If you are someone who has spoken to fighter pilots or have watched a related movie (Top Gun for example), I’m sure you might have heard a lot of characters use different unique terms when they communicate with each other. It might be quite irritating when they use such terms in day to day life and you just sit there wondering what they are going on about. For years those terms havecreated confusions among civilians. Hence, why I thought, I, as a real world fighter jet pilot, should create a list of “Top 20 military pilot jargon” and try to at least clear any such confusions and doubts my readers might have.
P.S. – I will try to mention real world examples for some of these terms and maybe point out scenes from movies that use the same.
1. Afterburner
This is a feature of specially made turbo fan or turbo jet engines, to increase the overall energy output of the engine. It is done by injecting additional fuel to the exhausted gas to burn any remaining Oxygen particles. This increases the thrust the aircraft engine produces and helps to gain more energy for take-off, during upper air manoeuvres which require higher power, during dog fights to overcome enemy threats. This term is used in different ways around the globe. Some pilots call it burners or some may call it AB, however they all mean the same and is used for the same purpose. (Head over here to understand how taking off with ‘afterburner’ feels like for the very first time.)
2. Bandit
This is a term used to call an enemy aircraft that has been identified to be a threat. Such terms maybe used by pilots, air traffic controllers and ground crew.
3. BINGO fuel
This term is associated with fuel figures. It refers to the minimum fuel that is required to safely return to the airbase utilizing the most economical route, carryout an instrument approach procedure and land without tapping on fuel reserves. It also considers the fuel required to divert to the nearest alternate airfield during any emergency and land in that airfield. If at any moment during a training mission or an operational mission, a pilot notices this fuel figure, he must return to base (RTB) and land as soon as practical.
4. Bogey
When an unidentified aircraft paints on aircraft or ground radar, it is first referred to as a ‘bogey’. A bogey maybe a friend or foe. Hence until proper identification is done, either visually or through radio calls, the term bogey can be used.
5. Circuit
A predetermined pattern an aircraft would fly around a runway that prepares the aircraft to carry out a proper landing. Also known as ‘traffic pattern’ in certain contexts, as it helps the air traffic controllers to handle multiple aircraft coming into land in an orderly manner. Generally, a circuit consists of four to six stages. Namely, cross wind, down wind, base turn, base leg, final turn and final leg. It is the responsibility of the pilot in command to take the aircraft into landing configuration during this pattern and carryout a safe and successful landing.
6. COMBAT fuel
The fuel figure that remains after reducing the BINGO fuel from present fuel. If this is a positive figure, it means you can utilize that amount for unplanned eventualities like avoidance of unfavourable weather and utilise in actual combat. For example if the present fuel value is 1500 kilograms and BINGO fuel is 1000 kilograms, your COMBAT fuel value will be 500 kilograms.
7. Dog fight
This is a very famous term among fighter pilots. It refers to the close engagement of two or more fighter aircraft in air, generally from enemy counterparts. During such encounters, either party may utilize different manoeuvres (I will explain such fighter pilot manoeuvres in my upcoming blogs) to take down the enemy. It is ariel combat of highest calibre and requires a lot of skill and patience. Airborne weapons such guns, close-range missiles and rockets maybe used in dog fights. (In Top Gun 2, during the briefing held between ‘Cyclone’, ‘Warlock’ and ‘Maverick’, where the mission requirements and tactics were discussed, you could hear ‘Maverick’ say “… its a DOG FIGHT all the way home”.)
8. FOX-1
When a fighter pilot in a training mission or actual combat, declares ‘Fox 1’, he has just launched a semi-active radar homing missile at the target. This indicates to the friendly forces that a missile of the mentioned category is now in air. Famous missiles belonging to the ‘Fox 1’ category is the AIM-7 Sparrow.
9. FOX-2
Similar to Fox 1, this refers to the launch of a infrared homing missile like and AIM-9 Sidewinder.
10. FOX-3
Similar to above two terms, this refers to the launch of an active radar homing missile such as AIM-120 AMRAAM.
11. Gravy
Another fighter pilot term mostly used when flying formation (a group of two or more aircraft). Refers to the remaining amount of fuel an aircraft has in its tanks. If the lead aircraft calls out “Request Gravy”, it signals the other aircraft to call out their remaining fuel which will help the leader determine how much longer they can stay in air (endurance).
12. JOKER fuel
This is another term associated with fuel figures but mostly utilized during formation missions. During the pre-flight briefing, formation leader must specify the ‘Joker’ fuel figure and what it means to the mission. It has to be made clear that during the mission, if any formation member declares the term ‘Joker’, procedure briefed during the pre-flight briefing is followed.
13. Knock It Off
A term mostly used during fighter jet pilot training missions. All fighter pilots train to carry out air to air combats and do so with their colleagues and instructors. During such missions all maneuvers, tactics and strategies that maybe used in actual combat are practiced to perfection. During such manoeuvres, if any pilot feels uncomfortable or is not very confident of staying engaged in the tactic, he would call out ‘Knock it Off’ and disengage. This will notify the other member that he is disengaging and will discontinue. (In Top Gun 2, during the encounter between ‘Maverick’ and ‘Rooster’ during Dog Fight training, both pilots put their aircraft in a spiral descent. After recovering, ‘Maverick’ locks on ‘Rooster’ which meant that ‘Rooster’ lost the battle. There you could hear ‘Maverick’ call out “That’s a kill, Knock it Off“)
14. Punch it
Term used among fighter jet pilots, mostly when flying formation. Used when the leader aircraft orders others to increase power and keep up. Generally notifies when the lead aircraft is increasing power to gain speed or altitude. The amount of power that maybe increased is determined on ground during mission briefs (i.e. – if the level flying power setting is 80%, once leader calls out ‘Punch it’, the others know it means to increase power to 93%-95%).
15. Roger That
A very famous term among all pilots and even civilians. This means that the specific person has clearly understood the order given by either ground control station or another pilot from another aircraft. Widely used among civilians as it is regarded to sound ‘cool’ than just saying ‘okay’.
16. RTB
Acronym for ‘Return To Base’, and it literally means what the words say. Mostly used in radio transmission terminology, to indicate that the aircraft is returning to the base it took off from.
17. SAM
Acronym for Surface-to-Air missile. These missiles are mounted in ground stations and used to take down air targets. It is one of the most famous air defence methods used worldwide and generally uses heat-seeking missiles or radar guided missiles.
18. Smoke in the air
This is used during air combat as well. If at any time in an air combat, a pilot declares ‘Smoke in the air’, it means that he has seen a missile being fired upon his own aircraft or another friendly aircraft by the enemy. This alerts all friendly aircraft of the eminent threat and gives time to react and take evasive actions. (In Top Gun 2, during the final mission, soon after hitting the enemy bunkers and when the aircraft come out of the valley, the SAMs fire missiles aiming the F-18s and you could hear ‘Maverick’ exclaims “…smoke in the air, smoke in the air…”.)
19. Splash
Term used by fighter jet pilots mainly during air combat. Used to notify other friendly pilots that you have hit an enemy aircraft with either guns or missiles and is going down.
20. Tally
When fighter jets are in a mission and has eyes on an enemy aircraft that was not visual earlier, the pilot may call out ‘Tally’. This notifies the friendlies that the pilot calling has enemy in sight. (In Top Gun 2, you will hear ‘Rooster’ declare, “Mav, tally 2, five o’clock low”. He is referring to newly visual enemy aircraft approaching them from behind.)