Military Callsigns - a brief explanation

Stewart Pearson · Post by **Stewart Pearson** » 14 Jun 2007, 22:16

VulcanDriver wrote:Or use:
[General]
atc_type=SILENT
atc_model=Tornado

Which will make ATC say Tornado. I've nver heard real-life ATC say British Aerospace Tornado as most, if not all, pilots should know what a Tornado is!

John

Hi John,

I've never been sure if the "silent" command works with user flown aircraft or if it only applies to AI ones.

Can you confirm?

Cheers

Stew

VulcanDriver · Post by **VulcanDriver** » 15 Jun 2007, 20:10

Hi All

I've just tried

[General]
atc_type=SILENT
atc_model=Tornado

and I can confirm it does work. ATC says Tornado. But I prefer using the Torn designator as it the word Tornado is pronounced correctly! So my entry looks like this:

[General]
atc_type=SILENT
atc_model=Torn

Which is fine if you have the ATC window turned off as I do.

HTH

John

Stewart Pearson · Post by **Stewart Pearson** » 15 Jun 2007, 22:58

Hi John,

Thanks for confirming that. I didn't want to confuse Neil with the TORN one

Glad you like it.

Cheers

Stew

EJ · Post by EJ » 06 Aug 2008, 20:08

I have the list of all Spanish Air Force and Navy aircraft callsigns.

I don´t know how made a callsign, but if someone of the MAIW STAFF could get it, please, contact me.

jinx · Post by **jinx** » 10 Feb 2009, 11:59

If you are speaking of US Navy callsigns, they are never the two-code letters on the fins (eg AG, NK , etc) which denote the air wing (CVW), they are never the designation of the squadron ( eg VFA-41). They often are a general name like Foxtrot, for example, with the buzz number on the nose (I.e. Foxtrot 201). Often, they are also the nickname of the pilot, as it usually appears on the canopy rai, and on the squadron roster in the ready room--the board that hangs on the wall with all the sqn a/c and pilots. In this case obe can onlu guess or find photos or see documentaries like the acclaimed CARRIER ( 10 one-hour episodes of great quality covering a 6-month cruise of the USS Nimitz in 2005 and made by Mel Gibson) and get names from there.

You can further write or email the PAO of any US Navy carrier air wing or squadron and ask for call sign names--they may give them to you. They are great guys and I once asked for photos and they sent them to me--recently, too.

maddog65 · Post by **maddog65** » 10 Feb 2009, 21:24

Jinx,
I would have to disagree with you on the USN Callsigns
When I was doing my TACAN check with a/c out in the op area I was talking with Roman 105 and 106. Roman being VFA-106 the Gladiators.
About the only squadrons using the two letter tail code is the C-9's and C-40's.

Les

jinx · Post by **jinx** » 10 Feb 2009, 23:06

Les,

You are saying the same thing as me when above I mentioned Foxtrot +buzz number ( no. on nose).
And no fighters would us the CVW codes (AG, AA, NK, NF, etc etc ) they have painted on their fins. Other-role a/c may be using them, though it sounds unusual and exceptional to me, but I do believe you as you were there. Some of these other role a/c only have a single number on the nose and that may have something to do with it, as it would sound funny to call the bird "5", all by itself. RD5 would be more pleasing if the code were RD. Do you see what I am getting at?

I also know that some final digits of the buzz numbers on the nose were never given to aircraft in the mid-eighties, to avoid confusion of some sort or because of a computer software bug--I do not remember what the men told me then on the IKE in the Med.(Pilots told me on the carriers.)
Now I do not remember if that number was 4, or 9 or whatever. That is 104-204-304 or 109, 209, 309 etc. I do not know if that policy has changed since.

Victory103 · Post by **Victory103** » 10 Feb 2009, 23:12

The buzz number is the MODEX number. Some squadrons will have a set number of callsigns they use. Sometimes they will use the modex number (ie the number on the nose) or a tactical number set for that flight, as lead might be ROMAN 11 and his wingman ROMAN 12. In my helo squadron, we used our mascot as the callsign during most local training flights. On long x-country IFR flights, we would use the Navy+Air Wing code+modex( NAVYAA610). According to the publication regarding callsigns, units have the option of using the service code version or tactical callsign, which will not exceed 7 characters/numbers and must be pronounceable for the flight plan/ATC.

CelticWarrior · Post by **CelticWarrior** » 11 Feb 2009, 08:08

I'm pretty sure that the nickname of the pilot isn't used (unless, that is, you want 'Hollywood' AI).

All callsigns are allocated centrally to avoid confusion, units can't pick and choose callsigns on a random basis. That would just lead to utter confusion and could be fatal.

I'll give you an example; on an FAC mission in an operational theatre you can just imagine the havoc that would be unleashed if two callsigns rocked up using the same callsign. It just doesn't happen. There are NATO and national documents that allocate callsigns. There are inevitably duplications, but those are limited to units who would never share the same airspace, i.e. transport and attack. Sometimes callsigns are allocated for a specific mission and often aircraft will have two callsigns dependant on the mission - one for ATC, one for tactical use.

