREL ROLLS.
DOR: Drop On Request. An "out" for aviation-contract officers. Made famous by the line in (again) An Officer and A Gentleman, when Lynette said, "But NOBODY D.O.R.s in the eleventh week!"
DOWN: An unsatisfactory flight which requires make-up HOPS. The reason why a student will not make eye contact after a flight. The reason a PINKSHEET is placed into the student's FLIGHTJACKET. Also the maintenance status of a plane, meaning it isn't ready to fly.
DOWNSYNDROME: Getting a lot of DOWNS. May lead to the status ATTRITE. Will make a STUDENT popular with the BOARD. Epidemics can sometimes effect entire TRAINING COMMAND squadrons.
DQ: Oh, if only this were the corner ice cream shop, but no, it's the opposite of "your a qual." See CQ. As a verb: a barely audible voice squeaks out over body wracking sobs, "I'm disqualing."
DRAGGIES: Those boorish oafs at parties, dressed up like women. In shoptalk, this is the scientific way of referring to that cohort with gravity, drag. This horrible entity sits on airplane wings, fighting with the THRUSTIES. There are various kinds:
INDUCED DRAG: A DRAGGIE on drugs. Drag which results from the production of LIFTIES. The faster the plane goes the less effect an induced draggie has.
PARASITE DRAG: A DRAGGIE who wants to come home with you. But, if on the plane, this DRAGGIE lays his slimy body over the entire surface of the plane. If the plane goes faster, more parasite draggies hold on. There are four parasitic brothers, Form, Skin, Interference, and Leakage. (I think they get girls pregnant.)
WAVE DRAG: This is the surfer-type DRAGGIE, aka as a "Valley Drag." This drag is only found on supersonic shores.
DREAMSHEET: The "request" sheet that an aviator uses to let HQ. know what plane he'd like to fly, and on which coast he'd like to be stationed, before HQ tells him what plane he'll be flying and upon which coast he'll be stationed. See PCS.
DRIVER: Name for pilots of certain planes, (A-7 driver.)
DROGUE: The refueling BASKET attached to a TANKER. A drogue chute is a parachute attached to some airplanes to help slow them down, but Navy and Marine Corps planes don't have parachutes.
DRONE: Just a worker bee giving up his life for target practice. A remotely piloted vehicle (rpv) used for testing weapons, picture taking over quite hostile areas, or scarring the hell out of chickens.
DROP TANKS: Extra fuel tanks which extend the range of a plane reducing or eliminating the need for inflight refueling on long HOPS. They can be dropped if necessary, in case the pilot is jumped by BANDITS and needs all the maneuverability and speed he can get - those tanks have DRAGGIES on them.
DUAL: Not a duel, no fighting, please. This is two people in a plane; need a T-BIRD, not SOLO.
DUTY: A temporary position of being in charge.
Almost all acronyms that end in "D.O." refer to the duty officer.
Includes SDO, ODO, FDO, AFDO, ('A' in front refers to assistant) GDO, Tower
ODO, (I guess they use the entire word for tower so no one has be a Todo?)
All of these translate into "The Fall Guy."
*** ECHO ***
E: Letter identifier for "electronic" planes. See ECM.
EASE GUN: The act of pulling the power (PCL) way back when landing because the MEATBALL was going high. This is a potentially dangerous situation, because some planes then "drop" at an astonishing rate.
ECM: Electronic Counter Measures. Using electronic, radiation stuff to seek out, jam, and confuse the enemy's radar systems. CHAFF is one of the simpler methods of giving erroneous data to a looking radar, but there are many methods. See ELINT, EW.
ECMO: Pronounced "Ekmo." The ECM Officer, who else? The one who tells the 'station wagon' driver where to point the EA-6B so that he can sterilize those PLANE CAPTAINS too frightened to get a vasectomy. The CANOPIES of these planes are laced with gold to prevent the white count of the crew from getting too low and thereby depriving the wives the joy of having baby ECMOs.
EGRESS: To exit the aircraft (expeditiously).
EGT: Exhaust Gas Temperature. A jet's temperature gauge. Tested by sticking a (greased) thermometer up the tailpipe. As opposed to reciprocating engines (like cars have) an increase in EGT will increase THRUST in JET engines.
EJECT: The quickest way to EGRESS the aircraft, right after realizing, "The Navy doesn't need this one anymore." Last resort in unRECOVERable situations. See PUNCH OUT, aka the "nylon elevator."
ELEVATOR: Just like we might think, the ELEVATORS make the plane go up and down. They are the CONTROL SURFACES located on the trailing edges of the horizontal part of the tail. This is one of the basic movements (up & down, left & right?) and is controlled by the STICK. There is also ELEVATORs on the CV which move planes from the hangar deck to the flight deck.
ELINT: ELectronic INTelligence. Passive form of ECM.
ENERGY: Kinetic energy; usually means speed, but altitude is a alternative because it can be converted into speed. (So, "speed is life" isn't always to be taken literally. Being able to 'stop' and turn tighter will quickly turn a neutral situation into a clearly offensive one.) When in an ENGAGEMENT the idea is to keep one's energy up, while trying to go slower than (or somehow get quickly behind) the BOGEY in order to get in his SIX. If low and slow, he's "bled" off too much energy and is vulnerable.
ENGAGEMENT: One of the happiest times of our lives; in the DOGFIGHTING arena, as well as in the romantic realm, this refers to a commingling of opposites.
ENGINES: Usually we're referring to "gas TURBINE, JET engines."
ENGINEERING: Name of a class given in the academic part of training for each new aircraft. Teaches the whys and wherefores of SUCKING, SQUEEZING, BURNING, TURNING, AND BLOWING. The electrical engineer is the prestidigitator who puts the MAGIC in the BLACK BOXES.
ENVELOPE: Well, he couldn't find one! Just another excuse as to why you haven't received a letter. What military pilots are expected to explore the outer edges of without ripping to pieces. Defines the aerodynamic performance limits of an airplane. See VG/VN DIAGRAM.
EW: Electronic Warfare. Using ECM, ELINT.
*** FOXTROT ***
F-#: All those "Fox-trotting" planes, see APPENDIX. Tally ho.
FAA: Federal Aviation Association. The body which makes up the rules which are broken by FLIGHT VIOLATIONS.
FAC: Forward Air Controller. Airborne or ground based authority who calls in air strikes on designated targets. Another one of the bad deals pilots can be tasked with.
FAM: Familiarization flights; basic technique.
FCC: Federal Communications Commission. Makes up rules concerning all electromagnetic wavelengths they can get their hands on. (Except the visible ones.) Telephones, televisions, and radios in airplanes, too.
FCLP: Field Carrier Landing Practice. The stage of flights where the student practices his BOUNCING technique before going to the BOAT.
FCS: Flight Control System. Computerized systems which, that's right, monitor and maneuver the flight control surfaces.
FDO: Flight DUTY Officer. Overseer of the daily flight schedule.
FDR: Flight Data Recorder. A "new deal" little black box that contains the tape recordings of events during a flight. Also the name of an older CV.
FEATHER: Foul aid to aviation. To 'feather a prop' (or helo rotor) is to alter it's angle in order to reduce wind resistance while at idle.
FEBA: Forward Edge of the Battle Area. Formerly known as the front line. The line of 'terminating with great prejudice.' HARRIERS (see Appendix A) are designed to sit much much too close to this. See FLOT.
FEET WET/FEET DRY: Cute way to say, "I'm over water/I'm over land."
FEENAB: See FFPB, below:
FFPB: Field Flight Protection Board. AMB and FEENAB are other acronyms for similar type evaluation boards. They are all investigations of accidents or flight violations. No one wants to be involved in these, either as the subject (if still living) or as the investigating party (unless there is an axe to grind.)
FIELD: The physical set up of the runways, etc. The Naval Air Station, Marine Corps Air Station, or Air Force Base. Landing at the FIELD will either refer to coming back to the RUNWAY (or, dropping the BIRD in some hybrid cotton field.)
FIGHTER: The planes and pilots which are made to DOG FIGHT. See ACM. The FIGHTERS needed something to protect, so defense contractors made ATTACK planes. To distinguish whether a plane is an ATTACK or FIGHTER look at its name: "F" is fighter, "A" is attack. (See the Appendix.) For example, A-6's and A-7's are ATTACK planes, they drop bombs and STRAFE. F-14's and F-4's are FIGHTERS, F/A-18 does both MISSIONS.
FIGHTER JOCK: The jockey of the FIGHTER aircraft, aka MAN-GOD.
FINAL: "It's FINAL," can mean only one of two things: PCS orders came or the divorce decree was delivered (sometimes the latter may follow the former in rapid succession.) This can also be the last straight-a-way before the plane touches down.
FINGER FIRE: Where BUTTONOLOGY, SWITCHOLOGY and SITUATIONAL AWARENESS don't come together. Reread "HOTAS Made Simple."
FIRE ON DECK: This obviously requires emergency procedure action: When the pilot first notices the fire, he is to quickly, but safely, taxis around the fire to a clear area. Well, that's what I heard, but, upon checking, this refers to the plane being on fire while on the ground.
FITNESS REPORT: Just how many pull ups can he do? This is a formal evaluation of military bearing, appearance, and especially job performance in the FUNCTIONAL AREA and COLLATERAL DUTIES. Promotions and other minor matters are based on these reports, SYLCON version is "fit rep".
FIXED WING: Used to distinguish rotor from fixed wing aircraft. "V" is the designator letter for fixed wing entities, "H" for Helicopter (HELOS).
FLAMEOUT: The engine's flame goes out, it dies. The result in single-engine airplanes is, instant coke machine. The Navy and Marine Corps team likes two-engine planes. If the pilot can relight the engine (AIRSTART) then all should be okay.
FLAPS: A control surface on the airplane, located on the back edge of each wing. FLAPS alter the number of "lifties" which can fit over the wing (not under). "Split flaps" refer to one flap up and one down; a malfunction but the plane is still flyable. "Cycling flaps" means the flaps are going up and down unpredictably, this is AFU.
FLARES: Something to be "popped" by a FIGHTER trying to out maneuver missiles. If a heat-seeking missile is locked on, the pilot can pop FLARES which will make the missile fly into it's heat and not the plane's, hopefully.
FLEET: The "real world" of the operational Navy and Marine Corps. Where RPs become NUGGETS. The pointy end of the sword.
FLIGHT: What Leonardo de Vinci tried to do and what Orville and Wilbur made famous. The reason why AVIATIONESE exists, why there is ATC, airplanes, and pilots. The employer of LIFTIES, THRUSTIES, and DRAGGIES. The reason for existence for MAN-GODS.
FLIGHTDECK: The RUNWAY on the BOAT, the whole top of the CV.
FLIGHTJACKET: This can be one of two things. It's either the fashionable leather jacket that the guys wear, or, more commonly the folder where their ATFs are kept. "Yep, that PINKSHEET is right on top of his FLIGHTJACKET."
FLIGHTLINE: Where the airplanes are parked. The FLIGHTDECK at a ground-based facility.
