Mike,

Nothing has changed. You only hear callsigns on the comms when it is
between aircraft and that is seldom. Now in the ready room, O'club.... that
is a different story.

You made me think of an old friend named Dick Richards. He was the lead
test pilot on the F/A-18 program with Ken Grubbs as #2.

You have to wonder what parent would name their child Richard Richards?
Well, Dick did pretty good for himself. Went on to NASA and flew 3 shuttle
missions. Grubbo is a test pilot at Lockheed. He was one of 2 Navy test
pilots who flew the F117 program out of Tonopah before they went public.

JD


"Mike Kanze" wrote in message
...
Not trying to pick a nit here, but what we're really talking about here
are
individuals' squadron nicknames - NOT callsigns.

The only time I ever heard radio transmissions directed to "Foggy" Bottom
or
"Smokey" Stover was over the squadron base frequency. At all other times
(in the pattern, talking to ARTCC, etc.) it was "Lizard 504" or "Navy
95512".

Unless things have changed and RT discipline has taken a weird turn since
I
last flew, I think a part of the problem lies with the movie TOP GUN,
where
"Maverick", "Slider", "Charlie", etc. are referred to as callsigns.

--
Mike Kanze

436 Greenbrier Road
Half Moon Bay, California 94019-2259
USA

650-726-7890

"I've had a lot of calls asking if my dog Ernest was running for Governor.
I explained to each caller that Ernest died several years ago, to which
the
usual response has been, 'So what?' Come to think of it, would a dead dog
running for Governor make California look any more weird than it already
does?"

- Al Shugart, Chairman - Friends of Ernest (San José Mercury-News,
8-16-03)


"Bob McKellar" wrote in message
...


C Lee wrote:

I flew with a "Fudge" Packard and a D'jock "Strap".

Giz
"Elmshoot" wrote in message
...
There was a Tomcat with the guys last name was Packer maybe his
first
name
was
Larry but I don't remember. Call sign
"Fudge"
My call sign, "Sparky"

A few questions about the whole call sign thingie:

1: When did it start?

2. Is there an official component to this silliness, such as a central
registry? Is it on a squadron level or higher up?

2 (A). So what about duplicates/recycling?

3. Is this a Navy/USMC only practice?

Bob McKellar