Yes, military pilots really do talk this way! This is not an all-inclusive list of military acronyms, just the type of lingo you're apt to hear in the Ready-Room, on the flightline, or in the aircraft.
A - "ALPHA"
AAA~ Anti-aircraft Artillery.
Rapid-firing cannon or machine guns, often aimed by computers and radar.
ACM ~ Air Combat Maneuvering, or dogfighting.
Admin ~ The rented room that is the party headquarters ashore, usually at a
foreign port of call.
AGL ~ Above Ground Level. An airplane's altimeter reads height above Mean Sea
Level (MSL); the more realistic measurement over land is height Above Ground
Level. Most military aircraft have a "radar-altimeter", which reads
aircraft height above ground level.
Air Boss ~ Head of the Air Department onboard a carrier; he rules the flight
deck.
Air Wing ~ The entire complement of aircraft fielded by the carrier in battle:
fighters, attack jets, early-warning planes, tankers, helicopters,
antisubmarine patrol craft, etc.
Alert 5 ~ A manned aircraft that can launch within five minutes. The Navy has
time restrictions as to how long a crew can stand an Alert-5 watch. Similarly,
Alert 15, Alert 30, Alert 60.
Aluminum Cloud ~ The F-14 is so large that it is sometimes referred to by this
term.
Alpha Mike Foxtrot ~ Sometimes simply "AMF". Phonetics for
"Adios Mother F*cker*.
Angels ~ Altitude, measured in thousands of feet ("angels fifteen"
means 15,000 feet above sea level). Also, a term lovingly ascribed to the
rescue helicopter by any aviator who has experienced an ejection and subsequent
helicopter rescue.
Anti-Smash ~ Aircraft strobe, or anti-collision, lights.
Angle of Attack (AOA) ~ Angle of the wing relative to the forward flight path
of the airplane. On any aircraft, too great an angle of attack will cause the
wing to stop flying (stall), as airflow across the upper surface is disrupted.
Angles ~ Gaining angles on a dogfight opponent involves maneuvering for a shot
from astern The ultimate in an angles fight is an angle of zero-- straight up
the enemy's tailpipe.
ASW ~ Anti-submarine warfare.
Atoll, Apex, Acrid ~ NATO code names for Soviet-manufactured air-to-air
missiles.
B - "BRAVO"
B/N ~ Bombardier-navigator; the specific term for the NFO in the A-6 aircraft.
"Back to the Taxpayers" ~ Where you send a wrecked aircraft.
Bag ~ Flight suit or anti-exposure suit ("Put on a bag"); as a
verb--to collect or acquire: as in, "bag some traps".
Bag Season ~ Cold weather or water conditions which require the wearing of
anti-exposure gear; which is very restrictive, uncomfortable and unpopular
Ball ~ An amber visual landing aid that the pilot uses to adjust aircaft
relative position to a desired final approach glideslope. The primary optical
landing device on the carrier.
Bandit ~ Dogfight adversary positively identified as a bad guy. Hostile
aircraft.
Basement ~ Hangar deck of the aircraft carrier.
Bat Decoder ~ A sheet of paper carried on all fight operations that is the key
to current airborne communication codes.
Bat-turn ~ A tight, high-G change of heading. A reference to the rapid
180-degree Batmobile maneuver in the old "Batman" television series.
Beaded Up ~ Worried or excited.
Behind the Power Curve ~ Not keeping up with expectations.
Bent ~ Damaged or broken.
Big Chicken Dinner ~ AKA Bad Conduct Discharge [thanx to Carl Smith for
submitting that one]
Bingo ~ Minimum fuel for a comfortable and safe return to base. Aircraft can
fly and fight past bingo fuel in combat situations, but at considerable peril.
Bingo Field ~ Land-based runway to which carrier aircraft can divert if
necessary.
Birds ~ Aircraft
Blower ~ Afterburner.
Blue-Water Ops ~ Carrier flight operations beyond the reach of land bases or
bingo fields.
Boards Out ~ Speed brakes extended
Boat ~ Any Navy ship regardless of size. The aircraft carrier is "THE
Boat".
Bogey ~ Unidentified and potentially hostile aircraft.
