Pilot Slang on Radios

[Bog]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

Back in the Fredoom Air days:

That would be in the OLD Freedom days.

[BobDDuck]

You wouldn't believe the number of captains I have to tell to stop saying SCAB over the radio every time Freedom says something these days. I had one try to deny a jumpseater the other day. The kid was like 20 years old and probably hadn't even been in an airplane when the old freedom was flying.

[ColMustard]

Had radio problems the other day under IFR. Talked to the controller afterward, and he kept on mentioning the term "NORDO". Assume that refers to no contact between the pilot and controller, but curious where they get this word from.

Any thoughts?

BTW, to add to the slang, airliners call the "Dawghouse" all the time when coming in visual for Sea-Tac.

-ColM

[Chris_Ford]

Originally Posted by ColMustard

Had radio problems the other day under IFR. Talked to the controller afterward, and he kept on mentioning the term "NORDO". Assume that refers to no contact between the pilot and controller, but curious where they get this word from.

I believe NORDO is what shows up in your block on the radar scope when you squawk 7600. It stands for NO RaDiO

[Nick]

Originally Posted by ColMustard

"NORDO" . . . curious where they get this word from.

Any thoughts?

I think it's just

NO=No
RDO=Radio

[ColMustard]

Makes sense. Thanks!

BTW, folks flying in and out of LAS, do ya still here the Space needle reference for the Stratosphere?

-ColM

[goredbirds]

Heard this a few weeks ago on Miami tower on a windy day.

Controller - "American 1234 the last departure reported some trash blowing across the runway, do you see anything?"

American 1234 - "No sir, that's just an Airbus clearing the active."

[Stone Cold]

Originally Posted by Mr_Creepy

Well you won't hear that anymore. I got a little education from an Orlando controller today. Due to an accident being blamed on the controller for someone who went in to position and hold on the wrong runway (not the one assigned) the NATCO leaders have issued the directive - "No more position and hold because we don't want the liability."

Repeat, this is not from the FAA, this is from NATCO!

(At least that's what I was told today)

I see you haven't been flying in a little while...I posted the ORL controllers ending TIPH when I was down there...slow poke. See the other thread about it.

[Mr_Creepy]

I was just posting my conversation as to why :P

[Stone Cold]

Ahhhh...gotcha! Thanks for the info. Glad to see they didn't just do it for a few days down there (read: to me).

[Mr_Creepy]

ha ha hey thanks for hangin' with me and Gracie. We had fun

[Stone Cold]

No problemo...I had fun too...always good to put a face with the on-screen persona and see how different people are away from the computer.

To hijack the thread, I'll be in TEB Sun-Wed this week (2nd-5th) and some time next week (don't have the dates on me yet) if anybody's in town...

[fish314]

Somebody about 600 posts back mentioned "No Joy" as pilot slang. I think that's actually just adopted military-speak. Here's some more:

Strangle parrot= turn off your squawk
Visual= I can see a friendly
Blind= I can't see a friendly
Tally= I can see a bad guy
No Joy= I can't see a bad guy
Sweet= Your squawk is coming in properly
Sour= Your squawk is NOT coming in properly.

As for some interesting interesting radio chatter, I heard the following on Center once:

Center: "Callsign whatever, what's your type?"
Callsign whatever: "Blonde, slim, well endowed..."
Center: "Roger, have your request, you may have to wait on that one... Now what's your aircraft model?"

[Doug Taylor]

Angels 6 for cherubs 9!

[rickyrhodesii]

Originally Posted by fish314

I think that's actually just adopted military-speak.

I hear this from time to time:

Controller: "N123, traffic 3 o'clock, 4 miles, westbound, Beech 1900, 4,000."
N123: "N123, no-joy, pop-eye"

English translation: "We're in clouds...can't see the traffic."

[Mr_Creepy]

I thought it was "Tally Ho"

[BobDDuck]

No. That's just when they are easy.

[RynoB]

777= light twin to 747 crews

tower: 5RK cleared to land
5RK: We've got the nod to hit the sod.

Tower: Continental 1234, be advised last plane hit a bird on departure.
CAL 1234: Roger, our caterers have been notified.

[jtrain609]

This is a Steve Warmath special.

Once heard a story about some Indian dudes who were flying somewhere in a Seminole. They had the following exchange with the controller.

N123: Center, N123 with request
Center: 123 go ahead
N123: Sir we'd like direct destination
Center: ....ahhh.....sir I show you as slant alpha is that correct?
N123: Yes sir we have magic box
Center: I have your request

They kept asking the guy for direct but he just kept saying, "I have your request"

Another fun one.

