So AK would be assigned to the 389th TFS and perhaps be the 11th aircraft. 2 Test a/c HA F-100D/F USAF 174 TFS, 37 TFW Phu Cat 1967 - 72 The DL is Ching Chuan Kang AB, Taiwan assigned to the 776th TAS. This is not the same as the serial number, bureau number, or aircraft registration which provide unique . is equipped with F-4E, F-105, RB-66 and C-130 aircraft. The 18th Wing would have received "KA" for Kadena during this renaming, but the abbreviation was already in use by the 457th Tactical Airlift Wing in Vietnam. The most noticeable differences between the F-4G and the F-4E were the chin pod full of antennas, that replaced the fairing for the 20-mm cannon in the F-4E, and a second pod mounted at the top of the vertical tail. The 32 TFS maintained the CR tail code after AFM66-1. HO F-4D USAF 417 TFS, 49 TFW Korat TDY from Holloman '72 Given that background information, below is a list of current tail codes used by the Navy and Marine Corps. RAF and USAF never run away. Free Online Library: Air Force aircraft tail markings. The U. S. Navy's aircraft visual identification system uses tail codes and modex to visually identify the aircraft's purpose and organization. (Weapons, Illustration) by "Airman"; Military and naval science Military aircraft Statistics Tail Fins (Vehicle) . RC EB-66 USAF 41 TEWS, 355 TFWg Takhli 1968 - 69 In most cases, the first digit represents the last digit of the fiscal year, and the remaining digits identify the four-digit sequence number. On the first of April 1972, the tail code system changed with USAFE with the implementation of AFM66-1, wing maintenance concept. (ANG/ACC), F-16C/D, GA, 116th FW, Dobbins ARB, Ga. (ANG/ACC), F-15A/B, GA, 165th AG, Savannah, Ga. (ANG/ACC), C-130H, GF , 321st MG, Grand Forks AFB, N.D. (AFSPC), HH-1H, HA, 185th FG, Sioux City, Iowa (ANG/ACC), F-16C/D, HAFB, Ogden ALC, Hill AFB, Utah (AFMC), F-16, F-4E, HI , 419th FW, Hill AFB, Utah (AFRES), F-16C/D, HL , 388th FW, Hill AFB, Utah (ACC), F-16C/D, HO, 49th FW, Holloman AFB, N.M. (ACC), F-117A, T-38A, AT-38B, HH-60G, F-4E, HT, 46th TG, Holloman AFB, N.M. (AFMC), AT-38B, HV, 30th SPW, Vandenberg AFB, Calif. (AFSPC), UH-1N, HW , 24th Wing, Howard AFB, Panama (ACC), C-21A, C-27A, C-130E/H, CT-43A, UH-1H, IA , 132nd FW, Des Moines, Iowa (ANG/ACC), F-16C/D, IL, 182nd AG, Peoria, Ill. (ANG/ACC), C-130E, IS, 85th Group, NAS Keflavik, Iceland (ACC), , HH-60, JZ, 159th FG, New Orleans, La. Not only have those symbols stood to represent a unit, they have served as markings that give each unit member a sense of belonging and pride. EL AC-47 USAF 3 SOS, 14 SOW Nha Trang 1966 - 71 Gilroy R. Baca. A-1Es of the 518th FS carried codes like KWA and KWC, with the smaller K and larger W being the squadron identifier and the smaller A and C being the aircraft identifiers. Afterall how could say a fighter squadron carry the groundcrew with them ? Air National Guard units usually use the two-letter state abbreviation (AL, AZ, DE, NM, PA, etc) as a tail code. The codes are squadron specific and do not identify either the Marine Air Group (MAG) nor the Marine Air Wing (MAW) to which the squadron belongs nor the air station at which it is based. (World War II) Eighth Air Force tail code Circle W. 125th Fighter Wing (2,645 words) case mismatch in snippet view article find links to article National . September 5, 2020 in Aircraft Cold War. This is an organized list of all of the active aircraft squadrons that currently exist in the United States Air Force, sorted by type. FO F-4C/D USAF 497 TFSq, 8 TFWg Ubon - INSIGNIA CAMOUFLAGE & STENCIL US MARINE. CR Tail Code: USAF 32 TFS Military Airplane Pictures. The "wrap-arounds" subsequently morphed to various shades of gray with some aircraft continuing to this day with black tail-codes and others with contrasting gray tail-codes. The flag ship usually has a special fin flash that represents the specific squadron or wing and is the assigned airplane for the unit commander. Air Mobility Command (AMC) aircraft do not use the two-letter identification number. LT COL Larry Whitford. Making a MiG-Killer Technology and Signals Intelligence for Air-To-Air Combat in Vietnam - From Balloons to Drones. EF AC-119G USAF 17 SOS, 14 SOWg Nha Trang Shadow Schiffer Military Aviation History. Anyone have a definitive list/answer? EK A-37B USAF 8 SOS, 14 SOWg Bien Hoa HS F-100D/F USAF 612 TFS, 37 TFW Phu Cat 1966 - 69 Certainly at Wildenrath in late 80's a similar story was around 60Sqn never beingallowed back to the UK after abandoning Groundcrew out in the Far East in WW II. Colors called out for