FLIGHTSUIT: The 'jumpsuit' that, along with the TORSO HARNESS and G SUIT make up the pilots' three-piece suit. No BRIEF case, please, there are enough pockets available for the essential stuff like candy bars, phone numbers, their COVER, credit cards, etc.
FLIGHT SURGEON: A perfectly competent and friendly doctor who pilots would rather not see on a professional basis.
FLIGHT VIOLATION: Oh oh. A paper reminder of an offense against the rules of the air, made by the FAA. Like a traffic ticket.
FLIR: That little twirl a dancer does at the end of a song. Special television camera; Forward Looking Infra-red Radar. Piece of surveillance gear that can be installed on some airplanes (and new model General Motors cars.)
FLOAT: What grunts (infantry Marines) and Helo pukes call a CRUISE. (Probably because it only has one syllable. Who ever told you how CRUISE was pronounced? ... "We're just going to go on a little crewsie, dear.")
FLOLS: Fresnel Lens Optical Landing System, the MEATBALL projection system. Nobody refers to the BALL as the FLOLS. (Okay, maybe TECH REPS do, but, they're a couple spaces removed.) It's the BALL.
FLOT: Forward Line Of Troops, like the FEBA, unless the GROUND POUNDERS are attacking in another direction.
FLYING: Most beloved of the COLLATERAL DUTIES. Requires 80% memorization of procedures, 20% common sense. The preferred activity. A close second is talking about flying.
FM: Radio band with better quality music than AM. Refers to MAGIC in it's most ineffable (unprintable?) form.
FNAEBS: Fee nabs. The review board which decides a pilot's fate after he lost SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, used poor HEADWORK, or was just in the wrong airplane and airspace at a fateful moment.
FOD: Rhymes with cod: Foreign Object Damage. May be either a noun or a verb. The objects that cause FOD are also called FOD. "Fod walkdown" is a ritual of canvassing the FLIGHTLINE looking for FOD objects, which could potentially FOD a jet engine. [Trivia: FOD is what got Aviationese started - one of the wives was told it was Top Secret, so I felt obligated to tell Karen what it really was. "Anything Foolish Or Dangerous." "Oh, well, for Dave that could be anything, no wonder he didn't want to tell me." So, Karen came away from my first definition attempt much more enlightened. The rest of this just snowballed, er, maybe more like fur-balled "Cough, Cough". That was an internal choke. Thank you snow berry much.]
FORM: Formation flights. Looks like BLUE ANGEL stuff if done well, but has a necessary rather then purely entertaining or demonstration purpose. Many hand signals are introduced in this stage of flights which come in quite useful on roadtrips or the dance floor. (Note, neither CROSSUNDER nor UNDERRUN work very well in these places, except for 'break dancing.') First, here are the basic types of formations:
SECTION: Two planes, one is the flight LEAD, one is the WINGMAN. The basic unit upon which all formations are built upon.
DIVISION: Two SECTIONS. Need a division LEAD and a SECTION LEAD, plus two wingmen. Any number over a division requires a mission commander. In order to move and maneuver these multi-plane flights conveniently, there is a whole repertoire of formations, some of the more common ones being:
CRUISE: Loose PARADE, just regular getting from one place to another.
FIGHTING WING: A loose CRUISE, with supporting units 45-60 degrees off of the LEAD and about 3,000 feet away. MUTUAL SUPPORT is sacrificed for maneuverability and massed firepower.
PARADE: Dress form, close formation flying, for demonstration purposes (or getting in and out of any airfield, since all eyes will be turned skyward, in awe of the approach of pilots.) BLUE ANGELS-type stuff. [However, sometime in 1986, there was observed a peculiar "banana" pattern over Beaufort, South Carolina. I believe the more typical "finger-tip" pattern was intended, but, not sure, could be a hybrid fruity thing. 122?]
SPREAD: Basic fighting position, the LEAD and WINGMAN being one to one & one half mile apart directly abeam each other.
FOX 1/FOX 2: Call made indicating a SPARROW/SIDEWINDER missile has been committed. (The men could use this as an alternative way of referring to pretty ladies, because, calling them "the foxes" sounds too much like those two wild and crazy guys from Czechoslovakia.) [Author not responsible for eventual renaming or relocating of former soviet block countries.]
FRAG: Right, SYLCON for fragments of a bomb after it explodes. And I understand it is possible to shoot yourself down by flying through your bomb's frag pattern. Kids, don't try this at home.
FREQ: Short for frequency.
FRS: Fleet Replacement Squadron, New name for the old RAG.
FSS: Flight Service Station. It's not the gas stations? No gas, but information services for flight plans, enroute stuff.
FTI: Flight Training Instruction, the "how-to" manual.
FUNCTIONAL AREA: The aviator's real job. It isn't flying. This is the title that he has and where he's responsible for performing on a day-to-day basis. This can be any job from coffee mess (one of the most crucial) to executive officer (sort of like vice presidency and mafia hit man combined.)
FURBALL: Cross between CAT and DOG FIGHT. When DOGFIGHTING involves scratching and pulling hair and yelping about too many BOGEYS. Same furball that gets caught in your throat and makes you CAG.
FUSELAGE: The main body of the airplane.
FWS: Fighter Weapons School. TOPGUN.
Fightertown for training Navy and Marine Pilots the newest tactics, Miramar,
California.
*** GOLF ***
G: First letter in gravity, that force that makes things stay where they are set (we'd live in a much messier place without it). A 'G' is the amount of pressure exerted on a body. We are "under" one G normally, this is our present weight. While flying, a pilot may experience more or less Gs. If a G is "pulled", a positive G, then the pilot feels heavier than normal; three Gs for a 150 lb. person feels like 450 lbs. If a negative G is experienced, "pushing Gs", then the experience is less body weight. See UNLOAD. In negative Gs blood rushes to the head, in positive to the feet. People can take more positive Gs than negative, about 9 is max positive, 4 max negative. See G SUIT.
G SUIT: An intriguing contraption, similar to a G string in that its purpose is to keep vital fluids from flowing from the desired area. In this case, it keeps blood in the head and upper body to maintain consciousness when a pilot experiences "Gs." Nature didn't intend for man to push nor pull "Gs" so the plumbing needs a little aid. The G SUIT is pressurized by the BLEED AIR system. Note: BLUE ANGELS do not wear G SUITs because they are beyond the holds of gravity. And, besides, it blows the clean lines of their tight fitting FLIGHTSUITS. See bulges.
GAC: Term for Ground Attack, Conventional. Sounded too much like the hairball thing, so everyone calls it STRIKE, or ATTACK.
GAN: Ground Attack, Nuclear. No questions, please. If you sprinkle baking soda on afterwards, I hear you'll be okay.
GATE: Flying at maximum power, AFTERBURNER, BUSTER. MACH 2.0 stuff.
GCA: Ground Controlled Approach. A type of entry to the FIELD or CV used during inclement weather (or in the TRAINING COMMAND to teach STUDENTS how it's done.) A radar operator or ground controller tells the pilot where he is in relation to the GLIDESLOPE and COURSE.
GCI: Ground Controlled Intercept. A radar operator/ground controller gives the pilot BOGEY DOPE on unknown RIDERs, directing the interception.
GLIDESLOPE: Fun on sleds in the snow-capped mountains. Also an imaginary centerline extending on a 3 degree angle (3 1/2 at the BOAT) to infinity. Not usually intercepted until about 6 or 8 miles out, then a ground controller will let the pilot know where he is; "on course (the left or right of centerline) on glideslope," or less favorably, "well left of course, well below glideslope."
GLOC: G Induced Loss Of Consciousness. Down payment on the farm. See G, and G SUIT. Or, when he's listening to this really cute, but quite talkative girl who keeps interjecting "Gee, you know ..." throughout her interminable story of her life, and he falls asleep. Girls, really, they can only take so much.
GMT: Greenwich Mean Time, see ZULU.
GO MIDNIGHT: Relocation technique used by some persons harassed by collection agencies. To turn off the smash lights (anti- collision lights) at night to either let someone know it's you he's asking about, or tactically, to fly more stealthily.
GOAT ROPE: Something that went less than wonderfully. Sometimes goats just run around rampantly on the FIELD, or they jump down intakes, crash through HANGARS, and saunter through SQUADRON halls, looking for trouble and tin cans.
GOON: You can use your own dictionary for this definition, same applies here. Also GOON X. See X.
GORILLA BREAK: A BREAK only gorillas can do. Max G's. Looks cool.
GOUGE: A welcomed disease, "Yeah, come on over and I'll give you the gouge." Wives, don't worry, it's not contagious, nor does it mar the furniture. In the RAG and TRAINING COMMAND this is the knowledge that INSTRUCTORS want to see that the flier knows but they don't give out, so it's necessary to "get it" from someone a stage ahead. Sometimes "bum gouge" goes around, not a pretty sight.
GRADED ITEM: ATF items subject to evaluation by the INSTRUCTOR.
GROOVE: The 1960's word for being in the right place, doing the right things, at the right time. Same definition applies here, specifically regarding the FINAL straight-away before landing. Not a GOUGE.
GROUND EFFECT: The compressing of air by the body of the aircraft or force of a rotor's down wash. Can make BUGSMASHERS float or get squirrely on landing, doesn't effect COKE machines too much, especially with a high rate of descent (see smoking hole in the ground.)
GROUND POUNDERS: Marines who stay on earth. GRUNTS. It could also be said that 500 lb. bombs are ground pounders.
GROUP: The WING oversees the GROUP, the GROUP oversees the SQUADRONS. "Groupies" are the inhabitants, who, while at the group must use the squadrons planes and flight hours in order to maintain flight proficiency, (not always an endearing act.) See creeping careerism. MAG is Marine Air Group, CAG is Navy's Commander Air Group.
GRUNT: Part of the M-1 maneuver, see G. Also, Marine infantrymen, those who carry an M-16 rifles and throw hand grenades. Ideally, these are those who CAS supports.
GUARD: An international radio frequency used for
emergencies. Not found on Soviet aircraft. Also known as Air
Force Common.
*** HOTEL ***
HQ: Headquarters. HQMC is Marine Corps HQ.
HAMMER: Title given to INSTRUCTORS who never give "aboves" or who gives many "belows" or DOWNS. See ATF. Is not related to "nailing" a maneuver. Opposite of SANTA CLAUS.
HANDLE: The CALL SIGN, not the STICK. Maybe the ejection handle if egressing.
HARD DICK: Pilot who has the respect of his peers (in the locker room?) Opposite of DICK, LIMP DICK.
HARM: A High-speed, Anti-Radiation Missile.
HAVE AND HAVE NOTS: True 'sister squadrons.' They're a team; one has certain things, like FLIR and HARM, and the other has not. More specific in the Navy than Marine Corps. (Aka "the girls next door.")
HEAD: The "head" refers to the toilet. Didn't want you to think everything had an alternate meaning.