Bolt, Bolter ~ A carrier landing attempt in which the tailhook fails to engage
any of the arresting wires, requiring a "go-around", and in which the
aircraft landing gear contacts the deck. Otherwise it is a "low
pass".
Boola-Boola ~ Radio call made when a pilot shoots down a drone.
Booming ~ Loud, raucous partying ("we were booming last night"); or,
fast, exciting flying ("we went booming through the Grand Canyon").
Boresight ~ Technically, to line up the axis of a gun with its sights, but
pilots use the term to describe concentrating on a small detail to the point of
causing some detriment to the "big picture".
BOREX ~ A dull, repetitive exercise (a busy. tense one might be a SWEATEX).
Bought the Farm ~ Died. Originated from the practice of the government
reimbursing farmers for crops destroyed due to aviation accidents on their
fields. The farmer's, knowing a good thing when they see it, would inflate the
value of lost crops to the point that, in effect, the mishap pilot "bought
the farm". Student pilots regularly practice emergency landings to
farmer's fields. (This one term must have a bazillion different origins judging
from the amount of "corrections" I've received. I still like this one
- ed.) Another definition for the term as submitted by Bernard J. Wilson,
Captain, Los Angeles Airport Police: If a pilot was killed, either in combat or
due to aircraft accident, the beneficiaries of his insurance would be payed
off. Since pilots tended to be young, the beneficiaries would often be their
parents. So, when the pilot died, he "bought the farm" by the
insurance money paying off the mortgage.
Bounce, Tap ~ Unexpected attack on another aircraft.
Brain Housing Group ~ Mock-technical term for the skull.
Bravo Zulu ~ Praise for a good job.
Bubbas ~ Fellow squadron members; anyone who flies the same aircraft as you do.
Bumping ~ ACM (Air Combat Maneuvering),also called "bumping heads".
BuNo ~ Bureau number, permanent serial number that the Navy assigns to an
aircraft when it is built.
Burner ~ Afterburner; a system that feeds raw fuel into a jet's hot exhaust,
thus greatly increasing both thrust and fuel consumption.
Buster ~ Controller term for full military power: to hurry up, go as fast as
possible.
C - "CHARLIE"
CAG ~ Commander of the Air Group - the carrier's chief pilot.
Carqual, or CQ ~ Carrier qualification; a set number of carrier takeoffs and
landings required in training and at periodic intervals of all carrier flight
crews.
Catshot ~ A carrier takeoff assisted by a steam-powered catapult. A "cold
cat," one in which insufficient launch pressure has been set into the
device, can place the hapless aircraft in the water. A 'hot cat" -- too
much pressure - is less perilous, but can rip out the nose wheel assembly or
the launching bridle. Once a pair of common problems, but practically
unheard-of today.
CAVU ~ Ceiling And Visibility Unlimited: the best possible flying weather.
Centurion ~ An aviator who has made 100 shipboard landings, typically a
centurion patch is then issued and proudly worn on the flight jacket.
Charlie ~ The planned landing time aboard a carrier.
Charlie Foxtrot ~ Phonetics for "cluster-f*ck"
Check Six ~ Visual observation of the rear quadrant, from
which most air-to-air attacks can be expected. Refers to the clock system of
scanning the envelope around the aircraft; 12 o'clock is straight ahead, 6
o'clock is directly astern. Also a common salutation and greeting among
tactical pilots. Keep an eye on your behind, be careful.
Checking for Light Leaks ~ Taking a nap, referring to the eyelids
Cherubs ~ Altitude under 1,000 feet, measured in hundreds of feet
("cherubs two" means 200 feet).
Cold Nose ~ Radar turned off , also known as "Lights out", (Navy
pilots transmit "My nose is cold" before refueling from Air Force
tankers).
COD ~ Carrier On-Board Delivery aircraft, used to transfer personnel and cargo
to and from the carrier.
Colorful Actions ~ Flathatting, showing off, or otherwise ignoring safe
procedures while flying.
Combat Dump ~ A bowel movement before flying; also called "sending an
admiral to sea"
Cones ~ Students, short for coneheads: also called nurkin heads, or studs.
Conning ~ Making contrails.
Contract ~ Agreements and ground rules, some minor and some life-threatening,
between two-man fighter crews or between wingmen.