I was coming into the Dallas area last summer from Meridian, MS (ATP guys know where that's at). We ended up getting direct Quitman, direct Cedar Creek, direct Arlington. I knew this would NEVER fly once I got close to the Dallas area. So we flew direct towards Quitman for about 300 miles, then we got checked in with Shreveport approach and it went something like this.

N21113: Hey approach Seminole 21113 checkin' one zero ten thousand smooth good evening
Approach: 21113 Shreveport altimeter is 30.00
N21113: 30 1113

5 seconds later

Approach: N21113 approach
N21113: Yeah approach we're ready to copy that ammended routing now.
Approach: (laughing), ok your cleared direct Cedar Creek and the Dodje Three Arrival...actually....just give me direct Dodje resume the arrival, discretion to 8,000'

The guy I was with kind of looked at me funny and said, "How'd you know that we were going to get a routing change." Simple, there's no way in or out of the Dallas area without being on an arrival or departure. Ever. They'd put Jesus himself on the Dodje three, and probably send him all the way to Cedar Creek instead of just giving him direct Dodje!

[Bog]

Originally Posted by BobDDuck

You wouldn't believe the number of captains I have to tell to stop saying SCAB over the radio every time Freedom says something these days. I had one try to deny a jumpseater the other day. The kid was like 20 years old and probably hadn't even been in an airplane when the old freedom was flying.

Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!

I cannot believe how many pompous a*holes out there love to spout off about things they know nothing about. From what I've been told, our ex-MEC Chairman has told every other ALPA MEC Chairman that Freedom is, and has been for 3 years, an ALPA airline. It's been in the Airline Pilot magazine. It's all over the place if these guys would just pull their head out of the sand.

Again, THANK YOU!

[Casper]

Originally Posted by slushie

gotta love Vegas Approach.


I flew with a guy who was a military nav or bomber-dude or something.
ATC: "Archer 12A, verify you want 6000 ft"
Dude: "Charlie"
Me: "?????????"

~~~also~~~
Me: "Man, how come Nellis is ignoring us?"
Dude: "They must be on uniform"
Me: "They're checking gig lines!?"

Nellis and Vegas are horrible...

[Casper]

Originally Posted by ColMustard

Makes sense. Thanks!

BTW, folks flying in and out of LAS, do ya still here the Space needle reference for the Stratosphere?

-ColM

Not so much..pretty much everyone is on "The Strat" page these days.

[Casper]

My favorite was called The Bitch Slap or The Slap at Melbourne, Fl.

When taking off we would normally go from 5 over to 9L for slam and goes with students and then we would request the slap back over to 5 when we were done.




So it would go something like this...especially late night.

Warrior: "Melbourne Tower, FIT 13 Holding short Rwy 5 at Alpha to remain in pattern."

Tower: "FIT 13 cleared for Take off Rwy 5. make left traffic 9L, cleared for the option 9L remain left traffic."

Warrior: read back appropriately.

Then normally the instructor would ask for "The slap" back over to 5 after a few gear rattlers on 9L .

[ROFCIBC]

Originally Posted by Tim

Its so good to know some controllers have a good sense of humor.

Their was one at ATL named Buzz. He was the smoothest controller I experienced in over 3 yrs of moving planes. I dont care how crappy the weather was or if it was the 1700 or 1900 push he kept the planes rolling. And not matter what he always said "have a great flight ya'll "

Ah yes, the great Mister Buzz! On top of his ability to control airplanes he also seemed to have a view out the front of every airplane he was talking to.

On a west downwind for the south runway one day, there was the usual thunderstorm in front of us. About 5 miles away, just as I was about to key the mike and ask for a deviation, Mister Buzz comes on with,

"Delta 1198, I'm going to turn you before you get to that storm." and he did.

A truly amazing individual!

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Originally Posted by ROFCIBC

Ah yes, the great Mister Buzz! On top of his ability to control airplanes he also seemed to have a view out the front of every airplane he was talking to.

On a west downwind for the south runway one day, there was the usual thunderstorm in front of us. About 5 miles away, just as I was about to key the mike and ask for a deviation, Mister Buzz comes on with,

"Delta 1198, I'm going to turn you before you get to that storm." and he did.

A truly amazing individual!

I'm not an airline pilot but I have heard of Buzz. Anyone know if he is still working/retired or at ATL?