HEAD ON: Have your head on straight, and run directly towards each other. A bit more potential for MIDAIRS in this ENGAGing maneuver, pay attention to "left-to-left" (like on American highways) and "right-to-right" (on European roadways.)
HEADS UP: "I can't engage the enemy," "he got through," "look out." On a not-so-tactical level, "Hey, Scurvy, just want to give you a heads up, you got FAM 13 check tomorrow."
HEAD UP DISPLAY: See HUD.
HEADWORK: Generally this refers to thinking (a graded item) and SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. It's a catch-all category on the ATF. See KNEEPADS for additional uses of HEADWORK. Doesn't refer to toilet repair.
HELO: Helicopter: 1,358,956 parts flying in close formation by virtue of a combination of (1) beating the air into submission, (2) vibrating so much the earth rejects them, and (3) the CORIOLIS FORCE. A HELO driver is a respected mission in the USMC, not so sought after in the USN (except when a fixed wing representative is freezing his SEAT PAN off in deep water - then no one is held in greater esteem than those in the SAR HELO.) See SAR, JOLLY GREEN. As with the fixed wing aircraft, there are multiple series, models and modifications to helicopter types. For example, let's consider the "Huey" family. Once there was a prototype helicopter for the Army, dubbed the XH-40. They could hold about eight or ten people and had a machine gun. (The 'X' stood for experimental, and, yes, the 'H' for helicopter.) Somewhere in this dawn of rotary time, the original designation was 'HU' - (perhaps Utility?) so the nickname 'Huey' came into being, later the designation was transposed to 'UH' (who knows where, who knows when, probably due to a new commandant came in and had to make his mark. And the v-neck/round-neck t-shirt rotation hadn't come in vogue yet). Popular manufactures of military helos are Bell Helicopter, and Sikorsky. To learn more, join your local rotary club. The APPENDIX has a description of some helicopters.
HELLFIRE: An air-to-surface missile.
HELLHOLE: The rearward part of the CV just under the flightdeck. Read The Right Stuff for a once in a millennium experience of the HELLHOLE survival.
HOLDBACK FITTING: This is a 'T' shaped metal piece on the plane which fits into the CAT railing, holding the plane stationary while the pilot goes to full power. Once the CAT is initiated it breaks loose of this. (Okay, I knew you wouldn't believe that, it's really a chastity belt.)
HOLDING HANDS: About the extent of public displays of affection (PDA) sanctioned on military installations. A close FORM flight, BLUE ANGELS variety.
HOME PLATE: The "home" AIR STATION (for pilots who like baseball.)
HOOK: The hook attached to the tail section of many airplanes. Allows the naval aircraft to TRAP at the BOAT. Allows Air Force planes to crumple their Tinker Toy landing gear and airframes during an emergency ARREST. A TAILHOOKER is anyone who has hooked his "tail" at the CV. (Use the term "tailhooker" instead of "hooker" to keep separation of professions intact. However, there is a "Hookers Ball" for all Tailhookers, and somehow the separation blurs ... As recent scandals protest.) The 'golden' HOOK or 'the HOOK' is an award given to the best hooker at any particular group who went to a BOAT together. THE HOOK may also refer to the person who won that award. HOOK SKIP means the hook was down but bounced over one or more of the ARRESTING GEAR WIRES. HOOK SNUBBER can mean either the pressure which holds the hook down in place, or to someone who is a snob and "snubs" the HOOK (personified) at a party.
HOP: A FLIGHT or SORTIE. Come on, it's when the pilots BRIEF, PREFLIGHT, 'hop' into the planes, take off, do something, come back,land and DEBRIEF.
HORIZONTAL STABILIZER: The tail part parallel to the wings.
HORSE COLLAR: Doesn't have much to do with 'buying the farm' unless this rescue device can't be retrieved by a downed pilot (and there is no other means for saving him.)
HOTAS: A buttonologists dream come true. Hands
On Throttle And Stick. All pertinent knobs and nubbins in two convenient
locations.
Newer model planes, only. What makes FINGER FIRE
so easy.
HOT PIT: Mud wrestling in El Centro, California. This is the refueling location near the runway. A HOT SEAT may take place here, but usually this is just the gas station, but keep the engines running.
HOT SEAT: Oh, oh he must be in trouble now. No, this is a verb not a noun. To HOT SEAT means to keep the plane running and switch pilots. (On the deck works best; usually in the PITS.)
HSI: Horizontal Situation Indicator. Display showing where the plane is over the earth. Uses the INS.
HUD: Head Up Display. Device which projects helpful instrument information on a screen in the front of the windscreen. Allows pilot to not have to SCAN so dramatically all over the COCKPIT in order to check his instruments.
HUFFER: For those in mountainous terrain, it's going up a steep hill. Around aircraft it is a small jet engine (usually located on a tractor so it can be easily moved ) which forces air through a flexible hose into the engine of planes to start the engines turning. Not the APU.
HYDRAULIC: To maintenance people this may refer
to a major subsystem within aircraft, however the pilots use hydraulic
to refer to drinking their dinner. "We've gone hydraulic, remember,
there's a pork chop in every can."
*** INDIA ***
IAF: INITIAL Approach Fix.
IAS: Indicated Air Speed. See AIRSPEED.
ICS: Inter Comm System. The cockpit radio between pilots. When "on" there is no need to push buttons, this is a "hot mike" - if switched "off" it's "cold mike." "Hot mike" is uniquely used in the TRAINING COMMAND to enable an instructor to hear how erratic a student's breathing is - this gives the instructor an indication of how nervous he should be.
IFF: ("If if's and and's were pots and pans ...") Eye Eff Eff: Identification Friend or Foe. A radio frequency which transmits (SQUAWKS) a coded number which shows up next to the aircraft's "blip" on a radar scope. The number needs to be the "expected" one, or it is assumed the BOGEY is a BANDIT (foe.)
IFR: In-Flight Refueling, (TANKING), or Instrument Flight Rules, (METRO).
ILS: Instrument Landing System. Electronic link-up between a ground transmitter and an airborne receiver which displays up or down, left or right information to the cockpit's needles to aid "ok 3" landings.
IMN: Indicated Mach Number, see AIRSPEED.
INDEXER: A three-position display that shows the pilot whether his approach speed is too fast, too slow, or just right. ON SPEED is displayed by an orange circle (DONUT). Donuts are good things, just go easy on the fruity fillings.
INITIAL: Starting point of APPROACHES, GCAs, etc.
INS: Inertial Navigation System. A truly MAGICAL unit, based on either three ring-gyros, or most recently laser-type gyros, that record, and allow updating and displaying of where the aircraft is over the earth in longitude and latitude. The initial long/lat must be entered as a starting point, usually each 'parking place' on a FLIGHT LINE will have these numbers painted on it. INS 'drift' refers to the degrading of the system due to violent movements that can't be figured accurately, the simple fact that some work better than others.
INSTRUCTOR: One would assume that this term could go without further elucidation, and I'm sure the STUDENTS feel this way, too, however, there are a few stereotypes: In the instructor's own eyes, he is the mentor, who seeks to impart all of his worldly knowledge and technique about flight and life in the PI to the STUDENT (who sits across from him with OFF FLAGS for eyes and a large cone for a head.) To fully appreciate the diversity of those who instruct, see HAMMER, RULER JOB, SANTA CLAUS, SCREAMER, SERGRAD.
INSURANCE SALESMAN: See after DEATH 'N DESTRUCTION.
INTERMEDIATE: INTERMEDIATE STRIKE: First stage of jet training, follows PRIMARY. Undertaken at either, Meridian, Mississippi, Beeville or Kingsville, Texas, or Pensacola, Florida. The students fly the T-2 Buckeye, being replaced by T-45 Goshawk. BOUNCING is introduced.
INVERTER: An aid in upside down flight? A device which turns DC power into AC power, or is it the other way around? Why does it do this, and why do we want something to do this? (Double Es respond: "it changes I's into O's and vice versa.")
INTERVAL: Usually a timed distance in-between planes. At home it is that lapse after asking the aviator, "How did it go today, honey?" and his response. This delay gives WIVES an idea of whether he's in a good mood -- and she can suggest they go out for dinner -- or if its been a bad day, and she should just be pleasant and keep out of the way.
INTRODUCED ITEM: The first time a maneuver, EP, etc. is shown to the pilot. (Note: HEADWORK and AGGRESSIVENESS were never introduced, but they are GRADED ITEMS. I guess they are supposed to bring some of it with them.)
IP: Instructor Pilot, most prevalent usage is in
the RAGs, where there are and IPs and RPs (R for replacement). The
same old STUDENT/INSTRUCTOR relationships found in the TRAINING COMMAND
doesn't exist anymore -- or at least that's the rumor in the TRAINING COMMAND.
*** JULIET ***
J HOOK: The hook on a plane that attaches it to the BRIDLE (on the CAT). Not the TAILHOOK.
JARHEAD: An enlisted Marine. GROUND POUNDER and GRUNT are more specialized.
JATO: Jet Assisted Take Off. Usually the JATO is used on big cargo planes (e.g. C-130s) to help them get their heavy loads off of the ground when they are on short RUNWAYS. Rather spectacular. But, I guess jet pilots always do JATOs, huh?
JBD: Men's underwear. Jet Blast Deflectors. (Men's underwear?) Okay, these are large movable slabs of the aircraft carrier's FLIGHTDECK directly behind the CAT. Also present on land bases. They are raised to deflect the jet blast of a jet at full power (ready to be slingshotted.)
JET ENGINE: A surprisingly simple mechanical wonder which turns fuel into heat and noise and makes coke machines fly. See SUCK, SQUEEZE, TURN, BURN AND BLOW. See TURBINE for engines varieties.
JETS: Any airplane operated by a jet engine, however, the term is usually reserved for small, propless, fighter or attack planes. (But, you can include the F-14, if you want, since it doesn't have a propeller.) Jets are aviation technology's proof that, given big enough engines, even coke machines can fly. Rocket engines really win this argument. See APPENDIX for types.
JINK: Sharp, quick, random changes of direction designed to disorient a watching or following enemy as to the plane's heading or target. Most effective when the pilot does not disorient himself as to his intended heading or target.
JOLLY GREEN: Code name for large, gay, pea-brained Irishmen. More commonly it refers to rescuers in the guise of HELO pilots.
JOY-STICK: The "joy-stick effect" is synonymous with "fly by wire" where inputted signals are electronically transmitted, as opposed to mechanically or hydraulically linked. This is the new wave (no, not Coca Cola's.)
JP: Jet Propellant, fuel, gasoline. JP-4 is
used ashore, JP-5 is used on ships due to its higher flash point (lower
volatility.) Exxon premium may be used in a pinch.
*** KILO ***
KBA: Killed By Air. The number killed by air forces (or smog.)
KISS OF DEATH: Missile inbound at 1/2 mile and you have no ENERGY.
KISS OFF: Right after the "see you later, babe." During FORM flights this is a signal given by the LEAD to the WINGMAN that LEAD is detaching. Differs from BREAK UP AND RENDEZVOUS in that no rendezvous is planned.