Crossdeck Pendant ~ An arresting wire on an aircraft carrier; or the attaching
cord between a VERTREP helicopter to its externally slung cargo.
D - "DELTA"
Dash Two ~ The second plane in a two-or-more aircraft
formation; the wingman.
Dead Heading ~ pilots flying as passengers.
Deck Spotter ~ Derogatory term for a pilot who looks away from the ball to peek
at the deck.
Delta ~ When an aircraft arrives at a boat for recovery, this instruction tells
the pilot to stay clear and save gas; refers to a holding pattern at the boat.
Delta Sierra ~ Phonetics for "dumb shit": describes a stupid action,
and erases all previous Bravo Zulus and Sierra Hotels.
Departure ~ Literally departure from controlled flight, usually brought on in
high-performance jets by excessive angle of attack coupled with partial power
loss in one engine. All aircraft depart differently, but some anxious moments
and some loss of altitude will result before control can be regained. Some
jets, most notably the F-4 Phantom, are unrecoverable from certain departures.
Dirty ~ Aircraft configured for landing with gear and flaps down.
Dot ~ Refers to how a distant aircraft looks on the horizon, ("I'm a
dot" means "I'm out of here").
Double Ugly ~ Fond nickname for the enormously capable but less than beautiful
F-4 Phantom. See also Rhino.
Double Nuts ~ The CAG's bird usually numbered 100 or 00.
Down ~ Broken, not flying. A sick pilot is "down".
Drift Factor ~ If you have a high one, you aren't reliable.
Driver ~ Pilot.
E - "ECHO"
Echo Range ~ A corner of the China Lake Naval Weapons Test Center outfitted
with ground targets and electronic threat simulators. Many Top Gun training
sessions are flown over Echo Range.
ECM ~ Electronic Countermeasures; systems for jamming or misleading enemy
weapons, communications, and radar.
Electric Jet ~ The F-16 Fighting Falcon, so nicknamed because of its fly-by-wire
controls. or "Lawn Dart"
ELINT ~ Electronic Intelligence; the gathering of electronic emissions related
to communications, weapons control, or reconnaissance.
Envelope ~ The maximum performance parameters of an aircraft; flying at the
edge of the envelope can be both exciting and dangerous.
F - "FOXTROT"
FAG ~ Fighter Attack Guy; derogatory term for F/A-18 Hornet drivers.
Fangs Out ~ When a pilot is really hot for a dogfight.
Fangs Sunk in Floorboard ~ When a fighter pilot boresights on a kill but ends
up getting shot himself.
FARP ~ Fleet ACM Readiness Program; a periodic training program presented in
the context of the Fleet Air Wing; dogfighting practice with an adversary
squadron.
FASO ~ Flight Physiology Training: recurrent safety training for aircrews
directed at emphasizing physiological stressors, conditions, or episodes which
might be encountered in flight.
FAST ~ Fleet Air Superiority Training.
Father ~ Slang term for shipboard TACAN station. There is a Father on most Mothers.
Feet Wet/Dry ~ The former means "over-water," the latter
"over-land."
Fishbed, Flogger ~ Also Fitter, Flanker, Fresco Fulcrum, etc. NATO code names
for Russian fighter aircraft.
Flathatting ~ Unauthorized low-level flying and stunting--thrilling, sometimes
fatal, usually career- ending if caught.
Flare ~ The nose-up landing posture normal for most land-based aircraft.
Carrier jets eliminate flare in favor of a slamming contact with the deck. Also
the terminal portion of a helicopter autorotation in which rotor speed can be
accelerated while reducing rate-of-descent and forward groundspeed.
Fly-by-wire ~ Electronic, computer-controlled operation of aircraft control
surfaces. Supplants mechanical/hydraulic actuation common in earlier jets. The
F-16 Falcon, F/A-18 Hornet, and the French Mirage 2000 use these systems.
FM ~ Abbreviation for "f*cking magic": very high-tech; used to
describe how something you don't understand actually works. The ASQ-81 Magnetic
Anomaly System works by "FM".
FOD ~ Foreign Object Damage. A constant concern on airfields and carrier decks
where jet engines operate. Jet intakes can ingest loose objects, and even the
smallest item--a rock, a bolt--can seriously damage jet turbine blades.
