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Pilot Callsigns

The web's largest collection of callsign stories
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The Three Rules of Callsigns

  1. If you don't already have one, you will be assigned one by your "buddies".
  2. You probably won't like it.
  3. If you complain and moan too much about 1. and 2., you'll get a new nickname you'll like even less!

So, how do you get a callsign?

Do something stupid or have it fit with your last name. Obvious examples, 'Crash' or LT 'Cheese' Kraft. Sometimes it's based on a physical appearance thing like 'Carrot'. After you've earned the respect of your buddies, you'll get a more 'heroic' callsign.

Add your callsign to the list

Submit a Callsign - and don't forget the story!

Most recent additions

Our callsigns list contains 1809 callsigns. Here are the latest additions:
HeiHei
 (added: 10 Mar 2025)
Whenever he drank (even a little), this guy often became unaware of his surroundings and was accident prone. Also easily distracted when in that condition. Named after the incredibly stupid chicken in the Disney film “Moana”.
SCAT
 (added: 26 Mar 2025)
My last name is Scott, so my buddies started calling me SCAT because it was close to it. "Self Centered American Tween," is the meaning they gave it on the fly, so what ever rhymed, sticked. Ironically, the only thing that correctly described me was 'American.'
Hannibal
 (added: 3 Dec 2024)
As in Lecter – One of our Squadron (21FS) Flight Surgeons, also an F-16 Pilot who, while flying a six-ship of Vipers trans-pacific, nauseated us with stories of becoming hungry when smelling cauterized human flesh in the operating room.
Pid
 (added: 30 May 2024)
First name Stuart

Get it? Let me spell it out for you: Stu…Pid.

RIOT
 (added: 27 Feb 2024)

Dutch Viper driver who misidentified the target and accidentally strafed the control tower at the Cornfield range (Vliehors) in Nov 2013. Rolled In On Tower - RIOT.

Despite multiple direct hits to the control tower, the two occupants of the tower miraculously got away unharmed.

F-16.net note: The ammunition used was the 20 mm TP-RRR M2 (Target Practice-Reduced Ricochet Risk) projectile, fired from the GAU-4 20mm Vulcan.

Elsa
 (added: 17 Feb 2025)
FNG wasn't looking where he was going, and fell into a frozen lake despite everyone warning him about it.
Postal
 (added: 21 Feb 2025)
Tended to have some small aggression issues, and once tried to justify it with "It's about sending a message". Sending messages, like the postal service.
Rabbit
 (added: 28 Jan 2025)
My dad earned the call sign Rabbit after a few of his buddies commented on how he had had four kids before the age of 30. He later earned the nickname Merlin, due to his ability to make things happen, as if by magic.
History
 (added: 8 Feb 2025)
History always repeats itself. The guy had a pretty bad stutter.
Dash
 (added: 10 Dec 2007)
Dumb A$$ Sh*t, a friend of mine got called that after throwing up all over the CO's shoes after a night out.
Morning
 (added: 8 Jun 2024)
Last name Wood
Free Willy
 (added: 3 Dec 2024)
Prowler ECMO who used the relief tube, and forgot to zip up until he stepped out of the aircraft.
Dino
 (added: 3 Dec 2024)
An NFO from EA-6 days, this young lady had a habit of talking really, really fast and in a high pitched voice whenever she got even a little excited. The resulting sounds were just like the noise made by the Flintstone’s dog, Dino.
FFAG
 (added: 18 Dec 2024)
Friendly Fire Against Girls

A pilot in my squadron happened to like making a few minor sexist jokes against women, the only thing is she was a woman too, hence "Friendly Fire Against Girls".

Clyde
 (added: 22 Dec 2024)
About a week in my first fleet squadron, routine flight to boardman range or so I thought. Weather went to hell and it’s raining and foggy and at night. Somehow we got bombs on target and then I went to hit the tanker and misjudged my closure and collided with the basket and tore it off.
Cobalt
 (added: 22 May 2010)
When I was 14 I had cancer in my leg. the doctors replaced my left tibia and knee with a cobalt and titanium replacement. I told my buddy in the squad and the next day he says "morning, Cobalt" and it stuck
Agony
 (added: 3 Dec 2024)
A man named Payne
Air-Fix
 (added: 3 Dec 2024)
Pretty vain and looked like a model apparently… i.e. air fix model. He was a crew chief though, not a pilot – hence the fix part…
YANG
 (added: 3 Dec 2024)
Yet Another Non-Guy. Apparently female.
Truffle Pig
 (added: 5 Dec 2024)
Only one who remembered the coordinates during orienteering.
Tumble Weed
 (added: 3 Dec 2024)
A 6 Foot 6 (2m) helicopter pilot with “Weed” as his formal callsign. He fainted at a Change of Command Ceremony… thus he bacame “Tumble Weed”.
Omelet
 (added: 3 Dec 2024)
Dutch pilot who wanted to be called Bouncer because he used to be one at a club in Holland. Bouncer in Dutch (Uitsmijter) also means grilled egg. The squadron decided that Bouncer sounded too cool so they called him Omelet. Lesson Learned: NEVER ask for your own callsign.
Electroman
 (added: 3 Dec 2024)
This guy was like electricity with the ladies: he took the path of least resistance.
Headless
 (added: 3 Dec 2024)
CDR, USN, S-3 Pilot … the guys last name was “Horstman”
IRIS
 (added: 3 Dec 2024)
I Require Intense Supervision. Female NFO who would get blackout drunk and wander off to do stupid things.
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