KNEEPADS: Used by STUDENTS when grades get really bad; good HEADWORK helps.
KNOCK IT OFF: Oh, come on, don't tell me they even put a special aviator definition on the perfectly explicit phrase "KNOCK IT OFF? No, it means the same thing to them as it does to every one else. They use it especially during ACM ENGAGEMENTS to signal quitting time. (I don't believe this works especially well during war time, "Look Amad, I said KNOCK IT OFF!")
KNOTS: A definition tied up with the curvature of the earth. Since we live on an elliptical spheroid we divide the surface up into 360 degrees. There are 60 miles in a degree, one mile in a minute of arc. These are nautical miles, or 6000 feet, which equals 1.1 statute (ground) miles. Knots have the meaning "per hour" integral in it's definition, so don't say "knots per hour." One knots is 1.3 miles per hour.
KOCH: KOCH FITTINGS: Pronounced like the cola.
Large clip- fasteners. On the TORSO HARNESS to hold/release the parachute,
or to attach SAR devices. Like carabiners. (Never mind.)
*** LIMA ***
LADY LEX: CV 16, USS LEXINGTON. The aircraft carrier used exclusively by the TRAINING COMMAND, being decommissioned and replaced. The oldest CV afloat. A BOAT.
LANDING GEAR: MAIN MOUNTS and the nose wheel. Makes a better three-point landing than wing, nose, tail (see inverted.) Not the ARRESTING GEAR.
LDO: Limited Duty Officer. One who has the rare opportunity to be a pilot, only, (like in the Air Force) and be in the USN/USMC uniform (wearing the same rank insignia, year after year, after year.)
LEAD: One who is leading the flight. Almost always, FIGHTER and ATTACK PUKES fly in pairs (a SECTION) or in fours (a DIVISION) so they can lend each other MUTUAL SUPPORT. Someone has to be in charge, so before the flight a section or division leader is assigned. During ENGAGEMENTS the lead man may change off due to who has a better TACTICAL position, and he will call the shots. RANK is usually not involved, but there are qualifications and experiences that must be met before a pilot can get his lead rating.
LEG: Motivational part of female anatomy. A flight distance measured by how far one can go on a tank (plane full) of gas. For landing, LEG may refer to:
DOWNWIND LEG: That view given bystanders when a gal walks by wearing a wrap skirt and the wind whips up from behind her. Or, that part of the landing pattern where a pilot parallels the runway, heading in the opposite direction of the intended landing.
UPWIND LEG: That famous shot of Marilyn Monroe standing over the subway grate with her white, pleated skirt billowing up around her, "oooooh." Or, the position after a touch 'n go go before turning DOWNWIND.
LIFT/LIFTIES: Those billions and billions (Carl Sagan accent please) of subatomic particles which mystically raise the aircraft from the grips of gravity. To them belongs the real credit for the history of flight. We salute you. See AIRFOIL, DRAGGIES, THRUSTIES.
LIMP DICK: A rain-drenched detective at the end of a long day. More generally, an individual or act considered 'weak' by his peers. "What a limp dick BREAK." Opposite of HARD DICK.
LINE-UP: Commissary phenomenon. Or, making
sure the nose wheel lands on the centerline of the deck. This is
pretty important, especially on the BOAT.
LOOKOUT DOCTRINE: The act of being ever watchful for an enemy, or pretty girls. Ladies use the lookout doctrine also, sometimes there are good looking men where you least expect them. See O' Club.
LOOSE DEUCE: A couple who likes to go out and get snockered together, or any type of spread out, tactical formations used in ACM.
LOX: Comes before bagels. Liquid OXygen. LOX bottle is where the LOX is stored before it is converted into a gaseous state. Keep your tongue off of it.
LPA/LPU: Life Preserver Unit, this turns the aviator into a floatie if he ends up in the deep blue sea, awaiting a SAR HELO.
LSO: Landing Signals Officer. Traditionally
called PADDLES. He is that small little voice (or that big booming
voice) which assures that the aviator will execute MEATBALL, LINE-UP, and
ANGLE OF ATTACK to the best of his abilities. Works on making that
controlled crash of BOUNCING as precise as possible. A DEMI-GOD.
*** MIKE ***
M-1 MANEUVER: Tightening up of the torso by grunting in order to help keep the blood in the upper body. Used during high G acts.
MABS: Marine Air Base Squadron, the air group's non-tactical support; motor T (transport), heavy equipment, base services, etc.
MACH: See AIRSPEED (MACH.)
MAG: Marine Air Group. The squadrons have a tendency to perceive GROUP as a middleman between them and WING. See GROUP. Composed of a Headquarters & Maintenance Squadron (HAMS), MABS, and the operational squadrons. MAG 11 is MCAS El Toro, California; MAG 31 is at Beaufort, South Carolina; MAG 24 is Kanehoe, Hawaii.
MAG VAR: MAGNETIC VARIATION: Those ups and downs after the honeymoon. The difference between magnetic north and true north -- varies depending upon where you are on earth.
MAGIC: What occurs in the little BLACK BOXES which only an electrical engineer, or the duty trouble shooter, understands.
MAIN MOUNTS: Equestrian's favorite horses. And those two side by side wheels a plane lands on, as distinguished from the nose wheel.
MAN: Short for manual, opposite of AUTO. (There are no 'men' involved here, just adult boys.)
MAN-GOD: An aviator's opinion of himself. That's a good thing. It's when others can tell what his opinion of himself is that it's annoying.
MAP CASE: Where CHARTS are kept in the COCKPIT, or brains on flights with no HEADWORK.
MARSHAL: An area where a group of fliers stay while awaiting further instructions. Usually on the DECK, but at the CV this may be a PATTERN.
MATEL: Designing house where the Pentagon gets it's
ideas. Have you seen what those Transformers can do?
MAVERICK: Tom Cruise's CALL SIGN in Topgun.
An air-to- surface missile.
MAWTS: Marine Aerial Warfare and Tactics Squadron. Unique kind of squadron that doesn't have their own airplanes. The pilots are WTIs (Warfare and Tactics Instructors) who get invited to FLEET squadrons to teach. Upon completion of a written test and rather intensive BRIEFS and DEBRIEFS of tactics those taught become ACTIs (Air Combat Training Instructors). They can teach ACM. Advanced version of TOPGUN for Marines only. TOPGUN is a prerequisite for MAWTS.
MAYDAY: First day in May. Not used as a distress call.
MCAS: Marine Corps Air Station.
MEATBALL: The only thing mom thinks her son is having for dinner these days. With his girlfriend, CLARA. (DONUTS for breakfast, PICKLES for lunch.) This is the first ingredient in making a successful CQ. The MEATBALL is the image seen by the aviator on the lens gismo (FLOLS) set up beside the RUNWAY (sort of like those type of traffic lights you can only see if you're right in front of them.) It's purpose is to keep the pilot flying a very narrow GLIDESLOPE thereby assuring he will land at the right spot, e.g. an aircraft carrier deck. He can tell if he is "on" glideslope or not by whether the MEATBALL image is centered. If not "on" the image can either be a "cell high" or "two cells low" etc. "Flying the BALL" refers to this particularly naval technique. When an aviator is on FINAL he'll call to the RDO (if he's SOLO) or to the LSO (if it's CQ or FCLP), "BUCKEYE BALL" (if in a BUCKEYE - insert plane name of choice.) The response from the RDO or LSO will come, "Roger Ball" (optional to add "Buckeye"). Never does one hear "Buckeye meatball" nor is there the response, "Roger meatball" - unless it's in response to a question from All In The Family's Mike Spivok, or in response to the dinner menu choices. Aviators always want to have their meatballs centered, be it on spaghetti, or on the lens.
MED: The Mediterranean. E.g. MED CRUISE.
MER: Multiple Ejector Rack. The link between the aircraft fuselage and the weapons. Can eject multiple bombs at a time, see VER.
METRO: The weather office at any particular air facility. "Have you checked with metro yet?" (This is also the name of the meteorological classes during training.) Metro conditions (terms describing the weather) include: "Goo"; thick clouds or fog-like stuff which cannot be penetrated without a CLOUD CARD. "Scosh" is marginal weather; means he'll be sitting in the CHOCKS before getting CANKED. "CAVU" = Clear and visibility unrestricted, hindered only by the curvature of the earth, 'severe clear.'
IFR, VFR: Instrument Flight Rules, Visual Flight Rules.
IMC, VMC: Instrument Meteorological Conditions, Visual Meteorological Conditions. Sometimes these terms are bantered about in a very loose manner. Just remember, weather cannot be a rule: Just because a pilot is flying IFR, doesn't mean that it's cloudy, he's just flying off of instruments. IMC means one must fly off of instruments, VMC means you can if you want to. However, it is not possible to fly VFR if it is IMC.
MIDAIR: Where they didn't miss in a NEAR MISS. See GOONED it, (big time.) "Oops, I forgot I wasn't supposed to hit the other aircraft."
MiG: Name given to Soviet aircraft designed by Mikoyan & Gurevich.
MILITARY FLYING: The greatest flying since the government pays the pilot to fly the best aerial hot rods in the world.
MILITARY TIME: It really is a whole other dimension, equipped with it's own time ... The 24-hour clock is in effect. Consensus is that there are too many zero-dark-thirty BRIEFS, see RECOVER. But why is it called a 24-hour clock, when there is no 24 hundredth hour? Shouldn't we call it a 23:59:59 clock?
MILK BOTTLES: Large BBs.
MINIMA: Plural of minimum, no "minimums," please.
MINS: Short for minima (you know, minimums) of anything. Flight hours, visibility, etc. E.g., "The cloud layer is below MINS."
MIR: Mishap Investigation Report. Comes from an AMB.
MOA: Military Operating Area. Can be found on CHARTS.
MODE 1, 2: Way of selecting ACL - MODE 2 just gives the symbology, MODE 1 has Seaman Video-Game Class flying the aircraft onboard.
MOUSETRAP: A safety device on some plane's CANOPIES which stop them from closing completely until it is manually overridden.
MOVLAS: Movable Lens Apparatus System. Optional piece of gear the LSOs can manually use in case the MEATBALL is inop (inoperative, see SYLCON) or just for the fun of it, "Hey, everybody watch this guy ... ho ho."
MRT: Military Rated Thrust, maybe Maximum Rate of Thrust, (if the plane doesn't have an afterburner. Actually, they can't make up their mind whether it's "military" or "maximum" because what they really want to call it is: Macho Rated Thrust.) One of those, also called just "military, fly military." As fast as possible on the go fast stick before selecting AFTERBURNER.
MUSPUMP: Getting a USN flier ready for the FLEET in the shortest possible time. A compliment, "He's a MUSPUMP." Weird name.
MUTUAL SUPPORT: What WIVES do to help each other
through the nightmare of living with pilots. What pilots do for each
other while flying in order to keep alive. See FORM, SIX.