Fox One, Two, Three ~ Radio calls indicating the firing of a Sparrow,
Sidewinder, or Phoenix air-to- air missile, respectively.
Furball ~ A confused aerial engagement with many combatants. Several aircraft
in tight ACM.
G - "GOLF"
G, G-loading, G-rating ~ High-performance aircraft subject airframes and
occupants to centrifugal forces far beyond simple gravity. One-G equals normal
gravity; a pilot and plane pulling 4-Gs in a turn will feel forces equal to
four times the weight of gravity.
G-suit ~ Nylon trousers that wrap around the legs and abdomen. Filled
automatically with compressed air in high-G maneuvers, the G-suit helps prevent
the pooling of blood in the lower extremities, thus retarding the tendency to
lose consciousness. Also known as "speed-jeans"
Gaff Off ~ Ignore.
Gate ~ Afterburner. see also Zone
Gigahertz and Nanoseconds ~ Highly technical, detailed, and hard to understand
("It's getting down to gigahertz and nanoseconds.")
Gizmo ~ A piece of technical gear (also doodad, thingamabob, or hoo-ha)
Glove ~ The huge wing root of the F-14 Tomcat, housing the mechanism for moving
the variable- geometry wings. Also, Tom Cruise notwithstanding, fireproof
gloves are always worn by military pilots regardless of the outside
temperature.
Go Juice ~ Jet fuel.
god ~ The authority, boss, or person with full responsibility; also descriptive
of a pilot's prowess ("He's an ACM god").
Goes Away ~ What something does when you hit it with a missile.
Golden Leg Spreaders ~ Pilot wings...or rather what pilots can get with their
wings... [thanks again to Carl Smith for a truly interesting term!]
Gomer ~ Slang for a dogfight adversary, the usage stemming from the old Gomer
Pyle TV show.
Goo ~ Bad weather that makes it impossible to see; in the clouds.
Goon Up ~ Screw up.
Gouge ~ The latest inside information. Also the poop, the skinny. A summary of
important information.
Green Apple ~ The control knob for the cockpit's emergency oxygen supply.
Greenie Board ~ Prominently displayed squadron scoreboard where the landing
signal officers rate the pilots' carrier landings (any color other than green
is bad ): also called the "weenie board."
Gripe ~ A mechanical problem on an aircraft. An "up" gripe means you
can still fly: a "down" gripe means you can't.
H - "HOTEL"
Hamburger Helper ~ The bombardier-navigator (B/N) or radar intercept officer
(RIO).
Hangar Queen ~ An aircraft that suffers chronic "downs"; hangar
queens are often pirated for spares for the squadron's other aircraft, so when
the aircraft leave the carrier at the end of the cruise, the maintenance
officer normally flies the hangar queen because he knows which parts have been
taken (the "queen's" ejection seats are especially well preflighted).
Hard Deck ~ An established minimum altitude for training engagements. Early Top
Gun hops honor a 10,000-foot AGL hard deck.
Hawk Circle ~ The orbiting stack of aircraft waiting to land on the carrier.
Head on a Swivel ~ Keeping an eye peeled for an ACM adversary; also called
"doing the Linda Blair," for the 360-degree head rotation in the
movie "The Exorcist".
Heater ~ Sidewinder missile which homes in on heat sources.
Helo ~ Universal Navy/Marine term for helicopter. Don't say "chopper"
unless you're hanging out with the Army.
High PRF ~ Extremely excitable (PRF is a radar term: pulse repetition
frequency).
High Warble ~ Unduly agitated.
Hop ~ A Mission, or flight
HOTAS ~ Hands On Throttle And Stick. Modern fighters have every imaginable
control function mounted on either the stick (right hand) or the throttle
quadrant (left hand), so that the pilot need not fumble around in the cockpit.
HUD ~ Heads Up Display. A transparent screen mounted on the dashboard on which
pertinent data from flight instruments and weapons systems are projected. The
HUD eliminates the need to look down into the cockpit to read instruments.
Hummer ~ Any ingenious machine--plane, car, or weapon--whose actual name can't
be recalled. Also "puppy," "bad boy." The E-2 Hawkeye
early-warning aircraft is also nicknamed "Hummer", in reference to
the sound of its turboprop engines.
