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Topgun
- Thread starter Boss_BlueAngels
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One spanky in the hand is worth two in the bush.
TurnandBurn55 said:
When I went through survival training in API (that was too long ago!) there was a PR chief teaching physiology who told us the story behind the colored helmets. Her first duty station was Miramar back in the early eighties and they were still allowing the elaborately colored helmets to get done. What the aviators would do is take out to a few places in town and they did the tape jobs the flyers wanted, cost a bit of money according to her. The only requirment was that they be all reflective tape, of any color. It changed right around the time that Top Gun came out in 1986, for the above stated safety reasons. She said the PR's loved it because they did not have to do the tape jobs, apparently they are a pain in the ass. When I was last at the Naval Aviation Museum in 2001 one of the tour guides mentioned that they were trying to get a collection together for a display, maybe one of the studs in Pensacola can ask someone there whatever came of it.
Nowadays, there is usually a standard squadron design that everyone wears. They can be pretty cool (they did a real good job in my squadron) or they can be not so good.
If you had not guessed, my call sign is Flash (I know several other guys with the same one). How did I get it? You know how they call big guys "Tiny"? Well, I ain't the fastest guy in the world sometimes.
Here are some other good ones:
Grass- Great Ass (she does have one)
BUNG- Butt Ugly New Guy
Leno- Huge chin (changed to Reno when we were in Japan)
UncleFester
Hummer NFO To Be Reckoned With
Well, I'm Fester - completely bald and short. SNAP is another I've seen several places (Sensitive New Age Pilot). Waldo, cause you can never find the guy. Powder - bald and very pale complexion. Our FNG is Sling, from his habit of wearing these little bikini briefs (very disturbing thing to see in a crowded 8-man stateroom). Karen Hultgren, the first female F-14 pilot, later died in a crash off the Lincoln, was "Revlon" from showing up at the squadron after a photo shoot (for some "women of today" type magazine thing) still wearing the heavy makeup - see the book about her, "Callsign Revlon". My all time favorite is Fishnet, a guy in my RAG class who was so hairy (think Missing Link) he once caught a fish in his chest hair while swimming in Pensacola Bay. Maybe a b.s. story, but I talked to at least 3 guys who swear they were there when it happened.
Usually after you first get to a squadron, callsigns get bandied about by the j.o.s, trying to find one that fits. I find callsigns become "official" when you get called up to the front of the ready room for something and everybody yells it out, and/or, it's how the skipper starts referring to you.
As for the helmet thing, squadrons usually have a common scheme, though much less ornate than the ones in the movie, and your callsign is usually on the back, not the front, so you can find it on the rack in the paraloft.
Usually after you first get to a squadron, callsigns get bandied about by the j.o.s, trying to find one that fits. I find callsigns become "official" when you get called up to the front of the ready room for something and everybody yells it out, and/or, it's how the skipper starts referring to you.
As for the helmet thing, squadrons usually have a common scheme, though much less ornate than the ones in the movie, and your callsign is usually on the back, not the front, so you can find it on the rack in the paraloft.
UncleFester
Hummer NFO To Be Reckoned With
It's a rare 'tracom' callsign that sticks. even rag callsigns are usually 'temp' callsigns. don't expect to get a real one until you get to your fleet squadron. my theory is that callsigns can only properly be given when you're on the bottom of the heap.
TopGun ???'s for a paper
I was wondering if anyone could give me information on how you get selected to go to TopGun, and anything else about it that might be interesting to know. I am writing a paper on it for my practicum class. Also if anyone here has attended TopGun, what was it like for you?
Thanks so much for the help
Bri
Pilot(sel)
I was wondering if anyone could give me information on how you get selected to go to TopGun, and anything else about it that might be interesting to know. I am writing a paper on it for my practicum class. Also if anyone here has attended TopGun, what was it like for you?
Thanks so much for the help
Bri
Pilot(sel)
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