*** NOVEMBER ***
NAFOD: No Apparent Fear Of Death. Pilots who fly on the stupid side of that thin line between SIERRA HOTEL and stupid. Will lead to ATTRITE if identified; it's considered healthy to be afraid of death, they're looking for something more like tempered AGGRESSION. "Look, if he wants to kill himself, that's his business, but he's not going to take out one of our planes and screw up our good safety record."
NAILED: "I did it perfectly!" Has nothing to do with HAMMERED.
NAS: Pronounced, Naval Air Station.
NATO: North American Treaty Organization. Comprised of France, West Germany, Britain, U.S.A., Canada, the Benelux states (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg), Greece, Turkey, Denmark, Italy, Norway, Iceland and Portugal. Opposite of WARSAW PACT.
NATOPS: Naval Aviation Training and Operations Procedures Standardization. No wonder it's called NATOPS. THE manual which has all of the what-to-do-when information and specifications for any particular aircraft. Sometimes known as the "big blue sleeping pill." Not, officially, the same as Naval Aviation Teasing and Obscene Publication Society.
NATOPS RECOMMENDED BREAKFAST: Coffee and cigarettes.
NATOPS REGULATIONS ON DRINKING AND SMOKING: Fifty feet bottle to throttle, no smoking within twelve hours.
NAVY STANDARD SCORE: An average (actually a mean) score of the last few hundred students in the entire TRAINING COMMAND. This score compensates for the variance in squadron mean grade point averages.
NEAR MISS: Real misnomer of a term. This is a "near MIDAIR", they did miss each other.
NF: Night Familiarization flights, or, more intimately, 'Night Frights." Not the same as GO MIDNIGHT.
NFO: Naval Flight Officer, may be called "fo." A backseater who enjoys riding in someone else's sports car on a trek through the mountains. Jets have RIOs/BNs/ECMOs, P-3s can have TACCOs or navigators, all very trusting people.
NFWS: Navy Fighter Weapons School, aka TOPGUN.
NO JOY: "I can't believe I have to go to the commissary just because we're out of dishwashing detergent." In SHOPTALK this is "I can't see it (the BOGEY)" or "I still can't make it work (MAGIC)."
NORDO: Usually a plane (may be a human being) who has lost or has diminished communications ability. NO RaDiO.
NOVEMBER SIERRA: A "no ... (um) seriously" situation.
NTPS: Navy Test Pilot School located at Patuxent River, Maryland, just say "Pax".
NUGGET: Most popular casino in Fallon, Nevada. And aviators new to the FLEET. Like Rookie.
NUMBERS: Actual large numbers painted at the beginning of each RUNWAY indicating which runway the pilot is over. E.g. "31" (three one) refers to the runway which is lined up on the 310 (three one zero) compass point. Figuring 360 is North, 270 is West (180 South, 90 East) then, 31 is roughly north-west. Pilots can use the numbers as a reference point to gauge where he should BREAK. Usually a good BREAK may be commenced a couple thousand feet past the NUMBERS. Be wary if you overhear, "There I was, coming over the field at 500 kts, I did a hard break right over the numbers ... well sure I got my gear down in time ..." There are NUMBERS on the CVs, too, but they indicate which ship it is rather than a heading, (that would make it difficult for the navigator to maneuver the ship.)
NWS: Nose Wheel Steering. Usually done with
the feet. (You'll believe anything at this point, eh?)
*** OSCAR ***
O' CLUB: Officer's club. Where AOMs, professional luncheons and table top carrier qualifications take place. Ladies, please don't telephone your husband here, he'll be buying rounds for the whole bar - call someone else's husband. Or, if it's really an emergency, call a sympathetic single guy and ask him to contact your husband for you.
O NAV: ATTACK-style flying, low to the ground, checkpoint to checkpoint flights with bombing of pre-selected targets. In the TRAINING COMMAND this stage of flights is preceded by nights and weekends of meticulous chart making which is seldom appreciated (by neither the INSTRUCTORS nor the WIVES.)
OCF: Out of Controlled Flight. If you can believe it, this is a stage of flights as well as a situation requiring an EP. The intention is to get out of control and then see if it's possible to RECOVER. Take the BARF BAG. If it is a NOVEMBER SIERRA OCF, and if unrecoverable passing ANGELS one zero, EJECT.
OCS: Bring up patriotic hymn: "And the Marines would once again..." This is the Marine Corps version of AOCS, without the aviation part. All Marine Corps officer candidates participate in this summer camp held at Quantico, Virginia. Only after this fun plus the six-month long Basic School ("The BS" for short, or rather "TBS") does the Second Lieutenant move on to Pensacola for AI. Ask a Marine about OCS and TBS, they'll tell you it was tough, long, dirty, tactical, real war-like stuff with amphibious landings, air strikes, etc. Well of course it was, they're Marines! Somebody has to fight the enemy. Fade patriotic hymn.
OFF FLAGS: What the INSTRUCTOR sees in the STUDENT'S eyes at the 0500 (read zero dark hundred) BRIEF. These are the actual small flags which pop out from the face of instruments when they aren't working correctly.
OK 3: The Third WIRE of the ARRESTING GEAR is deemed "ok." Remember OK is the best. If it's underlined, you're in the Sierras in summertime. They LOVE these.
ON SPEED: Doesn't refer to speed, but, that doesn't surprise you, does it? It means a proper rate of descent is being maintained. See DONUT.
ONE MINUTE TO LIVE RULE: Better start a good explanation to your wife of why lipstick is found on your shirt collar. You have one minute. In the air, this is a rule of thumb a pilot keeps in mind to check if his rate of descent isn't more than his altitude above ground level. If he's flying at 5,000 AGL his rate of descent must not be greater than 5,000 feet per minute.
ORE: Sing it, "Oh, there's nothing like the face, of a kid eating an ORE ..." Oh. No, this is Operational Readiness Exercise, not a cookie. Before an operational squadron goes on its CRUISE it goes through an ORE to determine if it is "ready."
OVERSTRESS: Waiting for PCS orders. A plane
also may be overstressed if flown under too many Gs, causing structural
damage. Happens after going outside the ENVELOPE.
*** PAPA ***
PAC: Pacific, e.g. WESTPAC, COMNAVAIRPAC.
PAR: Precision Approach Radar. See GCA.
PARADE REST: Where all the bands, horses, clowns, and float drivers in New Year's Day gala take a breather. A position troops take not as severe as "ah ten hut" but not as relaxed as "at ease."
PARTIAL PANEL: "False teeth, at his age?" In the cockpit, when one or more instruments have failed. In the TRAINING COMMAND this is an INTRODUCED and GRADED ITEM, in the FLEET, it's a problem plain and simple.
PCL: Power Control Lever, the "go fast stick", but not the STICK. The PCL is the throttle (usually on the left side in the cockpit.) The NATOPS Pocket CheckList has the same initials, but PCL rarely refers to that. This is the abbreviated form of the NATOPS bible of the airplane. Sometimes called Pilot Check List.
PCS: Permanent Change of Station. PCS orders are the official notice that you are being relocated to some place you never heard of. This is the reoccuring uprooting which is integral to USN and USMC military life. (While the Army and Air Force have moves, they aren't nearly as frequent as the naval versions.) Figure two PCS moves can do as much damage to your worldly possessions as a house fire. There are two options: Have the movers come in and destroy everything for you. Although your possesions' whereabouts will be unknown for months before they're declared lost, you don't have to pack, and you'll have a neatly cataloged list of everything you used to own. Or, even better, there is the "Do It Yourself Move", called "DITY". This is where you can earn a few bucks by saving the Navy thousands. You get to enjoy the Adventures in Moving, and can become a one family "I've-never-driven-a-truck-before" load of all your worldly possessions (including kids, dogs, cats and fugitive houseplants) wreaking havoc along the country's highways and biways. Sequels are planned.
PENCILLED IN: "Getting" pencilled in means getting a flight that wasn't originally scheduled. It just sounds better to hear him say he was waiting around the readyroom for three hours trying to get "pencilled in" for that next important flight, rather than hearing him say he was just sitting in there gossiping and trying to get a buddy to go to the Club with him.
PENETRATION: To rapidly descend from altitude. Radio clearance must be received prior to penetration, however, it isn't called rape if the pilot doesn't request or gain clearance, just figure he's NORDO.
PERCH: A fish. What the canary sits on. Most obscure, a relative position in the WEAPONS or GUNS pattern where the pilot should be before he rolls in on the target.
PHALANX: Rotating gattling gun on CV for last line air defense, in case the F-14's aren't able to keep the bad guys away.
PHOENIX: Long range missile, AIM 54.
PI: Not pi are squared, but Pee Eye. Parris Island or the Philippines Islands. Abstract mathematical formulas are superseded by Party Information anytime.
PICKLE, PAUSE, PULL: The sequence in dropping a bomb, or having a baby.
PIN: Usually refers to the metal pins which act as a safety devices to insure the EJECTION SEAT doesn't eject inadvertently, the wings don't fold up in flight, the bombs don't fall off over base housing, or the landing gear become not so dear. "Whoops." PLANE CAPTAINS usually take care of PINS, and by handsignals, they show the pilot how many they've pulled. Girls don't get "pinned" anymore, unless they're wrestling.
PINKSHEET: Opposite of an "attaboy." A form conspicuously placed on top of the pilot's FLIGHTJACKET to indicate a problem. Aka a "pinkie". Being "in the pink" is a symptom of DOWNSYNDROME.
PIO: "Pee Eye Oh" facetiously refers to an INTRODUCED ITEM in beginning FORMation flights. Pilot Induced Oscillations. Sort of like what happens when you first learn how to drive a stick shift and get all yo-yoing with the clutch and the accelerator. Non-facetiously, it refers to said induced oscillations occuring beyond the learning stages.
PIPELINE: That tube one gets inextricably popped into at the turning points of his career. After PRIMARY the pipeline divides into JETS or HELOS or PROPS. Then after ADVANCED the pipeline narrows into any of the various aircraft in that community. See APPENDIX for a flowchart of some of the major pipelines.
PIPPER: The dot in the center of the gun sight. Sometimes refers to the entire gun sight.
PITCH: "Ooh, yuck, what's that between your toes?" Movement controlled by the ELEVATOR -- nose up or down.
PLANE CAPTAIN: The person who helps the pilot strap in, check the plane over, pulls the CHOCKS, etc. Not a Captain, but an enlisted RANK.
PLAT: Pilot/LSO Argument Terminator (from Lt. Sandgren's article in APPROACH, August 1986.) This is a device on the CV, officially elongated to read Pilot Landing Aid Television. It records each approach and landing on the BOAT and can be used for Monday morning quarterbacking and entertainment in the READYROOM, broadcast live.
PLAYERS: The participants. E.g. "All CQ players ..." Or, more socially refers to one's predisposition towards, that's right, 'fooling around', (for those who like baseball terminology, 'playing the field'.) "Is she a player?" (Sex, pure and simple, okay, satisfied?)
POPEYE: Flying in clouds or in a low visibility area.
PORT: Type of wine. Where the boats dock; "Puerta" in Spanish. The left-hand side of anything.