I - "INDIA"
IFR ~ Instrument Flight Rules, permitting safe flight in conditions of limited
visibility
Indian Night Noises ~ The ominous creaks, pops, and shudders of an aircraft in
flight
In-Flight Engagement ~ Snagging the arresting wire before the wheels touch the
deck. This can result in damage to the aircraft.
In the Spaghetti ~ Where you catch the wires.
INS ~ Inertial Navigation System A device that, when properly loaded and
aligned, permits the pilot to determine his location anywhere on earth within a
few hundred feet.
J - "JULIET"
Jink ~ To maneuver violently to avoid a threat.
JO ~ Junior officer, usually with all the answers.
JO Junk Room ~ The JO state room, where all the good parties are aboard the
boat
Jock, Driver ~ Pilot, as in "helo driver", or "fighter
jock"
JP-4, JP-5 ~ Types of jet fuel: the aroma of which makes former aviators
nostalgic for flight operations.
Judy ~ Radio call signaling that your quarry is in sight and you are taking
control of the intercept.
K - "KILO"
Kick the Tires and Light the Fires ~ Formerly, to bypass or severely shorten
the required routine of physically inspecting the aircraft prior to flight.
Currently meaning "let's get this aircraft preflighted and outta here,
pronto"
Knife Fight in a Phone Booth ~ Close-in, slow-speed aerial dogfight with a
nimble adversary. Often just called a "knife-fight".
L - "LIMA"
LEAPEX ~ A jump-through-your-*ss project, exercise, or drill. Something silly
that needs to be done NOW!
Lethal Cone, Cone of Vulnerability ~ Area to the rear of the jet's tailpipe,
into which most infra-red missile and gun attacks are ideally launched.
Lights Out ~ Radar off.
Lost the Bubble ~ Got confused or forgot what was happening.
Loading/Unloading ~ Increasing or decreasing angle of attack and G's
Loud Handle ~ Lever or grip that fires ejection seat.
LSO ~ Landing Signals Officer. Squadron member with considerable experience in
carrier landings, responsible for assisting others onto the deck and for
grading their efforts. Also known as "paddles".
M - "MIKE"
Martin-Baker Fan Club ~ If you eject, you're a member (a reference to the
Martin-Baker company, manufacturer of ejection seats). An official list of
members is maintained.
Meatball ~ The glideslope indication light that pilots watch when they're
trapping.
Merge, Merged Plot ~ The point at which aircraft come into contact, after having
been vectored toward each other by radar control.
MiGCAP ~ Combat Air Patrol over ground-attack aircraft.
Military Power ~ Maximum jet engine power without engaging afterburner.
Mini-Boss ~ The Assistant Air Boss.
Mort ~ "Killed" in ACM practice.
Mother, or Mom ~ The boat on which you are deployed, and where you launched
from.
Mud-mover, Ground-pounder ~ Low-level attack aircraft such as the A-6 Intruder.
The F/A-18 doubles as a fighter and a mud-mover.
Music ~ Electronic Jamming intended to deceive radar.
My Fun Meter is Pegged ~ Sarcastic comment for, "I am not enjoying
this."
N - "NOVEMBER"
NATOPS ~ The Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization
program, responsible for rules and regulations governing the safe and correct
operation of all naval aircraft.
NFO ~ An aviator who is an officer but not a pilot; pilots say it stands for
"No Future Occupation"; also called the "walkin'-talkin'
navbag."
NFWS ~ The Navy Fighter Weapons School, a graduate school for fighter pilots.
Its universal nickname is "Top Gun".
Nice Vapes ~ Comment on an exciting fly-by when high speed at low altitude or
high G causes dramatic vapor trails.
No-Load ~ An underachiever.
No Joy ~ Failure to make visual sighting; or inability to establish radio
communications.
Nugget ~ A first-tour aviator.
Nylon Letdown ~ Ejection and subsequent parachute ride.
O - "OSCAR"
OAST ~ Overland Air Superiority Training. A periodic training exercise
conducted over land and integrating all the elements of the carriers air wing.
On the Mouse ~ Talking on the flight-deck radio circuit that uses a headset
resembling Mickey Mouse ears.
Opportunity to excel ~ A disagreeable job without the time or resources to
properly complete.
