# Famous Names of Airplanes **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 18, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-of-airplanes/521701 "2009-12-18T01:53:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-of-airplanes/521701/21 "2009-12-18T14:13:43Z")
China Clipper. Southern Cross. Bock’s Car. Rare Bear. Grosvenor House. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-of-airplanes/521701/22 "2009-12-18T14:34:56Z")
\*nevermind … boats aren’t planes \* ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-of-airplanes/521701/23 "2009-12-18T14:40:44Z")
_Jason_ , Amy Johnson’s Gypsy Moth aeroplane on her solo flight from the UK to Australia in 1930. But maybe not so famous now. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-of-airplanes/521701/24 "2009-12-18T14:50:05Z")
[Lady Be Good](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Be_Good_(aircraft)) ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-of-airplanes/521701/25 "2009-12-18T14:54:10Z")
Messenger. NC-4. Lady Be Good. Maxim Gorky. Iron Annie. Cannibal Queen. In the Air Force One series: Sacred Cow. Independence. Columbine. 76000. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-of-airplanes/521701/26 "2009-12-18T14:56:06Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > [MacCready Gossamer Condor - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossamer_Condor) I didn’t remember the Gossamer Condor, but I do remember when the [Gossamer Albatross](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossamer_Albatross) flew. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-of-airplanes/521701/27 "2009-12-18T15:07:30Z")
[Miss America](http://www.missa-racing.com/), a famous P-51 racing airplane. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-of-airplanes/521701/28 "2009-12-18T15:14:54Z")
“Flying Laboratory” is apparently what Amelia Earhart called her Lockheed Electra. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-of-airplanes/521701/29 "2009-12-18T15:20:30Z")
The Josephine Ford. June Bug. G-EAOU. In the Douglas World Cruiser family, _Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, and Seattle_. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-of-airplanes/521701/30 "2009-12-18T17:41:40Z")
Do nicknames given after a memorable event count, even if it was never the official name of the plane? If so, then I submit the [Gimli Glider](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_Glider). The name really stuck - I know someone at Air Canada who said that it was much more common in her department to refer to the aircraft as the Glider than as C-GAUN. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-of-airplanes/521701/31 "2009-12-18T17:59:23Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > I didn’t think SpaceShipOne counted, it’s a space ship. According to the FAA, it’s an airplane. Specifically, a glider; N328KF. ```auto Aircraft Description Serial Number: 001 Type Registration: Corporation Manufacturer Name: SCALED COMPOSITES LLC Certificate Issue Date: 03/20/2003 Model: 316 Status: Valid Type Aircraft: Glider Type Engine: None Pending Number: Change None Dealer: No Date Change Authorized: None Mode S Code: 50706357 MFR Year: 2003 Fractional Owner: NO ``` ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-of-airplanes/521701/32 "2009-12-18T18:01:06Z")
My Little Ship Old Crow Gee Bee Winnie Mae SB2C Hell Diver (AKA **S** on of a **B** itch **2** nd **C** lass) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-of-airplanes/521701/33 "2009-12-18T18:15:28Z")
I made a coding error in my previous post. ‘Pending Number: Change None’ should be ‘Pending Number Change: None’ Not that it matters, since I was just pointing out that SpaceShipOne is officially a Glider. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-of-airplanes/521701/34 "2009-12-18T18:52:43Z")
Do commercial airliners get names, even unofficially and/or colloquially? As in, _this_ Southwest Airlines Boeing 747 is known to the crew as “The Brick With Wings” and _that_ Southwest Airlines Boeing 747 is known to the crew as “Moanin’ Lisa”? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-of-airplanes/521701/35 "2009-12-18T18:55:32Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > As in, _this_ Southwest Airlines Boeing 747 is known to the crew as “The Brick With Wings” and _that_ Southwest Airlines Boeing 747 is known to the crew as “Moanin’ Lisa”? [http://www.southwest.com/about\_swa/airborne.html](http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/airborne.html) > [@](#): > > With over 500 aircraft, Southwest has one of the youngest fleets in the nation, with an average age of approximately nine years. Included in the fleet are three flying killer whales, the “Shamu” aircraft; “Lone Star One,” painted like the Texas flag, to celebrate Southwest Airlines’ 20th Anniversary in a style and manner second to none; “Arizona One,” a symbol of the importance of the state of Arizona to Southwest Airlines; “California One,” a high-flying tribute to the state of California; “Silver One,” our 25th Anniversary plane; “Triple Crown One,” dedicated to the Employees of Southwest Airlines for their marvelous achievement of five consecutive annual Triple Crown awards; “Nevada One,” a high-flying tribute to the state of Nevada; “New Mexico One,” also known as Zia, painted in the bright yellow of the New Mexico flag; “Maryland One,” emblazoned with an artist’s rendering of the Maryland flag; and the newest addition, “Slam Dunk One,” symbolizing Southwest’s special partnership with the National Basketball Association. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-of-airplanes/521701/36 "2009-12-18T19:03:38Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Do commercial airliners get names, even unofficially and/or colloquially? At some airlines, it’s formal. British Airways names each of its planes, with a different theme for each type. Pan Am used to as well, and I’ve seen names on KLM noses too. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-of-airplanes/521701/37 "2009-12-18T19:30:29Z")
[L’Oiseau Blanc](http://www.check-six.com/lib/Famous_Missing/White_Bird.htm), gone without a trace trying to cross the Atlantic. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-of-airplanes/521701/38 "2009-12-18T19:45:59Z")
America. Tingmissartoq. Question Mark. Ole Miss. Mystery Ship. Solution. Super Solution. Mister Mulligan. Excalibur, Exeter, and Excambian. Ze plane! Ze plane! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-of-airplanes/521701/39 "2009-12-18T20:06:16Z")
[Utah Man](http://www.alumni.utah.edu/continuum/winter95/UTAHMAN.html) ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-of-airplanes/521701/40 "2009-12-18T20:47:40Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > Do nicknames given after a memorable event count, even if it was never the official name of the plane? If so, then I submit the [Gimli Glider](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_Glider). The name really stuck - I know someone at Air Canada who said that it was much more common in her department to refer to the aircraft as the Glider than as C-GAUN. Small claim to fame: I’ve actually flown aboard the Gimli Glider before she retired. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-of-airplanes/521701.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-of-airplanes/521701.md?page=3)