POST-STALL GYRATIONS: What a couple considers after the fella says, "The car is out of gas." This is also the third distinct phase after an aircraft goes out of control. STALL, DEPARTure, POST-STALL GYRATIONS, incipient SPIN, steady-state spin, (crash, burn, die.) It is random oscillations about all three axis -- YAW, PITCH and ROLL.
PRECESSED: When an instrument, such as the ATTITUDE GYRO, acts like it's functioning properly but is actually giving false information. Pretty sneaky, huh? In civilian world, I'm sure this could be a good basis for a lawsuit.
PREFLIGHT: Time to make sure there is air in the tires, the wings are on, and there aren't any huge puddles of vital fluids under the airplane. Some fliers are pickier than others, "oh hell, I just kick the tires and light the fires."
PRIMARY: This is the first phase of actual flight training. AI was essentially a groundschool. This is where the STUDENTS learn how to fly, or, if they already know how, this is where they are taught to fly the right way. After PRIMARY, the decision is made whether the student will fly HELOS, PROPS, or JETS ... (or go home; "thanks for stopping by, but, no thanks," aerodynamically unadaptable.)
PROBE: The refueling tube on the airplane (it's a male part.) On Air Force planes, they have the BASKET/DROGUE (a female part) on the plane and the PROBE comes from the TANKER. Let's get some consistency here between the services, eh? Obviously it's not possible to be homosexual in the services, and hermaphroditism is definetely out, so will the TANKERS please choose a sex and stick with it.
PROPS: Short for aircraft with propellers -- many of these are driven by jet engines, however.
PT: Physical Training. There's even a song that goes with it: "PT, gotta have it, PT gotta love it, PT good for me, good for you, PT." This is only sung by Marines.
PTR: The "needs of the service" - Pilot Training Requirement. The quota of pilots needed to be completed during the fiscal year.
PUKES: Generic term for one pilot COMMUNITY to use for another. E.g. ATTACK PUKES, FIGHTER PUKES.
PUNCH OUT: To EJECT from the airplane. This is not without hazard, but more appealing than the alternative. See submarines, all terrain vehicles, smoking holes in the ground, scrap metal scattered from here to Missouri (pronounced Miz zur ah.) One of my favorite sayings, "If in doubt, punch out ... honey."
PURSUIT: Three main kinds: lead, pure or lag. Refers to, respectively, aiming the nose of one's airplane ahead of, on, or behind the BOGEY.
*** QUEBEC ***
QUARTERS: Those silver-colored coins one never has enough of when at the laundromat or newspaper stand. Informal ceremony or assembly of personnel for dispensing of information, awards, etc.
QUARTERDECK: Place for VIPs to sit. "The mat" in other services. The Navy uses "on board ship" terms even while ashore, it's a traditional deal. "I reported on board NAS Cecil Field."
QUICK TURN: Quick turnaround (timewise of the airplane)
on deck, while refueling, etc. Not a sharp turn. Hot Turn Around
(HTA) refers to the same thing. Similar to HOT SEAT except the plane
can be shut down.
*** ROMEO ***
RAG: Replacement Air Group. Where newly-winged aviators go after ADVANCED training to learn to fly their assigned plane. before they enter the FLEET, they are now RPs. Same as FRS.
RAMPSTRIKE: Literally "hitting the BOAT." Least popular way of getting aboard, and usually the last. Read The Right Stuff for one exception. No BOUNCING involved. Some RAMPSTRIKES are so- called even though no damage is incurred ... if the HOOK hits the ROUNDDOWN, it's a RAMPSTRIKE.
RANK: See APPENDIX.
RAT: Ram Air Turbine. A small propeller mounted in the fuselage, which can be popped into the airstream to generate electrical power during an emergency power failure.
RDO: Runway Duty Officer. The entity who inhabits that little red and white box on the runway. In the TRAINING COMMAND, STUDENTS get to have this duty. They sit outside and watch the incoming planes to be sure they have their landing gear down. In the RAG or FLEET, an enlisted troop does it, the duty is called Wheels Watch.
READYROOM: The command center of a SQUADRON. Where the pilots socialize, avoid work, and watch the weather go from CAVU to ZERO ZERO.
RECON: Reconnaissance. In the air this refers to picture taking, "scout" stuff, general checking out the scene. On the ground it's a similar activity, "I made a RECON at the Club, the band was just setting up, they're supposed to be pretty good."
RECOVER: What WIVES do after being awakened by their husbands getting ready for zero five hundred HOPs. What he does when he regains control of the aircraft.
RED FLAG: This is the Air Force's FIGHTER training, at Nellis, AFB near Las Vegas. (Somewhat similar to Navy's TOPGUN.) The classic movie Red Flag has some priceless quotes, one especially apropos, the FLIGHT SURGEON is talking to the concerned wife (?!, a suspicious start right off), he says, "Your fighter jock is basically schizophrenic ... intelligence is not enough, he must be aggressive." I guess these two qualities are mutually exclusive? WIVES, if you want any sort of a civil relationship with your aviator-husband, never even meet his flight surgeon, nothing good can become of it. And don't even think the words "I've noticed he squints sometimes."
REFTRA: The "ref tray" holds the hor d'oeuvres which are passed around at parties. Refresher Training. Before deployments, landing at the BOAT is practiced some more, what else.
RELIEF TUBE/CONTAINER: A receptacle not designed for aviatrixes to reliev themselves. (Another affirmative action problem, uh?)
RETENTION: To keep Navy and Marine Corps pilots in the service, i.e. not lost to the airlines. See WIVES.
REVERSAL, HIGH/LOW: A common TRAINING COMMAND occurrence, where an INSTRUCTOR changes a grade, "Well, I guess this should really be an 'average'", as he erases an 'above average' grade. That's high reversal. Low reversal is when a 'below average' (or, ee gads, a potential DOWN is changed to an 'average.' This also bestows the position of SANTA CLAUS onto an INSTRUCTOR. Ok, ok, that's not really what HIGH or LOW REVERSAL is, it has something to do with GUNS or WEAPONS stages but I don't know how to explain it, ask you're favorite flier for a diagram.
RI: Radio Instrument, stage of flights in the TRAINING COMMAND where the student learns to navigate using radio instruments -- under the BAG.
RIDER: RIO type, or how the GCI calls a BOGEY or BANDIT, "you have an unknown rider, 15 miles at ..."
RIO: Pronounced as in De Janiero, another backseater. Radar Intercept Officer.
ROE: See RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (Amy Vanderbilt's version works best if there have been POST STALL GYRATIONS and BARRICADE ENGAGEMENT DETENTS.)
ROGER: "OK." "I heard you and understood what you said." (Not that I necessarily agree with your peculiar branch of logic.)
ROLL: Major AEROBATIC maneuver. AILERON and BARREL ROLL.
ROTOR HEAD: Rude way of referring to helicopter pilots. Maybe it's because they wear those funny little beanie caps.
ROUNDDOWN: The rounded down, rearward part of the aircraft carrier. It's the first part crossed over by the plane, and is rounded to make less tragic a low pass.
RP: Replacement Pilot. What a STUDENT becomes after he leaves the TRAINING COMMAND, now he is taught how to fly the plane he's assigned to by IPs, Instructor Pilots. Grades don't really count here, not like they used to, but it's hard to ignore them, since, still, nearly every HOP is graded.
RTB: Return To Base. (The BINGO card is filled in.)
RULER JOB: Refers to an INSTRUCTOR who grades by putting an "X" at the top and bottom of the "average" grade column on the ATF and then runs his pencil down a ruler connecting the two "Xs." Not particularly endearing. Also a descriptive term used to describe how a particular flight went, "It was a ruler job."
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT: Like what Emily Post wants you to do. Somewhat contrived, although functionally useful guidelines for bringing opposing parties together.
RUN UP: (For PT, RUN UP all available stairways.)
To advance the power on the engine(s) while still on the ground to check
their performance while trying to see if it's still possible to hold the
brakes firm enough so the plane doesn't move forward. It's a test
of leg strength.
*** SIERRA ***
S-1/S-3: A maneuver taught in the TRAINING COMMAND to frustrate STUDENTS into thinking it's a necessary manuever. Trains SCAN.
SA: See SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.
SAM: Not a real popular name among the aviation community; Surface to Air Missile. AAA. Hopefully, STRIKE pilots go in and take out SAM sites before they are taken out SAMs.
SANTA CLAUS: Yes, Virginia ... This is a name given to INSTRUCTORS who give STUDENTS "above average" grades, when he deserved an average. Or, one who saves the student from a DOWN. Opposite of HAMMER.
SAR: Search And Rescue, usually refers to a helicopter mission, but, in the late weekend evenings, many of us may be in need.
SAUNTER: Flying speed of no particular hurry.
SCAN: How the eyeballs rove around the instrument panel. Developed in the S-1 and S-3 maneuvers.
SCISSORS: ACM manuever of two main types, "rolling" and "horizontal." So named due to the apparent scissoring action, one plane up, the other down. The idea is to stay out of "sync" unless you can get clearly offensive of course: "Hey, your sister ..."
SCREAMER: A vocal instructor at volume. Probably a justified reaction considering some of the situations he's been put through, plus an abused childhood.
SDO: Squadron Duty Officer. The "Fall Guy."
SEAT PAN: What the pilot sits on. If he ejects it goes with him and holds his survival gear and life raft.
SECTION: Two planes flying together in one flight, one pilot in the LEAD. This is the basic unit used in most types of flights. See MUTUAL SUPPORT. Two sections make a DIVISION.
SEPARATION: Oh, don't even talk about it, not while he's undergoing the most difficult thing he'll ever do in his life -- just call it an extended trip to visit the folks. Aerodynamically speaking it refers to the LIFTIES going on strike and making the airplane STALL and turn into a coke machine.
SERE SCHOOL: Survive, Evade, Resist, Escape. A school, usually a week long, run by former POWs who reinforce the aviation crews' conviction that they do not want to be shot down over enemy territory.
SERGRAD: A flight INSTRUCTOR who went from being a STUDENT to being an instructor without first going to the FLEET; fondly called "sercone," er, officially, make that Sir Cone.
SHACKLE: A way of changing positions in a SECTION during a fight.
SHIMMY: What women do on the dance floor that make a fella take notice; what nose gear wheels can do that make a flier take notice.
SHIP: The BOAT. See APPENDIX for a list of carriers.
SHOPTALK: Just plain talk among aviators; plane talk. It is possible to hear a topic other than aviation out of these guys, however, bankruptcy, extreme flirtation procedures, or someone backing into his Corvette may be necessary to provoke it. (None of the above actions are recommended to be undertaken.) Outsiders, that is any non-aviator, who venture to join in the SHOPTALK run the risk of being humored, laughed at or ignored.
SHOTGUNNED: A "SOLO" flight in the TRAINING COMMAND, which, due to marginal weather requires an INSTRUCTOR to fly along too, just in case. A pertinent analogy is of a young couple going to a drive-in theater and the girl's father comes along and sits in the back seat, reassuring, "You two just pretend I'm not here ... go ahead and do what you'd normally do."
