To get you ready for CBS’ new reality-based drama, American Fighter Pilot (though, really, how ready do you need to be for TV?) we’ve assembled some of the lingo commonly used by the men and women who make up these fighter squadrons.
With this pithy guide in hand (or simply on your screen) you’ll be in the know as these tubs fly sorties against bogeys. See, it’s useful already!
(AFP premieres Friday, March 29 at 8:00 p.m. on CBS.)
GENERAL TERMS
Boner — a new pilot at the 95th Fighter Squadron at Tyndall AFB
B-word — term used instead of bombs… the word “bomb” is not said because pilots who fly F-15 Eagles do not drop bombs.
Call Sign — pilot nickname… received after first solo flight at solo party
Centrifuge — a machine that is used to test pilot G force tolerance
Cranium — term used for head… the word head is not said
Crud — a full contact, rugby-like game played around a pool table in the squadron bar. Some Navy pilots play this game as well, but it is primarily an Air Force tradition.
Eagle — Air Force F-15
G’s- the force of gravity
IP — instructor pilot
Jeremiah Weed — a syrupy bourbon alcohol that is drank from a 200mm bullet casing. The pilots say it tastes like Jet Fuel and Syrup
Mr. Bones — the mascot of the 95th Fighter Squadron at Tyndall AFB
Morted Out — dying in an airplane or in combat
Roll Call — on Friday nights when attendance is taken at the squadron bar
Sim — simulator; used for flight training
Solo Party — a secret, traditional party thrown to celebrate the first solo flight in the F-15 by the student pilots
FLIGHT TERMS
Aileron — on each wing that rolls the airplane
Canopy — glass bubble over the pilot
Control Zone/chilly — imaginary area behind jet… kill zone… defenseless
Elevators/Stabs — on the tail that make the airplane go up and down
Knots — speed measurement for jets… based on the curvature of the earth
Lift Vector — imaginary line that comes out of the top of the jet… used for engaging another jet
Merge — two airplanes crossing each other at high speed
Nose — front of the jet
Nose Position — where front jet is in relation to bandit (enemy plane)
Planform — amount of the bandit’s jet that is seen by the pilot
Rudder — on tail that creates side-to-side motion for the airplane
Scissors — two jets weaving back-and-forth
Tub — two-seater F-15 training jet
Turn Circle — circular path that the airplane makes as it turns
WEZ — weapon employment zone
1 circle fight — airplanes turn on one circle after a merge (see “turn circle,” “merge”)
2 circle fight — airplanes turn on two separate circles after a merge (see “turn circle,” “merge”)
4 forces of flight:
Thrust — forward
Drag — backward
Lift — upward
G (gravity) — downward
[PAGEBREAK]
AIR TRAINING TERMS
ACM — air combat maneuvers
ACT — air combat tactics
Afterburner/burner/blower (AB) — maximum power for the jet… engine ignites with flames
Aggressors — squadron of enemies
AIM 9/sidewinder — heat seeking missile
BFM — basic fighter maneuvers
Bandit — enemy plane
Bingo — low fuel warning… return to home
Blower — jet engine
Bogey — unidentified aircraft on radar
Burner Cans — outside covers of the burners
Chaff — defense mechanism against radar-targeted missile… big ball of metal tape
DBFM — defensive basic fighter maneuvers
EP — emergency procedure
Flare — defense mechanism against heat-seeking missile
Flight Lead — first plane in the formation
Fox 1 — fired AIM 9 missile
Fox 3 — fired radar guided missile
Ground Ops — anything that is done before the jet takes off
G-straining — muscle exercise and breathing done to stay conscious during a heavy G maneuver
G-Suit — suit worn for training for pulling G’s
Hack — synchronizing watches at the beginning of a mission
Hook — failing a flight-test
HUD — heads up display/graphic representation
JP8 — jet fuel
Kicking Over — full rudder
Kill/Copy Kill — training term for shooting, or being shot down
OBFM — offensive basic fighter maneuvers
Pickle — dropping a bomb; also used in reference to Marcus Gregory’s wife, Sunni, getting ready to give birth
Pipper — radar targeting (target of bullets streaming from an F-15)
Punch/Punchout — ejecting from the plane
Rage — slang for dog-fight
Sanitize — removing classified materials from a room or area (prior to a civilian entering the area)
Solo flight — the first time a student flies the F-15 by himself
Sortie — flight mission
Stick — controls direction of the plane
Stitched — getting shot with bullets
Throttle — controls the speed and engine thrust
Tone/growl — radar lock
Vault — highly classified classroom, study room, and library… absolutely no visitors
Washing out — failing out of the program
Weapons Shop — tactical library less classified than Vault
Wing Man — flies off the wing of the flight lead
PERSONNEL TERMS
CO — commanding officer of the squadron
Green Belt — ground operations trainee
Ops O — operations officer, oversees day-to-day operations of squadron
SRO — senior ranking officer
