ANGELS | Height of friendly aircraft in thousands of feet. |
ARCING | The use of a cut-off against another aircraft to gain closure. |
ANGLE OFF | The angle between the defender's logitudinal axis measured in terms of degrees that the attacker must turn. |
ASPECT ANGLE | The angle between your flight path and the bogey's flight path, measured from the bogey's six o'clock |
AWACS | Airborne Warning and Control System |
BANDIT | Comfirmed enemy aircraft |
BALLISTIC | Out of airspeed, unable to maneuver. |
BEARING | The horizontal direction to or from any point, usually measured clockwise in degrees |
BFM | Basic Fighter Maneuvers |
BINGO FUEL | Briefed fuel state at which RTB must commence. |
BITCHIN BETTY | Nickname for the female voice in the cockpit VMS (voice Message System) |
BLIND | No visual contact with FRIENDLY aircraft; opposite of visual |
BLOW THROUGH | Directive/Informational call that indicates aircraft will continue straight ahead at the merge and not turn with the target(s). |
BOGEY | An unidentified aircraft. |
BREAK | An emergency turn in which maximum performance is desired instantly to destroy an attacker's tracking solution. |
BULLSEYE | An established reference point from which the position of an aircraft can be referenced (usually in bearing and range). |
BURBLE | Buffeting of an aircraft caused by the disruption of airflow across the control surfaces. |
BVR | Beyond Visual Range |
CHICKS | Friendly aircraft |
CLEAR | Your six-o'clock is clear. |
CLOSING | Bandit/Bogey is getting closer in range. |
CLUEDO | Total loss of situational awareness. |
COME OFF (left/right/high/low | A directive call to turn after attacking to maintain mutual support or deconflict supporting fighter roles. |
CONTACT | Radar contact; accompanied by bearing and range. |
CONTINUE | Maneuver for attack; (expect cleared hot for air to ground attack). |
CORNER VELOCITY | The minimum airspeed at which an aircraft can fly at max. G |
COVER | Assume a prebriefed supporing position. |
DASH | Flight profile maximizing speed, usually a very high altitude straight line flight |
DEFENSIVE | Maneuvering to deny weapons parameters. |
DEFENSIVE SPLIT | A fluid separation by an element of two aircraft in an attempt to seek a favorable position on any attackers. |
DELTA SIERRA | Dog Sh*t,; "The visibility is Delta Sierra". |
DISENGAGE | Cease air-to-air maneuvering. |
DIVERT | Proceed to alternate mission/base. |
DWE | Pronounced DWEE, pilot slang for "Damned Whizzo Ejected" |
EGRESS | Route of exit from combat area |
ELEMENT | The basic fighting unit (2 aircraft) |
ENGAGED | Fighter aircraft is maneuvering to attain or deny weapons release parameters. |
EXTEND | Gain energy and distance with the possible objective of reentering the engagement. |
EYEBALL | Fighter with primary visual identification responsibility. |
FAC | Forward Air Controller, e.g. the RAVENS |
FENCE IN | Signal to arm weapons |
FOX ONE | Radar guided missle has been fired. |
FOX TWO MIKE | A heater (AIM9M heat seeking missle) has been fired |
FOX TWO | A heater (AIM9L/P heat seeking missle) has been fired |
FOX THREE | Gun is fired. |
FOXTROT UNIFORM | F*cked up; "My radar is Foxtrot Uniform". |
FRAG LIST | List or targets in order or priority. |
FURBALL | Large gaggle of engaged fighters. |
GATE | Maximum thrust. |
G-FORCE | The force of gravitational pull. At rest the body feels ONE G |
GLOC | G-induced Loss of Consciousness. (blackout) Comes from allowing the blood to drain from the brain under stress of G forces. |
GRAPE (HAMFIST) | An easy opponent. See whiskey delta |
GRAY OUT | Loss of vision due to stress of G-forces; the blood has drained from the eyes and vision is obscured or gone. Pilot is still conscious and aware. |
HI-SPEED YO-YO | An offensive maneuver designed to counter an overshoot by converting airspeed into altitude in an effort to match an opponent's turn and reposition for the attack. |
HOUNDOG | Tally, visual, and "I'm in a better position to engage the bandit and ensure deconfliction". |
JINKING | Erratic defensive maneuver designed to deny a firing solution to the attacker. |
JOKER FUEL | Fuel level, where the pilot needs to be thinking about returning to base. This level is just above the Bingo level |
JUDY | I have visual contact with the target and only require situational awareness information. |
