Military Callsigns?

[supsup]

I just started a new job this month and about 1/2 of our flying takes us in out of military bases. I hear many different callsigns like "joseph" or "tomcat". I was just wondering if military a/c have specific callsigns for each type of a/c, or are they just random?

supsup

 

[mudkow60]

At least for the Navy, individual squadrons use their callsign with "tailcode" for most radio comms. For helos at least, this changes to an alpha plus numeric c/s for IFR ops. These alpha numeric call signs are derived from the CAG your aircraft is involved in (Carrier Air Group).

 

[Spur]

AF callsigns are pretty much all over the board. Some have meanings, others are just whatever was left over. One you may hear alot enroute is "Reach", which is an AMC airlift callsign.

 

[Pintarski]

All over the board...

The FAA has an official list for the Navy. That being said, its just the FAA list and other callsigns have been used on occasion. For example, the callsign "UHF ONLY" has been used on good deal cross countries in the S-3B before VHF radios were in the jet. So to answer your question, callsigns come from all over.

 

[Mud Eagle]

The Air Force has what's called a VCSL, or Voice Call Sign List, that tells each unit what their allowed callsigns are. It ensures that callsigns are geographically deconflicted between units.

My understanding is that the callsigns themselves are randomly generated by a computer program.

 

[vschip]

my last squadrons callsign was "misty", but on cross countries, i've used "chowda 5" to maine, "elvis 5" to memphis, and "salmon 5" to seattle

 

[Spur]

The Air Force has what's called a VCSL, or Voice Call Sign List, that tells each unit what their allowed callsigns are. It ensures that callsigns are geographically deconflicted between units.

My understanding is that the callsigns themselves are randomly generated by a computer program.

Well, the VCSL is computer generated, but the only time I have used that was on C-130 missions prior to being assimilated (resistance is futile!) into AMC. I think someone programed the thing to output callsigns that you could actually pronounce, but on several occassions it didnt work-- hard to pronouce a callsign with no vowels!! Sometimes we would just use a local callsign instead... some guys just invented their own. One of our crews used the ACs first name as their callsign and flew back from saudi as "Ivan 01". Fortunately the cold war was over...

However, not all callsigns are computer generated. A few years ago at Vance, the squadron was polled on what callsigns we wanted based on a list of about 10 choices. They were certainly not all computer generated... all had at least one vowel

 

[supsup]

Thanks

Thanks for replying. For the most part i'm enjoying flying at the different bases. Here is another question, is it common to have a atc trainee all the time? Having one person tell you to do one thing then immediately someone else tell you something totally different can be confusing. Especially when we (the CIV's) can only hear half of a conversation between ATC(tower) and military a/c. Last week we had a B1 cut in front of us on final (less than a mile). Other than that I'm definetly enjoying this job. Everyone at Base Ops are very polite and accommodating. I especially like those GROCERY BAG lunches for a $1.60. Keep up the good work.

supsup

 

[Zulu]

sup,
The ATC trainee thing can be very common depending on the base. Back when I was an F-15 IP at Tyndall ( a training base) , there were time's I'd go out with my student pilot, have a trainee crew chief working on my jet, taxi and takeoff talking to a trainee in the tower, another trainee on departure, and then finally a trainee weapons director in the warning area. Same thing in reverse on the way home. Made for some interesting days.

Z

 

[HueyPilot2]

Joseph v JOSA

When you mention the callsign "Joseph", you're actually probably hearing the callsign "JOSA", which is a C-21 operational callsign. It's actually an acronym that means Joint Operational Support Airlift.

 

[weekendwarrior]

Unless you are Army. We don't get cool callsigns! Ours are simply "Army12345". **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED**, what every happened to "Ghostrider" , "Slider" , "Merlin" etc. Now those are cool call signs.

Sigh...should have gone fighter jock..

 

[Typhoon1244]

Can anybody tell me what unit the callsign "Doom" belongs to? I've heard it occasionally...thought it might be B-52's.

How about "Soda?"

 

[Winged Sig 599]

Doom Callsign

I went on an ROTC ASSIST program my sophomore year of college to a heavy/tanker unit. We got a couple of incentive rides on a couple of tankers. When I watched the boom operator refuel a couple of folks, I definitely did hear the BUFF at that time check in as Doom....
Later
Winged Sig

 

[korn]

Lists

Here are a couple of lists of callsigns.....who knows how accurate they are, but I recognize a lot of them:

http://www.the-guide.nl/callsign/callsign/1total.htm

http://members.cox.net/giantkiller-1/callad.htm

http://www3.telus.net/scanvictoria/Callsigns.htm

PS SODA is 135s out of Knoxville.

 

[JCJ]

Doom XX are B-52'a from Barksdale

 

[talondriver]

..and "Tuff XX" is the BUFF training unit callsign at KBAD.

"Czar XX" use to be our BUFF callsign at Fairchild. I believe it's being used by the B-2s now.

 

[Nalo Boy]

whats up

Hey Talon,

Did I fly with you? CBM 02-01 Falcon Flt. (Only Herc on the ceiling tile.)

TW

 

[FightingGravity]

Marine squadrons each get a callsign. My old one was "Rugby."

 

[TgrPlt]

Nalo Boy,
You work for the same state as Auggie?