Competition; pick Lama’s custom Title

Lama; A little lesson on call signs. Did you ever see the movie “Top Gun”? The only truism in the movie is that Naval Aviators have call signs. The movie didn’t go into this fact much but I have this to pass;

I’ve dubbed many pilots with call signs. If the name is nasty and the pilot balks….it sticks. I speak from experience when I say that many in my profession hate their call signs. I’ll give a few examples of call signs that have stuck.

My uncle is a retired Air Force General. To his face he was called Iron Mike. To his back he was called Iron Ass. His call sign is now Mother as he takes care of his friends and family better than anyones mother. He knew about all of the names and laughs. He knew better than to fight this process as there was nothing he could do about it. He now wears the call sign ‘Mother’ with honor. He earned it after decades of taking care of who counts in his life. Call signs change.

I’ve a very good friend with a call sign I would think cool. He was an F-14 pilot. He hates it but answers to it each and every time it’s called. Few know his real first name. Even his wife named the dog the same thing. What is it? ‘Cowboy’. I asked him years ago to tell me why he earned the call sign. He passed that he’d have to get way too drunk to tell me. It was just too embarassing to relate to a friend. I let it pass.

Twenty years ago I had a pit pilot by the name of Jim Jones. His call sign? Jim Jones. (Google the name if you have questions. That was the reverend that killed 900 of this following in Guyana in the 1970s.) He complained loudly and often. He lost the respect of his fellow pilots. He hated his call sign so much he left the Navy. He just didn’t understand the process.

Currently I have the following call signs working for me.
-Thud
-Finch
-Attilla
-Mary Poppins
-Dr. Evil

There are many more officers in the mix but the point is this; You have to be of note to have a call sign. Like I said, there are lots more officers in the command but they don’t rate a call sign as my current command is not associated with aviation. Those officers are of little note.

Consider it a badge of honor. Like it or not, others will name you because you are important enough to be rated the consideration. If they didn’t….the alternative is….marginalization. Young man, you shouldn’t be marginalized as you’ve much to contribute. So don’t let the bastards get to you with a stupid moniker. After all, I paid good money to name you NMR. That didn’t stick to much of any a degree so don’t sweat the the next round.

My call sign throughout my career as a pilot hasn’t changed. It’s still ‘Beach Boy’. It’s not a complement. It’s deragatory. But everybody calls me ‘Beach Boy’ with the exception of my mother. I think nothing of it. After all, it’s been my name for decades. It’s just part of the life of someone that gets noticed. For good or bad it is the way it is. AKULA

I tried to come up with something better than ‘Head boy’… but I must concede. Thats the best one yet.

It’s my nickname.

This will be my title. 🙂

pequeño muchacho virgen

is my vote

NAMBLA

North American Man/Boy Love Association 😆

I don’t get it. 😛

“Noblama” 😆 😆 😆

If “head boy” sticks, we’re going to have to change it to “wok slayer”.