KILL | A call to indicate kill criteria has been fulfilled. |
KNOCK IT OFF | Terminate the engagement/maneuver immediately. |
LAG PURSUIT | Pointing the nose behind the bandits flight path in order to increase the distance between the aircraft. |
LEAD PURSUIT | Pointing the nose ahead of the bandits flight path in order to cut across his turn circle. |
LETHAL ENVELOPE | The vulnerable area behind an aircraft to which an attacking aircraft can fire his weapon and expect a kill. |
LOITER | Max conserve airspeed. |
LO-SPEED YO-YO | A maneuver designed to increase rate of closure and at the same time allow an attacker to slide inside an opponent's turn radius using radial "G" and by converting altitude into airspeed. |
LUFBERY | A circular tail chase. |
MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE | The best possible aircraft performance for the existing conditions of airspeed, altitude and attitude. |
MAXIMUM RATE TURN | That turn at which the maximum number of degrees per second is achieved. |
MERGE | Point at which aircraft approach each other and radar returns have come together. |
MIL | Abbreviation for milliradian, an angular measurement. One degree equals 17.45 mils. More importantly to a pilot, the mil can be used as a measurement of distance. One mil covers over a one foot tall object at 1000 feet range. |
MINIMUM RADIUS TURN | The airspeed at which maximum "G" can be sustained producing the minimum radius in feet for that altitude. |
MUSIC | Enemy radar jammers are active. |
NO JOY | Pilot does not have visual contact with the target or bandit; opposite of TALLY-HO |
NORDO | Radio inoperative. |
OVERSHOOT | When unable to remain inside the enemy aircraft's radius of turn. |
PADLOCK | I have tally and cannot look away without risking loss of visual contact. |
PERCH | Set up for basic maneuvering. |
PIGEONS | Magnetic bearing and range to a specific point. |
PLAYTIME | Amount of time an aircraft can remain on station (usually limited by fuel state). |
POPEYE | Flying in clouds or an area of reduced visibility. |
PRESS | Call to continue attack/mission. |
PUMP | A tactic that involves turning away from the bandit(s); implies an intent to re-engage. |
PUSH (channel) | Go to designated frequency. |
RTB | Return To Base |
RAVENS | Members of the Steve Canyon program in the secret war in Laos during the conflict in southeast Asia. Gentlemen they're not, brave bastards they are. |
SANDWICHED | Positioned between attacking aircraft. |
SCISSORS | A defensive maneuver in which a series of turn reversals are executed in an attempt to achieve offensive potential after an overshoot by the attacker. |
SHACKLE | One weave, a single crossing of flight paths. |
SHOOTER | Aircraft designated to fire ordnance. |
SICK | Equipment or system partially inoperative. |
SIERRA HOTEL | Outstanding; great; wonderful (I't don't get any better than this) (Shit Hot) |
SNAP SHOOT | A high angle-off or passing gun shot. |
SPIKE | A threat warning of enemy air radar with lock-on |
SPIKE MUD | A threat warning of enemy ground radar with lock-on |
SPIT OUT | An unintentional exit from the engagement; implies intent to re-enter. |
SPLASH | Target destroyed. |
STRANGLE (____) | Turn off equipment listed. |
TACTICS | "Maneuvering of forces in contact with the enemy so as to achieve an objective in an air battle." |
TALLY-HO (TALLY) | Visual sighting of target/bandit; opposite of NO JOY |
TERMINATE | A directive call to stop an engagement. |
TRACKING | Act of maintaining the aiming index (pipper) on the target while employing the weapon. |
TRAIL | Formation of two or more aircraft following one another. |
TUMBLEWEED | Indicates lack of situational awareness; no tally; no visual, no clue. |
VERTICAL SCISSORS | A descending scissors-type maneuver. |
VERTICAL SPLIT | A fluid separation by an element in the vertical plane in an attempt to achieve favorable position upon an attacking element forced into an overshoot. |
VISUAL | Visual contact with friendly aircraft. Opposite of blind |
VMS | Cockpit Voice Message System (Bitchin Betty) |
WEAVE | Continuous crossing of flight paths. |
WEEDS | Indicates aircraft is operating close to the surface. |
WEZ | Weapons Employment Zone. |
WHISKEY DELTA | Term for a non-aggressive figther pilot. |
WILCO | Will comply. |
WINCHESTER | Stores exhausted; unarmed. |