install are Red #45, White #46, Blue #47, Med Green #42, Olive Drab #41, Black #44, Yellow #48, and . Tail code of the USAF 1st Fighter Wing displayed on an F-15 Eagle.. Tail codes are the markings usually on the vertical stabilizer of U.S. military aircraft that help to identify the aircraft's unit and/or base assignment and occasionally other information that is not unique. The exception is those squadrons assigned to a Navy Carrier Air Wing which use the Carrier Air Wing's tail code. Training Command aircraft use a single-letter tail code which identifies the aircraft's training wing. A total of 52 new antennas, associated with the APR-38 radar homing and warning system, were added to the F-4G. The 32 TFS maintained the CR tail code after AFM66-1. To the right are the last 3-digits of the serial number. Prior to 1992 the 23rd was based at England AFB, Louisiana (EL code), where they flew A-7Ds before the current A-10s. HO F-4D USAF 7 TFSq, 49 TFWg Takhli TDY from Holloman May thru Oct 72 McFarland & Company. The list is then in order by location, with a list of units assigned to that location. and P-51B 42-106559 had 2106559 painted on the tail. UP F-4D USAF 35 TFSq, 31 TFWg Korat TDY from Kunsan Oct 72 After the 35th TFW disbanded [number reassigned to the former 432TFW - see WW below] the code has been used intermittently by the Georgia ANG, F-15As at Dobbins AFB and E-8Cs at Robins AFB). OY F-4D USAF 555 TFSq, 432 TRWg Udorn Arrived Udorn May 68 Whilst at RAF Gutersloh it was said that 3 Sqn could not return t the UK, due to leaving ground crew to their fate when leaving France in WW2. Typically, units of different commands co-located at the same base use different codes. Took the words out of my mouth! Early designations showed a relationship between the code and the location of the wing. From Tuy Hoa, the squadron conducted combat operations. It's a fantastic book ! Lord Riot JE F-105D USAF 44 TFSq, 388 TFWg Korat During Vietnam theychanged often -- presumably as a security measure. To add some more info. was chosen because the ZZ code was already used by the 457th Tactical Airlift Wing's Kilo Company at Cam Rahn Bay in Vietnam, and because the wing was . I don't own the Tail Code book myself, but browsed it on the shelves of a LHS (sadly now defunct) on more than one occasion and just never had the budget for it. This is not the same as the serial number, bureau number, or aircraft registration which provide unique aircraft . This happened with aircraft wearing special or experimental camouflage paint, particularly during the Vietnam War deployments. RM F-105D USAF 354 TFSq, 355 TFWg Takhli The tail code on all the F-4's was FC (we said it stood for F **king C old). Search and rescue helicopters and light transport aircraft assigned to naval air stations or naval air facilities use a code consisting of a number (seven or eight), followed by a letter unique to each air station/facility. Three proud tails of C-130E aircraft in protective revetments at Tan Son Nhut Airbase Vietnam in 1972. Is that book Tail Code worth getting? SC F-4E USAF 336 TFSq, 4 TFWg Ubon TDY from Seymore-Johnson Apr 73 thru Sep 73 ET A-1E/H USAF 6 SOS, 633 SOWg Pleiku Spad HO F-4D USAF 8 TFSq, 49 TFWg Takhli TDY from Holloman May thru Oct 72 The Secret Vietnam War: The United States Air Force in Thailand, 1961-1975. document.write(""); 366 TFWg Da Nang Each Squadron a/c had specific letter . Tail Codes. CS Tail Code: USAF 480 TFS / 366 TFW Military Airplane Pictures. Jump to: Board index C-130 Hercules General C-130 Forum, Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 1 guest. EL AC-47D USAF 3 SOS, 14 SOWg Pleiku Spooky HB F-4D USAF 389 TFS, 37 TFW Phu Cat 1969 - 70 So each squadron shared the same tail code when part of the same Wing. WP AC-130H USAF 16 SOS, 8 TFWg Ubon 1974 Wanted to create a master C-130 tail code list for references. (ANG), F-16A/B, FT, 23rd Wing, Pope AFB, N.C. (ACC), A/OA-10A, F-16C/D, C-130E, FW, 122nd FW, Fort Wayne, Ind. HO F-4D USAF 9 TFSq, 49 TFWg Takhli TDY from Holloman May thru Oct 72 Patrick Martin - Tail Code HG F-111A USAF 428 TFS, 347 TFW Korat 1974 - 75 EA AC-130A USAF 16 SOS, 8 TFW Ubon Spectre Copyright 2023 DOCER.TIPS. HB F-4D USAF 389 TFSq, 12 TFWg Phu Cat 12 TFWg reactivated Phu Cat Mar 70 AA - AZ F-4C/D USAF 389 TFSq. Glasser, Jeffrey D. (1998). The design should not have too many details. Jun 11, 2011 #6. AC RF-4C USAF 12 TRSq, 460 TRWg Tan Son Nhut US Navy F-4s flew their first combat sortie as part of Operation Pierce Arrow on August 5, 1964. The 48 TFW started with the LK tail