SIDEWINDER: Aim 9, a SMART heat-seeking (infrared) MISSILE. FOX 2 is the call indicating the SIDEWINDER is committed to the TARGET.
SIERRA HOTEL: Complimentary term for MAN-GOD. "Shit hot", but please, make that "super hot" in conversations with children.
SIMO: Dangerous situation occurring when two planes simultaneously make a run on the same target.
SIT: A simulator session, in the Synthetic Instructional Trainer. The SIT INSTRUCTOR is not always a military pilot.
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS: Another one of those intangibles necessary to keep an AVIATOR alive in NOVEMBER SIERRA situations.
SIX: "Watch your six" means there is a good segment on the news tonight. While flying "check six" is a warning to look at that space directly behind the plane. Figure the plane sits inside a clock dial (not digital and not military) with 12 o'clock being forward, 3:00 to the pilot's right, 9:00 to his left, his 6:00 position is behind him, most vulnerable. In ACM the FIGHTER tries to put himself in the BANDIT's SIX. Actually, other than for training purposes or the use of GUNS, it's unnecessary now to actually position one plane behind the other in order to get a kill. Most airplanes can be equipped with guided missiles (see SPARROW, SIDEWINDER) and all the computer-operator pilot needs to do is punch up a few TV screens, push a few buttons and the missile gets to the TARGET more or less on it's own. Barring RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (write your congressman) or a purists' ethics, the pilot never need see the BANDIT and could be home for lunch (at the club, telling about his exploits, "there I was ...").
SKEDS: The schedule of flights.
SKIDS: The helicopter's "wheels".
SLATS: Sort of like FLAPS except they're on the leading edge of the wing. A high-lift device which allows the plane to fly at a slower STALL speed.
SLAVED: Slaved operation. (Well some WIVES just accept it and others try to continue careers in spite of the frequent moves.) Has to do with instrument functions.
SLICE TURN: In ACM, a maximum G, nose low turn. The quickest way of reversing heading while maintaining or gaining ENERGY.
SMART: In the computerized aviation world, SMART refers to a programmable thing. E.g., smart bombs, smart missiles -- they can have the target programmed into their internal memory, released and forgotten about. GUNS are dumb, they must be pointed at the target until the target is hit.
SMASH LIGHTS: Lights, which in theory prevent smashes, aka anti-collision lights. The rotating/flashing red lights on planes.
SNAFU: Situation Normal All Fouled Up. Yes, words can be altered, but I'm trying to maintain a PG rating in this edition so bear with me.
SNAKEYEE: Low-drag BOMB. Has fins that pop out to stop the forward motion quickly, allowing the plane to expeditiously separate itself from the BOOM.
SNOWBIRDS: Canada's demonstration flying team. (Ann Murray's, " ... spread your tiny wings and fly away, and take the snow back with you ..."
SOLO: Student on the loose, flying all by himself. Or, once the STUDENT phase is behind the seasoned AVIATOR, SOLO refers to STRAIGHTS Only, Ok?
SOP: Standard Operating Procedures, the way it's always been done, or is always supposed to be done.
SORTIE: A flight.
SPARROW: Aim 7, SMART reflected-radar guided MISSILE. FOX 1.
SPLIT 'S' ATTACK: Dogfighting tactic where the attacker is high coming head on, the defender turns and drops down and in behind.
SPOILERS: Grandparents. Thingamabobs that pop up on the top of the wings of some airplanes just after touchdown to "spoil" the lift.
SPORTY: Fun, intense, dangerous.
SPREAD: Short for COMBAT SPREAD.
SQUADRON: Smallest operation unit. FLEET fixed wing FIGHTER or ATTACK squadrons usually have about 12 aircraft, 18 pilots (same number of RIOs/BNs/etc. if applicable), and then all of the maintenance and administrative personnel to support the planes and paperwork. TRAINING COMMAND squadrons can be humongous, unwieldy entities, but, that's okay, the more the merrier.
SQUAWK: See IFF.
SQUID: Non-flattering term for enlisted people in the Navy. To a phylologist "lower form of marine life."
ST. ELMO'S FIRE: Sheet, or ball-like lightning. Don't see the movie for details, it won't help.
STABILITY AUGMENTATION MODE: Weaving inhibitor, an ability aviators acquire after training which allows them to walk a straight line even after heavy celebrating. Fancy name for an AUTOPILOT.
STABS: Short for Stabilators, one of the hybrid CONTROL SURFACES.
STALL: All the LIFTIES went away. Caused by too much AOA. An aggravated stall is a SPIN.
STANDARD DAY: Two niner niner two on your altimeter dial. A day where the temperature is 59 degrees and the barometer reads 29.92 at sea level. A rare occurrence, yet an assumption made to insure uniformity for altitude purposes.
STATION: NAS, Naval Air Station. It's not a "base", like the USAF has, although it is often called such.
STEALTH: Popular name for sneaky way of confusing radar about the size and place of an aircraft. "Stealth bomber", "stealth fighter".
STERN CONVERSION: When someone goes from happy-go-lucky to quite serious and uptight. Turning around to get the BOGEY.
STICK: The "control stick" usually located in-between the fellas' legs. (No freudian analysis, please.) Controls mainly the ELEVATOR and AILERON functions. Not the "go fast stick" that's the PCL and it's usually located to the left. May refer to a pilot if he's good; "He's a hot stick" meaning the guy is aggressive, accurate and has an intuitive "feel" for flight.
STRAFE: To shoot the ground and attending objects with the GUNS. See WEAPONS.
STRAIGHT: A one-seater airplane. Not a "T". At NAS Key West, STRAIGHT has a more social connotation.
STRANGLE: To turn off a piece of equipment.
STRATEGY: What you want to accomplish. TACTICS are the ways in which you accomplish it. Say, a gal is out to capture herself a Naval Aviator. This is her STRATEGY. Wearing slinky dresses, visiting the O' Club and asking pilots about their exploits are her TACTICS.
STRIKE: See ATTACK.
STRIKE UNIVERSITY: Training at Fallon, Nevada.
STUDENTS: The reason the TRAINING COMMAND exists. Other names used are "studs," "cones," (from conehead.) While flying as a group, references may be "chicks," "critters," "stooges," "cluster," or "gaggle." SNA (Student Naval Aviator) in print.
SUCK SQUEEZE BURN TURN AND BLOW: How a JET ENGINE
turns its fuel into heat and noise; how those aviators who max the size
restrictions get in and adjust their harness in the tighter COCKPITS, TA-4's
for one; and any other things that sound similar.
SUCKED: Not ACUTE, being behind the power curve.
Bad HEADWORK, in the purely aviation-related sense, otherwise, it should
be pretty good of you just lay back and enjoy it. Oh oh, did I just
blow my ... G rating?
SWITCHOLOGY: The study of switches.
*** TANGO ***
T: "T" or T-BIRD is a trainer or two-seat airplane.
TAC LEAD: The TACTICAL LEADER of a SECTION; the one with the best advantage to engage the BOGEY.
TAC TURN: A TACTICAL TURN, refers to a specific way of turning 90 degrees.
TACAN: A navigational device which works off of MAGIC. "Two TACAN rule" is a colloquialism used between PLAYERS to signify that actions taken two TACAN stations away from HOMEPLATE is TACTICALLY safe. That's a tongue twister.
TACTICAL: The skillful and clever methods to accomplish a short- term end. STRATEGY is big-picture or long-term.
TACTS: TACTICAL Air Combat Training System, aka ACMR, Air Combat Maneuvering Range. MAGICAL way of watching and replaying ACM engagements.
TALLY HO: "Target is in sight," same as in fox hunting.
TANKER: Yeah, I guess you could say they drive tanks; flying gas stations, the feeders of the FLEET aloft. They have the DROGUE or BASKET which are poked by the plane's PROBE. See IFR.
TARGET: Whatever is designated to be hit, on the land, in the air, on at sea (or Tripoli.) "Target aspect" refers to where the BOGEY must look in order to see the attacker.
TECH REPS: Industrial Technical Representatives. Techkies. The troubleshooters from the companies who made the gear. They think they know more about how the plane flies than the pilots. They do not mix well.
TER: Triple Ejector Rack. Like MER and VER.
THRUST: The force which moves an aircraft forward. In a nutshell, lifties move it up, thrusties push, and the draggies sit on top. Thrust to weight ratio refers to the amount of "oomph" a plane has. Less than a one to one ratio means the plane be able to climb straight up if it's low on fuel at a low altitude, greater than one to one means it's a funner plane to fly. A true MAN-GOD is an efficient wielder of THRUST.
THUNDERBIRDS: The USAF's demonstration team, flying F-16 Falcons with a great paint scheme.
THUNDER BRAKES: Noisy technique of going MRT with the SPEEDBRAKES out to make a nuisance of oneself. Most effectively done flying over the O' Club pool or an acquaintance's house. That noisy couple down the road who after a long nights of yelling and breaking objects, get a divorce.
TOPGUN: Movie with Tom Cruise, filmed over Nevada and out of Miramar NAS, San Diego. The Navy's Fighter Weapon's School.
TOTALIZER: A Valley Girl, or a fuel gauge, showing how much fuel is in all the tanks, totally.
TORSO HARNESS: Webbing outfit that straps onto the parachute and pilot. Part of the three-piece suit, see FLIGHTSUIT and G SUIT.
TOWER: Where Air Traffic Controllers live. They sometimes help keep an eye on TRAFFIC, advising pilots of potential MIDAIRS and keeping the chitchat flowing.
TPS: Test Pilot School, Patuxent River, Maryland. NTPS.
TRACTOR: The plane which tows the BANNER, aka the TOW. Be careful of students who come in real sucked and strafe the tractor.
TRAFFIC: Same thing in the air as it is here in flatland.
TRAINING COMMAND: Good topic of reminiscing conversation when aviators get together; there are always "training command stories." It is the governing body which oversees potential aviators' training. (Once a STUDENT gets his WINGS and orders to a RAG, he is no longer in the TRAINING COMMAND.) Each WING which teaches flight has its name preceded by TRAWING. The Officers are first taught GROUND SCHOOL at Pensacola, Florida. PRIMARY begins at Whiting Field, just north of Pensacola Bay, in Milton. It is from here that a student learns whether he is to fly props, helos or jets for the military.
TRANSONIC: That speed in-between subsonic and supersonic. When he bow-wave attaches and the air can't get out of the way fast enough, causes a vapor around the plane until it "breaks out." "Got a little bit of buffet here."
TRAP: This is good, it means the pilot has successfully "caught" one of the four WIRES on the BOAT. See CQ, ARREST, WIRES.
TRAWING: A Spoonerism of "trying" and "drawing." An exclamation most often heard after a pilot has tried to describe the type of plane he flies to relatives and then decides he'll have to draw the airplane in order for them to understand, meanwhile they're eating Thanksgiving dinner and his mom asks, "What are you doing?" Okay, but it's boring, stands for TRAining WING. See TRAINING COMMAND.
