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IT'S NOT A TONKA!


jacksdad

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I think there is a subtle difference between the names though in so much who is using the name,

For example when I was on a Phantom Squadron , we never called the aircraft 'tooms, they were generally just referred to as 'Jets', so 'what time are the last jets down' was a constant shout on nights, or anytime from lunchtime on a Friday... However on the rest of the Station they would generally be called 'Tooms or Phantoms. Outside the wire they were obviously known as Phantoms or 'The Phinest jet the Royal Air Force has ever flown' (or was that just me).

Similarly at Odiham as far as I am aware from a Squadron/Engineering side of things Chinooks were never Wokka Wokkas, they were usually just called Cabs or very occasionally Chinnys or Wokkas. Across the Station Wokka Wokka or Chinooks was Standard.

I guess the point was to shorten names down, so Albert was the usual phrase for Hercules, Fat Albert being no shorter than its real name.

Timmy & Tommy standard names across the Mob as sounding better than Tristar.

Vickers Fun Bus was another service wide name that was not really used when I worked with 101 Sqn.

As for the Tornado, always a Tonka, however I will add that the F2/F3 term use was a standard for the fighters.

I was always under the impression 'The Fin' was directed to the ADV versions as well.

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The Fin.............

sarcasm is a much underrated form of wit outside the mob...

Bi-Star - never heard of it, was that a reflection on the 216 Sqn Air Stewards ? :oops:

Edited by PLC1966
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Similarly at Odiham as far as I am aware from a Squadron/Engineering side of things Chinooks were never Wokka Wokkas, they were usually just called Cabs or very occasionally Chinnys or Wokkas. Across the Station Wokka Wokka or Chinooks was Standard.

Whilst I was at Odiham Chinooks were often known as 44 seater contra rotating flying death bananas. Also agree that they were only known as Wokkas or the mighty Wokka.

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During my time at BAe Warton and Brough (on GR4 avionics), I never heard anyone refer to it as a Tonka ever. Not even aircrew. Then again, we always called the GR4 MLU (Mid Life Upgrade).

Tom.

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OOOOH Deci Red sold in 20 litre plastic jerrycans.....

Oh noooooooooooooooooooooo... I had just about managed to purge that sort of thing from my memory banks. Now it's all come flooding back. Well, not all of it, obviously. Just the start, when it all seemed like a jolly good idea, and the hideous aftermath.

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Deci Red was drinkable ( just ) if you mixed it 50/50 with asti spumanti. I'd left a few spuwy bottle corks in the roof of the old Nags Head before they pulled it down. After 21 Deci dets I was getting used to it!!!!!!

Happy days !!

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Mix Deci red! What sort of protective clothing did you wear? Just a thought would it be a good undercoat for a Red Arrow model, or would it do unimaginable damage to the plastic?

Deci, there's years of therapy down the drain for reminding me.

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Isn't "Chinook" much less of a mouthful?

It's called playing to the crowd! Especially those who worked on lesser helicopters (Merlins, Queenies, Pumas and Teeny-Weenies) :whistle:

There's always been an element of slagging off, piddle taking and general derision between those on different fleets.

Edited by Wez
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Was it aircrew who used the term `Fin'? I just ask because I`ve read a book by a pilot where he used the term and while up in the air in formation the fin is quite a prominent part of the aircraft. I`d thought that it was used more in the F.3 community than the bomber fleet.

As an ex squaddie, back in the 80`s the Army referred to the Chinook as the `Wokka Wokka' or just `Wokka' for short, the Hercules was the `Herk' , `Herky Bird'or `C-130', (I hated the latter!), The VC-10 was the `Vicky Ten' and some called the Tristar `Timmy' (but not many!). As far as I can remember (and there are huge blank spaces!) most other aircraft were just referred to using their real names so that people (officers?) didn`t get too confused. During FAC exercises most USAF aircraft were just F-15, F-16, A-10 etc but during a deployment to Turkey I did hear a C-5 Galaxy referred to as an `Aluminium Overcast' however I don`t think that it was common (its a bit complicated for the Army after all!) and `Big F***er' was also used?

Its been an interesting thread this one,

Cheers

Tony

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It's called playing to the crowd! Especially those who worked on lesser helicopters (Merlins, Queenies, Pumas and Teeny-Weenies) :whistle:

There's always been an element of slagging off, piddle taking and general derision between those on different fleets.

Good accurate stuff Wez and Tonyot. On 33 we called Pumas, Percy's. Tommies are cargo Tristars. Teeny Weenies are any AAC aircraft or Navy Lynxs. Tombs are British Phantoms. Never heard Fin, except when with civvy spotter friends. Frightnings are of course Lightnings.

Chris RAF Odiham

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the Hercules was the `Herk' , `Herky Bird'or `C-130', (I hated the latter!), The VC-10 was the `Vicky Ten' and some called the Tristar `Timmy' (but not many!).

On detachment, whatever aircraft was due to take you back home was known as a "Gozomie Bird".

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On detachment, whatever aircraft was due to take you back home was known as a "Gozomie Bird".

Oh yes...especially when down MPA!...Then it was "the big f.o Gozomie Bird!"

Then you had the "F.O.G"..Falklands Old Guy" when you were nearly at the end of your 4 month tour & then you became the "F.R.O.G" for "Falklands Really Old Guy" for those about to escape...

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Good accurate stuff Wez and Tonyot. On 33 we called Pumas, Percy's. Tommies are cargo Tristars. Teeny Weenies are any AAC aircraft or Navy Lynxs. Tombs are British Phantoms. Never heard Fin, except when with civvy spotter friends. Frightnings are of course Lightnings.

Chris RAF Odiham

And the Argosy were known as the 'Whistling Tit'............

XVTonka (need to spell it right now) :pilot:

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On detachment, whatever aircraft was due to take you back home was known as a "Gozomie Bird".

yes, we used to sit outside the basha at Two Boats on Ascension Island drinking G&T's waiting to watch the VC-10 gozomie Bird come into land....

XVTonka :pilot:

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