As an Air Force veteran for 15 years, I would like to offer myself as an authority on certain military matters, and most things Air Force.
So, ask away! (I can’t disclose any classified information, and this is in no way to be considered the official voice of the USAF.)
Do you love me?
Is there a procedure for naming individual fighter jets, or is just an informal naming by the pilot?
What position did you hold in the Air Force? Is there a general resentment of pilots by non-pilots, a disdain the other way around, or is it really as happy and friendly as the ads would have us believe?
(And do you also think that the new Air Force logo looks a lot like the Decepticons logo from Transformers?)
Hi, Bluesman! Where the hell have you been hiding lately? 
Do B-2 pilots get to paint creative nose art on their aircraft?
I dam’ sure do…always will. If you were Korean, you’d be what Air Force guys call a “hammer”. It’s a compliment, and is in no way a slur.
Sample use: “My hammer can make the finest bulgogi south of the 38th. And you can’t GET bulgogi north of the 38th. So, my hammer’s better than your hammer.”
Sample retort: “Well my hammer can polish boots better than your hammer, AND her uncle owns a darts bar. So MY hammer’s the best.”
Ya see? A hammer is a very important person in the life of an Air Force guy.
You’re my hammer.
Yeehaw!
Ya know, the old custom of naming an airplane was seen as kinda “old school” after Vietnam (that wasn’t a good thing back then; anything military was seen as evil, Neanderthal, disreputable). The custom died for a few years, while the military made some HUGE mistakes in PR and image-polishing.
The military mind was convinced that it had to be more “scientific”, more like a business. It tried to be politically correct, to project an image that said, “We take no joy in this profession, but somebody has to do it.” In that day and age, something flippant like naming weapons systems just smacked of “Laughing Cavaliers” and “Happy Warriors” a bit too much, and the generals went completely overboard convincing people that warriors approached their profession reluctantly.
It was a disaster, and a few years ago, it began to change. In the meantime, it had almost ruined the military’s culture, a uniqueness that binds the people together, and makes them a cohesive team.
One of the things that was re-introduced was the concept that it wasn’t a weapons system, it was a magic carpet. A $30 million-dollar magic carpet that did amazing things to protect our country. It was owned by it’s unit, and they were proud of it. It was babied and cossetted and bragged about, and you can’t very well do that with something known by a serial number. “NEGATIVE, sir, that’s MY airplane, and I’ll thank you to call her by her given name, ‘Helluva Roar’, and not THREE-OH-SIX, like she was a goddam’ item off a goddam’ Chinese fuckin’ menu! Sir.” (Crew chiefs are kinda salty, sometimes.)
Most units have a tradition of where their plane’s names come from. For instance, the B-2s at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, are all ‘Spirit of [American city]’. Fighter units usually name their airplanes something pugancious and aggressive, and the pilots, commanders, crew chiefs, or any combination may name 'em, depending on that unit’s tradition.
I’ve had four (!) specialties in the Air Force: Vietnamese linguist, flight planner/dispatcher, civil/industrial engineer, and my present and BEST occupation: signals intelligence analyst.
I wouldn’t say there is any resentment toward pilots, but it is an acknowledged fact that if you are to get anywhere NEAR the top ranks in the Air Force, you almost have to be a rated pilot. We are an aerospace force, so it kinda stands to reason that if you’re going to lead that force, you must be able to fly airplanes.
But there is a bit of ‘them - us’ feeling when either the fliers or non-fliers bring it on. For instance, there is a bit of truth in the stereotypical swaggering loud-mouth hot-stick fighter jock, and because people expect it from 'em, when it inevitably happens, the reaction is, ‘See?’ On the other side, I used to work with an intel officer who had a real hard-on for rated pilots, and referred to them as ‘fighter chimps’, ‘trash haulers’, or ‘mud movers’, depending on what they flew.
All in all, though, we’re all pretty matey, and get along well. We’ve had ‘TEAMWORK’ drilled into our heads since the very first day of Basic Training, so if you get that negativity, it’s unusual. And the memory tends to stay with you.
Where have I BEEN? Fightin’ the war, baby!
I think the only thing that’s on any of the B-2s is the airplane’s name. Nose art is common these days, but I think there’s the persistant feeling of not being TOO showy with the most expensive airplane ever built, and one whose use is a matter of the greatest national concern. (See my reply, above.)
Also, the whole point of stealth is to be low-observable, and ANYTHING that detracts from that is right out. Everything on the outside of the aircraft is radar-absorbent, so special paint would have to be used. And tests have shown that the old white pilot’s helmets could be seen from over FIVE MILES AWAY, so no shark’s teeth designs, either.