TRENDS: Bad tendencies, "He's got a TREND of UNDERRUNING."
TRIM: What Naval Officers get done to their hair as opposed to a "cut" that the Marine Officers get. Also, the fine tuning of the aircraft's aerodynamic control surfaces to allow for less pressure necessary during flight. There is a button on the STICK which is the "TRIM control" and it moves the "trim tabs." If a plane is not BENT, it can be "trimmed up" and should fly straight and level without continuous corrections.
TURBINE: Refers to JET TURBINE ENGINES. The TURBINE is that portion of the JET ENGINE which draws power to turn the compressor which forces more air through the engines to turn the TURBINE. Now, that's redundant, isn't that redundant.
TURBO:
Turbofan: gas turbine engine where air is taken from the tip of the fan blades and put into the jet exhaust for high efficiency.
Turbojet: gas turbine engine producing high velocity jet exhaust. This is what most of the modern jets are run by.
Turboprop: gas turbine engine which runs a conventional propeller through reduction gears.
TYPE A: Psychological category of acting in a stereotypically
aggressive and arrogant manner. Why is this associated with aviators?
*** UNIFORM ***
USA: United States Army, and United States of America. Predominantly helicopter pilots. Warrant Officers may be pilots.
USAF: United States Air Force. Who among you doesn't know someone who thinks your favorite Naval aviator is in the Air Force?
USN: United States Navy.
USMC: Now, (stand, and bring the music up) ... the true man's service: The United States Marine Corps. (Listen to the music a while, okay fade out, thank you, you may be seated.) I observed a ridiculous occurrence of someone asking if "USMC" (on a T-shirt) stood for: University of Southern Maryland College? "Yeah, he just likes to wear his hair that short."
UNDERRUN: What pantyhose do. A method used to avoid hitting the LEAD man during a JOIN UP gone wild. "Waaaaa, dash two joining up, waaaaaaa, oops, two's underrunning, hoooooooooo."
UNLOAD: Just take that weight, and drop it. Putting the plane into zero or negative "Gs" in order to optimize acceleration.
UNSAT: Jive way of saying "he stood up." Also
short for unsatisfactory. He UNSAT.
*** VICTOR ***
V: Fixed wing identifier. Helicopter's use "H".
V H/T: Fixed wing identifier of TRAINING COMMAND aircraft.
V/STOL: Vertical/Short TakeOff and Landing. The HARRIER, AV8, is the prime example of a "VeeStall" aircraft. The JVX is another example, but it is powered by large propellers which tilt upwards like helicopters for their VSTOL performance.
VAL SALVA: A technique used to equalize the pressure in the inner ear, making one's ear's "pop", by holding the nose and mouth closed, then blowing.
VECTOR: Direction to fly. Lift Vector is the direction of lift. Vector Airways are the airliner routes.
VER: Vertical Ejector Rack, see MER, TER. Carries two bombs.
VERTIGO: When one is disoriented, not knowing "ver to go." Hypoxia, loss of oxygen to the brain, can occur at high altitudes and is one cause of VERTIGO.
VID: Visual IDentification. Opposite of BVR.
VIZ: Visibility. "Got CANKED today 'cause of bad VIZ." I know, it does sound like they're talking about a venereal disease.
Vg/Vn DIAGRAM: Graphical representation of the safe flight envelope. (Authorized Airmail package restrictions.)
VORTEX GENERATORS: Little metal ridges that do some
aerodynamic thing so the plane moves through the air more efficiently.
Not related to CORIOLIS EFFECT, yet watching the water swirl down the drain
... May also be an aid in invisibility, see Philadelphia Experiment.
*** WHISKEY ***
WARM UP: Color-coordinated disco aerobic wear marketed under the guise of keeping the body warm before and after exertion. In the TRAINING COMMAND this is a non-graded flight given to the CONEHEAD when he hasn't flown for quite a while, or if he's had problems.
WARSAW PACT: The other guys, won't mention any names but their initials are Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and, that's right, the USSR.
WAVE: As a noun, it's what pitches the CV. As a verb, it is what the LSO does to get safe landings, he "waves" the pilots in. "Whose going to be waving us?" means "who is our LSO?"
WAVEOFF: Similar to KISSOFF only in interpersonal relationships. This is action taken to abort a landing, taking the plane around. Usually PADDLES will signal a WAVEOFF to the pilot by flashing the red "waveoff lights" on the FLOLS (the MEATBALL apparatus) and by a radio call to wave it off.
WEAPONS: WEPS: Devices used in defending oneself, or offending another. In shoptalk this usually refers to types of flights. "We're doing WEPs tomorrow." Often there are WEPs DETs, where a group of STUDENTS or a SQUADRON will go to the nearest natural wasteland (Nevada, for example) and practice dropping BOMBS and STRAFING. Also called STRIKE, this is what ATTACK is all about.
WHISKEY AREA TACTICS: The way of doing things to win in a canned situation. Due to ROE. You definitely wouldn't do it this way in real life enemy/war/bang/bang situations.
WHISPER BRAKES: You wake up one morning, and you notice the house across the way is empty -- that quiet couple has moved out, she to Iowa, he to the BOQ. Opposite of THUNDER BRAKES. While flying, this is when the pilot, smiling, pulls the power back when over the FIELD because he's going faster than the maximum FIELD entry speed and rather that the CO didn't hear him.
WILD WEASEL: A 'stripped-down' and 'beefed-up' version of aircraft. E.g. F-4, A-4.
WILLIE PETER: "Willie Pete" is a white phosphorus used for creating fire and smoke for providing spotting marks from the air. Do not name your child this.
WIND: Oh please, we don't have to have WIND defined, do we? Only the particulars: "Headwind" means the plane is flying into the wind, "tailwind" means the wind is "with" the plane and "crosswind" means it's blowing across the direction of travel. To "break" wind refers to going supersonic. (Hey ... wait a minute.)
WINDMILL: A Quixotic reference to cranking the engine over, using the starter. I guess the TURBINE turns like a windmill.
WING: A division of aircraft and also, the geographic control areas. A WING oversees GROUPS, about 6 or 7 to a WING. E.g. LATWINGPAC refers to Light ATtack WING PACific, this includes all ATTACK NASs on the West Coast, Hawaii and Japan. FITWINGLANT is FIGHTERS on the East Coast. Also, WING refers to the second man in a SECTION (see FORM.) Aka "wingman," "dash two." An "on wing" or "off wing" refers to the two principle INSTRUCTORS a pilot is assigned at the beginning stages of training.
WINGS: Where the LIFTIES sit. Those long things attached to the FUSELAGE. Also, the "wings 'o gold" are the light at the end of the training tunnel which signify the STUDENT is a full-fledged Naval Aviator. The "winging" ceremony is where the pilot's mother, girlfriend or wife pins on his gold WINGS and where the INSTRUCTORs file the CONE off of his head. (Air Force has silver-tone wings, and I'm not sure if the cone gets filed off at the winging or not.)
WIRES: Cables really. These are the ARRESTING GEAR that the HOOK catches. Along with everything a LSO takes into account in judging a good BOUNCE, (like did this guy dance too close with my wife last Friday, or did he have a hand at scheduling me for a zero dark hundred brief?), which of the four WIREs that the HOOK grabs also tells him something. The #1 wire is the first one, and if this is caught, the pilot was low, not a desirable position. The #2 wire is a fair landing, but #3 is best, I mean OK. ("OK, no comment", is the most praise they hope for.) Although it is possible to flounder along the GLIDESLOPE and still, by the grace of the DEMI-GODs or a pitching DECK, get a #3. Ideally, though, a #3 is secured time after time, in good weather and bad, night and day by the SIERRA HOTEL MAN-GOD these guys know they are. Lucky #4 is so named because it's the last one, miss that and BOLTER BOLTER. See BOUNCE, TRAP, ARREST.
WIVES: Those who express their opinions about the military and their husband's flying through comments like, "It's so exciting." And, "I'm going to be sick."
WORKUPS: About six months before a BOAT DET, the pilots need to "get ready" to deploy. So they spend a few weeks at the BOAT, then few weeks home, then a few weeks back on the BOAT, etc. The WIVES really love this revolving door action: "Look if you're going to go, GO, if you're going to stay, STAY."
WSO: Weapons System Officer. A BACKSEATER.
*** XRAY ***
X: A mighty, evil factor. An "X" is conquered
by a MAN-GOD when he completes a flight, and the SKEDS officer, OPS O and
all DEMI-GODs enter nirvana when there are many Xs conquered. The
ritual of writing an "X" on the schedule is a satisfying experience for
all who witness. If, however, a flight cannot be completed, and therefore
the pilot doesn't get the "X" he must try at his next opportunity to complete
the HOP, slaying the nasty letter.
*** YANKEE ***
YAW: "Get on up thar, horse, and stop swerving." Controlled by the RUDDER. Side to side movement. Adverse YAW is the tendency of the aircraft to move away from the direction of intended roll, caused by more DRAGGIES sitting on the wing the LIFTIES are pushing.
YEAGER: Autobiography by Chuck Yeager, where one is confronted with that fine line between events and mythology. "Pulling a YEAGER" may refer to any outrageous hell-raising either in the air or on the ground.
YELLOW GEAR: Generic term applied to HUFFERS, fire trucks, cranes, all heavy-duty ground equipment. They're painted yellow.
YO-YO: Offensive tactic used in ACM. Ask for
hand movements to describe. There is a high yo-yo and low yo-yo,
named after it's perfector Yo-Yo Noritake.
*** ZULU ***
ZERO: A World War II Japanese airplane. How one calls the digit "0" in the Navy or Marine Corps. Do not use "Oh." Oh, how mildly eccentric. The Air Force uses "oh." Sounds like it could hinder readiness -- I mean the Naval and Air Force crews couldn't talk to each other. USAF: "Rendezvous at oh eight hundred." USN: "Look, do you mean, rendezvous at zero eight hundred, or approximately eight hundred miles from shore, or did you drop something or what?" Oh oh, got ZEROs at 6 o'clock.
ZERO ZERO: Reference to visibility. The opposite of "clear and a million." Lemoore NAS during January.
ZIPPER: To cease transmissions on the radio. Just like when you were a kid and zipped up your mouth and threw away the key.
ZOOM: A verb, to ZOOM. To go fast and have fun doing so. Those bound to the ground may call their skyward partners "zoomies."
ZULU: ZULU TIME: Greenwich Mean Time, GMT.
Greenwich is a town in Britain located on the ZERO degree meridian or longitude
line. The reason for using GMT is to avoid the confusion inherent
in time zones. For all flight planning they use ZULU and then convert
to "local" when talking with civilians. When a pilot is ZOOMING across
the country and through four time zones it gets tedious to figure out where
he is at what time and in what time zone. "Okay, now he said he'd
be home at 16 hundred Yukon time, I'm in Central, so I subtract three,
no, wait, or I add, then Daylight Savings Time takes effect tomorrow, so,
during a leap year, uh ..." Right, don't expect him until he's home,
seeing is not believing.