Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

It's "Sierra"... not "Sugar"

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web
Here's out of the brevity word list I have access to in the office:

Champagne: "An attack of three distinct groups with two in front and one behind. The leading two groups are attempting to bracket, with a trailing third group flying up the middle." I imagine that, from 180 degrees aspect, it looks like an inverted champagne glass.

Stinger is similar: "A formation of two or more aircraft with a single in trail." I guess the difference would be that champagne is a group of elements, whereas stinger is a single formation.



Then there's the story about the stud that told FW Center that he had "PARROT BENT." haha.
 
I heard a Sugar Lobster yesterday in ATL...
 
Swede said:
each aptly named something like The Chernobyl Glower, Goat Rodeo, Midget Rugby, Hair-On-Fire, and the always popular Polish Heart Attack. :D

A RAF exchange officer I once flew with used the 'Exploding Bucket of F*ck' as a bandit, which was also aptly named.
 
Since we're on another phraseology kick...I talked to a retired Wash center supervisor today, and he likes the use of "With you".

I'm so confused. :(
 
Rez O. Lewshun said:
When ATC makes a traffic call, why is the response Looking or Tally {ho} better than Negative Contact or In Sight? It is not. So why use Looking?

Because 100% of the time I use "negative contact" the controller responds with "maintain visual separation."

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein
 
I knew a corp. guy who flew around this biz jet ending in "WW" that's "whiskey, whiskey" He insisted on calling it "double shot". A total embarassment.
 
ferlo said:
I knew a corp. guy who flew around this biz jet ending in "WW" that's "whiskey, whiskey" He insisted on calling it "double shot". A total embarassment.

Did any controllers actually get that. Sorry I hate to keep adding to a ancient thread.
 
It's a good thread worthy of ressurection. The winner for worst use of callsign so far must be the "Shug Shug" example. :puke:


When I was interviewing, post military, and in the 707 simulator, I used the term "Wilco," a perfectly acceptable .mil term. The sim instructor backhanded me (drew blood) and said "Don't EVER say that again, or I will be forced to kill you."
 
Gorilla said:
It's a good thread worthy of ressurection. The winner for worst use of callsign so far must be the "Shug Shug" example. :puke:


When I was interviewing, post military, and in the 707 simulator, I used the term "Wilco," a perfectly acceptable .mil term. The sim instructor backhanded me (drew blood) and said "Don't EVER say that again, or I will be forced to kill you."

Really? Seems like most controllers like the term and complain that pilots say "Roger" when they should be saying "Wilco" (Will Comply). It's standard FAA phraseology too, not just mil...
 
Okay, I have to be a dork. What is wrong with wilco? I can't stand "roger wilco" but just "wilco" has its use.
 
Way2Broke said:
Okay, I have to be a dork. What is wrong with wilco? I can't stand "roger wilco" but just "wilco" has its use.

I still think it's OK, I just don't use it personally and rarely hear it on VHF. It's a very efficient term. "I heard your instructions, understand them, and will comply."

Maybe since we have to read back almost all ATC instructions, Wilco becomes useless, so we drop it.

In this case, since the Sim-P controlled my destiny, I just nodded and said "Yes Sir."
 
Gorilla said:
Maybe since we have to read back almost all ATC instructions, Wilco becomes useless, so we drop it.

It is very effective when taxiing. Ground only requires runway crosses and hold shorts to be read back. Not sure why guys read back "wait for the 737, follow the ERJ...blah blah blah....

Gorilla said:
In this case, since the Sim-P controlled my destiny, I just nodded and said "Yes Sir."

Wow.... not sure if he can defend that to anyone... workplace harrasment, physical violence... this is Air Line Pilot training.... not Full Metal Jacket....

Did you regress into total military recall and shout out...

THANK YOU SIR MAY I HAVE ANOTHER!!!!
 
Last edited:
"Wilco" has its uses -- short and sweet.

I'm going full-circle here to say I am GUILTY of Sugar Fox'ing.

I flew a XXX Sierra Foxtrot for about a year once, and that particular letter combination is a real tongue twister (for me, at least). In the first place, a lot of people have trouble with Sierra (you hear a lot of "Sahara" out there). In the second place, Foxtrot is also a trot too long.

Sugar Fox is easy to pronounce, and short. I know, I know: it's wrong. But you fly around trying to spit out Sierra Foxtrot all day (especially if you have a 6 or 7 in the numbers), and see how so many sibilants in sequence seem to suck suddenly.
 
It always been my understanding from the AIM that you could use whatever term you wanted when calling out tail letters as long as the term was "clear and unmistakeable" or something to that effect.

From what paragraph in the AIM to you gain that "understanding?"
 

Latest resources

Back
Top