Bluesman, thanks for answering my question about aircraft names with a much involved question than I expected. That was highly interesting reading.
I did have another question based on a comment you made: does the Air Force really consider itself an aerospace organization? I mean that not to take away from the fine job of the aeronautical forces, but I’ve always felt that NASA really needed to do better in training their own pilots from the ground up, taking the huge lock the Air Force has on Pilot and Commander positions on the Space Shuttle. Yes, I know they’re the qualified ones - I just feel NASA should lose it’s dependence on the military for pilots.
Hmmmm…wandered off my topic a bit. Sorry 'bout that.
Actually a better follow up question would be who chooses call-signs for aircraft.
The AF DEFINITELY considers itself an aerospace force. Most of this nation’s destructive potential is in the form of ICBMs, and the AF operates a large part of our satellite constellation. Space vehicles like these, and a few other exotics (some of the experimental projects, like the X-15, operated just outside the atmosphere), are AF owned and operated.
And that’s principally why NASA looks to military personnel in general, and AF crews in particular, for its people. It is SO difficult to train a person in high-performance aerospace vehicles that you are forced to get ‘em where you can. The only feasible solution is to hire those very few people that already have 10-20 years’ experience. You just can’t do that in-house.
And why would you want to? I’m not sure I understand why you feel that NASA is dependent on the military, or that it’s a bad thing. It’s more like a partnership, and it’s workin’ GREAT!
Callsigns for aircraft are generated several ways:
by circumstance (Air Force One is only AF1 while the President is aboard, and ANY AF aircraft is AF1 when the Prez is aboard),
by mission (such as Air Mobility Command’s regular flight numbers, comparable to an airline’s),
by mission planners (for example, they may designate Combat Air Patrol as ‘Buick’ flight, strike aircraft as ‘Chevy’ flight, tankers as ‘Dodge’ flight, etc.), or
by function (for example, Search and Rescue (SAR) helos are ‘Jolly Green XX’, while SAR escorts are ‘Sandy XX’).
And sometimes, they are named on a whim. While I was on Kadena Air Base, Japan, the 13th Air Division commander, Brigadier General Ralph Browning, always kept a fully-armed and fueled F-15 on a 10-minute alert, ready to launch if Russian bombers out of Cam anh Bay, Vietnam, came too close, or worse, had hostile intent towards Kadena. (This even though defense of Japanese airspace is NOT an American responsibility.)
Anyway, he designated his own callsign: McCarthy Zero-One. Get it? Red-baiter, commie-hunter.
What’s the intelligence branch of the Air Force called? Like the Army’s G-2 (I hope I have that right), etc. And if one was considering joining said Air Force, how would one angle themselves toward that career path?
(What? I’m hijacking the question for my own shameless personal self-advancement? Nahhhhh.)
Just what is it about men in uniform?? I’ve worked around them for 27 years and I still have to stop and look. I seem to recall you were particularly dashing the one and only time we DopeFested…
[sub]<now the obligatory stoopid question>[/sub] My friend Mike was in AF Intel - in Omaha… did you know him??
Do aircraft fly those painted vertical stabilizers in combat?
How fast was the SR-71…never mind.
So, is the Aurora real?
Why are you called Bluesman? BTW, I grew up near Mather AFB, and my high school was full of air force brats.
Any interesting contrast/comparison between the people who fly the various craft, i.e., F-14 pilots are all (fill in the blank)?
How many support people per fighter?
Not to open a big honkin’ can o’ worms, but how do you feel about women flying combat sorties? Good idea? Bad idea? Never gonna happen intentionally?
What’s the most outrageous flying you’ve ever seen? Heard of?
Are you a pilot? If not, would you like to be one? What would you want/not want to fly?
Can’t… resist…
Please hammer, don’t hurt 'im.
dodges incoming missile
I do have a question though…
What is your favorite aircraft, modern or historical, and why?
I can’t speak for Air Force, but the Navy has authorized female combat pilots since 1993. Here’s a story from the Chicago Sun-Times about one of our pilots bombing Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, named only Sara for security reasons:
http://www.suntimes.com/output/terror/cst-nws-bomb24.html
Gives a short overview of female Navy pilots over the past decade or so. There aren’t many, but they’re a’coming.
Oh, and personally, I say if they’re good, they can fly.
I’m kinda interested in your take on female fighter pilots, too - I knew Jeannie Flynn (the first female fighter pilot in US history, and as far as I know she still flies F-15E’s) in college and I’m still proud to say “I knew her when…”.
I’ve been seeing your posts around since I got here, and i never made the connection between “blues” and “blue suit” - I thought you just really liked Muddy Waters and BB King…