How do pilots get their call signs?

SSG Carlos Madden — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 11:10:26 -0400

I'm listening to a former USAF pilot give a talk and he has "Thor" in his title. Did he pick that name himself or did someone assign it to him?

Response by LTJG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 15 at 2017 11:12 AM

LTJG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 11:12:25 -0400

I have a friend who's Callsign is ratface. Because when he says right face his Alabama accent forces him to pronounce it "rat..... FACE!"

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 15 at 2017 11:42 AM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 11:42:23 -0400

SSG Carlos Madden from what I understand, and what my buddy going through flight school right now, it is given by others. Kind of like a nickname - you can't give yourself a nickname, others give it to you.
Glad I won't be going to flight school - they'd be calling me Pappy...LOL!!!

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Jun 15 at 2017 11:45 AM

Lt Col Jim Coe — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 11:45:06 -0400

The use of personal call signs outside of the flying environment came after I left the Air Force in 1991. It was and probably is most prevalent in the fighter pilot environment. The movie "Top Gun" popularized the practice.

As an airlift pilot, we used two sets of call signs when flying. The dynamically assigned call signs were selected from a list and assigned to the mission. Usually a whole flying Squadron used the call sign followed by two or more numbers normally based on a mission designator. This made for some interesting choices such as tug, truck, turgeon, speedy, sanctity etc. It was the copilot's job to keep track of the call sign. The other call sign was the generic "Air Force" with at least the last four digits of the aircraft tail number, such as "Air Force 1861" The FAA and most foreign air traffic control systems were okay with either method of identifying a flight.

The airlines use a word or the name of the airline along with a route designator. For example "Speedbird 1" was the British Air flight from New York to London. It's common to hear "United Flight 257", or "Southwest 098" on the radios. Civilian aircraft in the US use their "November" number or aircraft type and registration number. "November 79-1568" or "Piper 63-0942".

When I was a pilot training instructor, every IP and Student was assigned a call sign. The call sign was composed of a word based on where the officer was assigned, Wing, T-37 Squadron, Student Squadron, etc. As a Wing Safety Officer, I was assigned "Tweet". The number was assigned from a list allocated to the organization, so I was "Tweet 41." The Wing Commander was Tweet 01. Student pilots at Columbus AFB were "Bam" with a number.

Fighter and Attack Squadrons may have more latitude in assigning call signs these days, so they can become nicknames for the pilots. Outside of the flying environment they can be used to impersonally refer to a person to give credit or deflect blame for an action. "Speedy" over there missed the target nine times today. "Bald Eagle 1 has a few words to say about his intercept of the Russian bombers."

Response by SN Greg Wright made Jun 15 at 2017 12:58 PM

SN Greg Wright — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 12:58:09 -0400

Naval Aviators are 'assigned' them by their peers in a tongue-in-cheek ceremony. Often to their chagrin.

Response by 1st Lt Richard Gauthier made Jun 16 at 2017 7:51 PM

1st Lt Richard Gauthier — Fri, 16 Jun 2017 19:51:21 -0400

Usually assigned by group to which he/she is assigned. It can be something to do with a screwup, Hobby, or individual trait. Thor could be a carpenter hammer hence throwing a hammer, could be to do with some joke as in driving like a hammer. It is usually a satire of some sort and is done in good nature and often sticks for life in the military,

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 16 at 2017 9:09 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 16 Jun 2017 21:09:20 -0400

Worked with an Air Force pilot who was called Shotgun. Just figured it had something to do with "riding shotgun" or something like that. Turned out he was called shotgun because when the family dog was terminally ill, rather than pay to take the dog, a poodle, to the vet and pay to put it to sleep, he took matters into his own hands with, yep, a shotgun. Yikes!

Response by LtCol George Carlson made Jun 17 at 2017 1:30 AM

LtCol George Carlson — Sat, 17 Jun 2017 01:30:05 -0400

An Officers Basic School Classmate, and ultimate Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps is still known to all of us by his "call sign." They are, essentially nicknames and not restricted to aviation or US. I spent some time with a Royal Marine Captain who went by "Tex." When I inquired that this seemed an unlikely nickname for a frightfully British officer, he explained. "My uncle was an RM and admired your Georgie Patton. He wore two pearl-handled revolvers which earned him the nickname, Tex. When I joined the Marines, everyone knew I was his nephew and they started calling me, Little Tex. When he retired, they dropped the "Little."

Response by Lt Col Kurtis Sutley made Jun 17 at 2017 10:11 AM

Lt Col Kurtis Sutley — Sat, 17 Jun 2017 10:11:41 -0400

My first, "Mutly" was a takeoff on my last name. My last one, "Rip" had to do with my inability to hold my Soju and Oscar during my "greenbean" run at Osan. I used that one for the rest of my career. I also had an official tactical call sign of "Rodeo" at Langley AFB that honored a fellow pilot that had died of cancer. It had been his and I wanted to keep it going.

Response by SrA Tony Schamberger made Jun 17 at 2017 11:36 AM

SrA Tony Schamberger — Sat, 17 Jun 2017 11:36:32 -0400

They pick it, depending on mission too possibly.
While working Tower ATC at Ramstein AB we had an LJ-35 female pilot who knew how to sound "attractive" (well put it that way) on the radio. She always went by the callsign "Hook69" and generally upon departure when I told her to contact Frankfurt RAPCON she always said as last transmission "wilco, HOOK Sixty Nine". Which was not correct but she was well aware of what she was doing.

It's stuck with me ever since. :) So it's my belief if it's not mission specific or decided from above, then they pick what they want when they file their flightpath.

Response by PO2 Jerri Jackson made Jun 17 at 2017 12:44 PM

PO2 Jerri Jackson — Sat, 17 Jun 2017 12:44:08 -0400

In the Navy, pilots are given their call suligns from their peers. Some are due to the pilots habits, looks, personality, mistakes they've made, what ever. I see their orders everyday n enjoy seeing their call names n trying to figure how they gat it, lol, some I've noticed don't have one, makes me wonder if it's because they're pricks, or just really boring, lol.

Response by MSgt John Taylor made Jun 17 at 2017 6:43 PM

MSgt John Taylor — Sat, 17 Jun 2017 18:43:13 -0400

I had a pilot called "Heater" which I thought was a pretty cool call sign, until I found out that he earned it by leaving his windshield heat on too long, destroying an F-15 windscreen.

Response by Capt Michael Swinehart made Aug 18 at 2019 3:51 PM

Capt Michael Swinehart — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 15:51:45 -0400

Some are inspired/ created by training officers, some by fellow trainees.

Response by A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney made May 26 at 2024 5:05 PM

A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney — Sun, 26 May 2024 17:05:11 -0400

Probably By Phone Or Email.
Unless Of Course, They Happen To Be On A Roof,
Frantically Waiving Flags In The Air, But That Takes Longer