code, before switching to LN during F-4D conversion. In Memory of Capt Carl Edwin Jackson-a C-123 Pilot. In June 72, the Air Force issued order AFM66-1 which was intended to bring the tail codes in line with the allocation of aircraft at Wing level. The FF code is also used by the co-located, the two-letter state/territorial USPS mailing abbreviation, Full List of U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps Aircraft Tail Codes, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tail_code&oldid=1028602891, Tail Code - The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings by Patrick Martin, Published 1994, Hook Code - United States Navy and Marine Corps Aviation Tail Code Markings 1963-1994 by Patrick Martin, Published 1994, This page was last edited on 14 June 2021, at 23:20. (ANG/ACC), F-15A/B, SM, Sacramento ALC, McClellan AFB, Calif. (AFMC), A-10A, EF-111A, F-111F, YF-117A, T-38A, SP, 52nd FW, Spangdahlem AB, Germany (USAFE), F-16C/D, A/OA-10A, SW, 20th FW, Shaw AFB, S.C. (ACC), F-16C/D, A/OA-10A, TF, 301st FW, NAS JRB Fort Worth, Texas (AFRES), F-16C/D, TH, 181st FG, Terre Haute, Ind. 531st: 300-349. blue spinner and tail band. px (ANG/ACC), A/OA-10A, MD, 135th AG, Baltimore, Md. function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} Since 1993, the U.S. Air Force (USAF), Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard (ANG), except Air Mobility Command (AMC) aircraft, utilize this format in all tail codes: two large letters, followed by two digits printed in a smaller text size, followed by three more digits printed in a larger text size. As a result, the single two-letter tail code now designated entire wing. In any case it would not be something to blame on the pilots or the rest of the unit, orders are orders and in certain cases evacuating the aircraft quickly was the best thing to do. EA AC-130A USAF 16 SOS, 14 SOW Nha Trang 1968 . Terence M. Murphy and his radar intercept officer . Marine tail codes do sometimes change temporarily while the unit is embarked on an aircraft carrier or amphibious assault ship. I was going to mention that, I recall those also. [2][3], All aircraft assigned to a unit, or in the case of ANG units, the entire state, use a common code. AD tail code retained by VAW-120, VFA-106, VA-42, VA-43, VA-45, VA-174, VF-101, VS-27. A - AR, AS, AT 1, 30, 32 TRS 10 TFW RAF Alconbury, L - LR, LS, LT 492, 493, 494 TFS 48 TFW RAF Lakenheath. 54-0709-Star of Con Air. Probably not as 60 Squadron are in the UK, RAF Shawbury, and part of the newly numbered 1FTS. +++ DISCLAIMER +++ Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. From Fort Vancouver Yellow Pear to Santa Anna, these, Prevent & Address Internal White Tissue in Tomatoes | How to Maximize Potassium Uptake and Reduce Fungal Diseases, Tomatoes are a popular and nutritious vegetable that can be grown in gardens around the world. Code Aircraft Unit Location Command; AC: General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon: 177th FW: Atlantic City, NJ: ANG/ACC: General Dynamics F-16D Fighting Falcon: AF: Various: 34 OG: USAF Academy, CO: ANG/ACC: AK: McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle: 3rd Wing: Elmendorf AFB, AK: PACAF: McDonnell . Expeditionary and provisional units are not listed. At the same time it isn't one of those books that you'll read for pages at a time to enjoy a story, it is indeed more of a reference book that you'll likely consult whenever you need that certain information. In January 1973 several inter wing changes occurred including the 26 TRW and 86 TFW switched bases and tail codes RS and ZR. The primary mission of USAF units at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base. One thing to noteis that unless there's been a new edition produced, the book only covers up to 1991 so the massive reorganization of the USAF post-Desert Storm isn't covered. To ensure your tomatoes stay healthy and productive, its important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of these issues and take steps to prevent them from occurring. By FF, the tail code of the USAF 1st Fighter Wing, is displayed on this F-15 Eagle. Apparently the C stood for Camp New Amsterdam which was the name given to the part of the Dutch base from where the USAF operated. The first two letters identify the home base, or in some organizations, a historic legacy, such as "FF" ("First Fighter") for the 1st Fighter Wing[1] or "WP" ("Wolf Pack") for the 8th Fighter Wing. http://www.globemaster.de/html/a_f__tail_codes.html. ZF F-4E USAF 307 TFSq, 31 TFWg Udorn former 308 TFSq