When I was an ABFAC (Airborne Forward Air Controller) my ATC callsign was Army Air *** but my tactical callsign was Spindle (with a number allocated by higher formation).

jinx · Post by **jinx** » 11 Feb 2009, 09:38

It is certain, as can be seen from what friends say here, that callsigns are subject to regulations set from above, whether they be modex numbers or something else. Beyond that, there are bound to be some exceptions on occasion, and it is possible these can be for special exercises or special types of flights, like Nevada or Fallon stuff or TopGun or Tiger Meet or air shows, etc., or even local theater ops in the Mideast or Afghanistan or wherever. The opertation themselves, if war, dictate callsigns also.
So one cannot set a rule that is infallible. We can onl approximate and we can also be sure when we have the information from first hand, i.e. the unit personnel or people themselves who fly the birds or are their ATC controllers.

GZR_Sactargets · Post by **GZR_Sactargets** » 11 Feb 2009, 16:16

A long time ago, SAC published lists by unit, operation, etc on a regular basis. We were usually briefed on our callsign as a part of mission preparation. We also carried a slim manual with the current callsigns. Some were standard and didn't change. The various SAC command posts had permanent callsigns. HQ SAC, 2nd and 8th AF for example. On long missions such as Chrome Dome, the HQ transmitted messages in the blind with authentication codes. We also made periodic mission reports to them.

The joke was that SAC had a guy in a closet and when they needed new callsigns, they threw him a piece of bread. He would then give them a new callsign to use.

In VN units had a permanent callsign and aircraft used that with a number. The 361st TEWS was in EC-47s. Our call sign was Prong.
The RF-101s were Polka dot. Some FACs were Nail. I don't recall any others but probably could if I really thought about it.

There was also the infamous Falcon codes. Those were numbers and used as shortcuts for transmissions. Most were completely unofficial and sometimes vulgar. For example, "101" was here comes another *******
Lieutenant colonel. The numbers for TACANs or Bases were also used to make a position report.

Joecoastie · Post by **Joecoastie** » 13 Feb 2009, 04:44

Back in the last century(1961-1971), when I flew H-3's (actually back then they were HSS2-N's) our squadron (HS-3) callsign was TROUBLESHOOTER followed by the side number. Our side numbers were 50 through 67, side numbers are not to be confused with the BuNo of each aircraft (eg BuNo 149699 was side number 56). We used TROUBLESHOOTER while ashore at NAS Norfolk, but when the Carrier Air Group deployed onboard we all used the ship's callsign of ATLAS (USS Intrepid CVS-11). The three fixed wing squadrons and our helos of the Carrier Air Group all had unique side numbers - VS-24's were 10 through 19 and VS-27's were 20 through 29. VAW-33 had 3 digit side numbers I believe. So when a/c were out at sea on ops if you heard "ATLAS 54 squawk ident", you knew it was a helo being asked to trigger the IFF and "ATLAS 15 bingo fuel" was a fixed wing S-2F running short on fuel and wanted to land rather soon.
Back on shore if we filed a flight plan with ATC to fly cross country the call sign was always NAVY and the last four numbers of our BuNo - "Washington Center, NAVY 9699 requests direct Snow Hill".
Was assigned to HS-1, HS-7, and VX-1. I also flew off of the USS Wasp CVS-18 and USS Yorktown CVS-10, but for the life of me I can't remember any of their call signs.
Gonna have to dig through some of my old Navy junk and see if I find/remember anything.

Joe

Victory103 · Post by **Victory103** » 13 Feb 2009, 05:48

Great info Joe and yes TROUBLESHOOTER is one of HS-3's (soon to be HCS-XX) callsigns while at NAS Jacksonville. I was in HS-15 "Red Lions".

jinx · Post by **jinx** » 13 Feb 2009, 08:54

Joe's information is indeed very precious, as it further contributes to our knowledge of the subject. Soon we may have enough information here to write a small nook on callsigns. That would be a nice project for an ambitious writer.

At lease we now can use some of this information in the sim, though the sim itself may not be able to support long words.

Cheers

GZR_Sactargets · Post by **GZR_Sactargets** » 13 Feb 2009, 15:15

One of the other missing things is weather advisories and verbal identifiers from some unattended VORs. I recall vividily one flight when I heard over and over. "This is Troy OMNI" , it was followed by a description of an advancing front with heavy rain and high winds." I was already down to about 700 ft and lost. I found myself when I went by the water tower at Marine IL. Turned left and made it into Civic Memorial Airport (now Alton Regional). The front looked like a green shower curtain. I had left Carbondale following my IP. He was in a Cessna Cardinal and I was following in a 172 to bring him back home. He had said nothing to worry about just do a quick preflight and get going. When I got there he jumped in and we immediately took off again, bending hard right to avoid the rain. I cussed all the way back but he just laughed about it. I never again flew without getting a complete weather briefing and doing a full flight plan.

scadawizard · Post by **scadawizard** » 07 Jun 2009, 21:19

Here is a Callsign list that I use in the real world, hope this helps.
http://www.the-guide.nl/callsign/

New Member, joined today. Thanks for the great resource.

GZR_Sactargets · Post by **GZR_Sactargets** » 07 Jun 2009, 23:53

Famtastic. Great work!!

Welcome to the forum and thanks for the guide!

Military Callsigns - a brief explanation

SPANISH AIR FORCE CALLSIGNS

USN CALLSIGNS

Callsigns Source (URL)