Oversweep ~ When the F-14, on the ground, sweeps its wings to seventy-two
degrees aft making it easier to store.
P - "PAPA"
Padlocked ~ To have a bogey firmly in your sights.
Painted ~ Scanned by radar.
Passing Gas ~ What an aerial tanker does.
Pass ~ The point at which fighters, closing head-on, flash past each other.
Also, an attempt at landing.
Penalty Box ~ If you get a wave off or a bolter, that's where you go.
Pickle ~ A device held by the LSO that activates the "cut" light on
the lens: as a verb, to drop a bomb or external fuel tank.
Pinging On ~ Paying close attention to; critical scrutinization
Pinkie ~ A landing made at twilight between the official time of sunset (or
sunrise) and "real" darkness; it officially counts as a night
landing, but is cheating; preferred type of "night" landing by O-4's
and above.
Pit ~ Rear seat position of the F-14 Tomcat or F-4 Phantom.
PLAT ~ Pilot landing aid television. a videotape camera that records all
carrier launches and recoveries.
Playmates ~ The pilots of other aircraft on the same mission as you.
Plumber ~ An inept pilot.
Pointy End ~ The front of a boat
Popeye ~ What you are when you're flying in the goo.
Power Puke or Power Barf ~ Projectile vomiting, a symptom of airsickness.
Pole ~ Control stick.
Prang ~ To bump, crunch, or break an aircraft.
Pucker Factor ~ How scary something is.
Puke ~ Someone who flies a different kind of aircraft than you, as in fighter
puke or attack puke.
Punch Out ~ To eject.
Q - "QUEBEC"
R - "ROMEO"
R2D2 ~ A RIO (a reference to Luke Skywalker's robot backseater in the Star Wars
movies).
Ramp Strike ~ Landing short in the ramp area, sometimes resulting in a crash.
Radome ~ Streamlined fiberglass enclosure covering a radar antenna.
RAG ~ Replacement Air Group. Squadron in which newly trained pilots are
introduced to, and trained in, a particular aircraft type. Formally known as
the FRS (Fleet Replacement Squadron).
Red Flag ~ A large mock air war, held quarterly by the Air Force at Nellis AFB,
Nevada. Many non- Air Force assets -- Navy/Marines, Army, foreign--are invited
to participate.
Rhino ~ Nickname for the F-4 Phantom. Also Double Ugly.
RIO ~ Radar Intercept Officer. Back-seat crewman in the F-14 Tomcat and F-4
Phantom. A specialized NFO
Rocket One ~ The skipper.
Roll 'Em ~ A movie ("What time's the roll 'em?")--a nightly social
event in the ready room.
Roof ~ The flight deck on the carrier.
S - "SIERRA"
SA ~ Situational Awareness. An all-encompassing term for keeping track of
what's happening when flying. SA involves knowing what your airplane is doing
relative to its envelope, where your adversary is and what he's up to, where
the ground is, the status of enemy threats on the ground, and hundreds of other
variables. Loss of situational awareness is often cited as a contributing
factor to many military-aviation mishaps.
SAM ~ Surface-to-air missile.
SAR ~ Search and Rescue.
Scooter ~ Nickname for the A-4 Skyhawk, used as a MiG simulator at Top Gun.
Scope ~ A RIO.
Section ~ Two aircraft operating together as a tactical unit.
Shoe ~ Short for "blackshoes," a derogatory term for nonflying
personnel; aviators wear brown shoes.
Shooter ~ The catapult officer.
Sierra Hotel ~ Phonetic abbreviation for "shit hot," high praise; the
pilot's favorite and all-purpose expression of approval
Smoking Hole ~ An airplane crash site.
Sniffer ~ A device on the flight deck that checks that an aircraft is
broadcasting IFF transmissions.
Snuggle Up ~ During formation flight, to close up under the wing of another
aircraft.
Sortie ~ A single mission by one aircraft.
Speed of Heat, Warp One ~ Very, very fast.
Speed Slacks, Speed Jeans ~ The G-suit. which applies pressure to the legs to
aid in preventing blackout during high-G maneuvering.
Spooled Up ~ Excited.
Spud Locker ~ The part of a carrier where you don't want to land; it is well
down on the fantail, so if you hit it, you are way too low (at least one Navy
pilot earned the nickname "Spud" for doing just that).
State ~ How much fuel you've got. Mother requests, "Say your state".
Responded to in the form of hours and minutes of fuel onboard til you fall out
of the sky ("splash"). You respond "State two plus two zero to
splash" = 2 hours and 20 minutes of flying time remaining.
Stick-Throttle Interconnect ~ Mock-tech term for a pilot (also called just a
"stick").
Sweat Bead Condition One ~ This is a condition often enjoyed during a SWEATEX
or when one is beaded up as far as one might go (Thanks to Paul Toensing, LT,
USN Ret for this contribution! :)
Sweet ~ Up and working.
T - "TANGO"
TACAN ~ TACtical Aid to Navigation. Navigation aid which provides bearing and
distance (slant range) between it and an airplane.
TACTS ~ Tactical Aircrew Combat Training System. A system of computers,
sensors, data pods, and graphic displays that permits real-time depiction of an
aerial dogfight. TACTS is an integral element of Top Gun training.
Tank ~ Refuel
Tango Uniform ~ Polite phonetics for "tits up"; broken, not
functioning.
Texaco ~ An aerial tanker. e.g. KC-135's
Three Down and Locked ~ Landing gear down and ready for landing. A required
confirmation call prior to landing at Air Force bases. Pilots who fly
fixed-gear aircraft are known to modify this call as "three down and welded".
Three-Nine Line ~ Imaginary line across your airplane's wingspan. A primary
goal in ACM is to keep your adversary in front of your three-nine line.
Throttle Back ~ To slow down, take it easy.
Tickets ~ The jobs, billets, and accomplishments you need to climb the totem
pole (the tickets get "punched").
Tiger ~ An aggressive pilot.
Tits Machine ~ A good, righteous airplane. Current airplanes need not apply,
this is a nostalgic term referring to birds gone by. By all accounts the F-8
Crusader was a tits machine.
Top Off ~ Fill up with gas.
TransPac/Lant ~ To cross the Pacific or Atlantic by ship or aircraft.
Trap ~ An arrested landing on a carrier, a helo landing into an RSD (rapid
securing device)
Trick-or-Treat ~ If you don't make this pass. you have to tank.
Turkey ~ Nickname for the F-14 Tomcat (when landing, the movement of its
control surfaces makes it look like a turkey).
Tweak ~ To fine-tune or adjust.
Twirly ~ Anti-collision beacon on an aircraft.
U - "UNIFORM"
Up ~ Working, not broken.
Up on the Governor ~ When someone is about to have a tantrum (term comes from
the device that keeps the engine from overspeeding).
Up to Speed, or Up to Snuff ~ To understand or to know what's going on.
V - "VICTOR"
Varsity Play for the Deck ~ A skillful landing attempt.
VSTOL ~ Very Short Takeoff and Landing. Also VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and
Landing) The AV-8B Harrier is a VSTOL (VTOL) aircraft. Capable of vectoring its
jet thrust to shorten its take-off roll or even to rise and descend vertically.
Vulture's Row ~ A viewing gallery on an aircraft carrier's island where you can
watch flight operations.
W - "WHISKEY"
Warm Fuzzy ~ Feeling of confidence or security. When things feel right.
Warthog ~ Universal nickname for the A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support
aircraft.
Wash Out ~ To not make the grade at flight school.
Waveoff ~ When the LSO orders a pilot not to trap.
Whiskey Charlie ~ Phonetics for "Who cares"
Whiskey Delta ~ Phonetics for "weak dick", a pilot who can't cut it.
Such a scurrilous term that it's almost never used.
Winder ~ A Sidewinder missile.
Wingman ~ Second pilot in a two-ship pair. responsible for ensuring that his
leader's six o'clock remains clear.
Workups ~ Putting a ship through certain tests and exercises before going on
cruise.
X - "X-RAY"
Y - "YANKEE"
Z - "ZULU"
Zero-Dark-Thirty ~ Technically a half-hour after midnight, but commonly used to
describeany event that is scheduled to take place after midnight and before sunrise.
Zone 1 ~ Minimum afterburner in the Tomcat.
Zone 5 ~ Maximum afterburner in the Tomcat.
Zoombag ~ Flight suit.