List of aviators by nickname explained

This is a list of aviators by nickname.

A

• "Aggy" – Noel Agazarian, British, Battle of Britain ace
• "Assi" – Hans Hahn, German fighter pilot during World War II

B

• "Bake" – V. H. Baker, British pilot and aircraft designer^[1]
• "The Balloon Buster" – Frank Luke, American World War I fighter ace
• "Bam" – C. S. Bamberger, British RAF World War II pilot
• "Barron" – John Worrall, British World War II RAF pilot
• "Beazle" – Hugh John Beazley, Battle of Britain pilot
• "Bee" – Roland Beamont, Battle of Britain pilot
• "Ben" – George Bennions, Battle of Britain ace
• "Big Joe" – Joe McCarthy, RAF Bomber Command pilot (617 Squadron) in the Second World War
• "Bing" – K. B. B. Cross, British World War II RAF pilot
• "Bird" – Herbert Carmichael Irwin, Irish commander of British airships including R101
• "Black Swallow of Death" – Eugene Bullard, African-American World War I fighter pilot
• "The Black Devil"(Russ.), "Bubi"(Ger.) – Erich Hartmann, German fighter ace^[2]
• "Blondie" – Arnold Walker, British World War II RAF pilot
• "Bo" – Elwyn King, Australian World War I fighter ace
• "Bobbi" – Evelyn Trout, American aviator
• "Bomber" – Arthur T. Harris, British commander of RAF Bomber Command during World War II^[3]
• "Bomber George" – Harold L. George, USAAC precision bombing specialist (to distinguish him from "Fighter" George)
• "Boom" – Hugh Trenchard, British World War I Royal Flying Corps general and founder of the Royal Air Force (for his loud voice)^[4]
• "Boy"
  • Peter Mould, British Second World War fighter ace
  • Geoffrey Wellum, British Second World War fighter pilot^[5]
• "Bubi" (German, "young boy", "kid")
  • Erich Hartmann, German fighter ace
  • Alfred Schreiber, German jet ace
• "Buck" – Robert McNair, Canadian fighter ace
• "Bud" – George E. Day, American POW
• "Bully" – Emil Lang, World War 2 Luftwaffe fighter ace
• "Bunny" – Christopher Currant, British RAF fighter ace in World War II
• "Butch"
  • Arthur T. Harris, British commander of RAF Bomber Command during World War II (from "butcher"; affectionately given by his men)
  • Edward O'Hare, American World War II fighter ace and Medal of Honor recipient
• "Butcher" – Arthur T. Harris, British commander of RAF Bomber Command (Air Chief Marshal) during World War II (affectionately given by his men)^[6]
• "Buzz"
  • Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., American aviator and astronaut
  • George Beurling, Canadian RAF fighter ace (a nickname he never acknowledged)

C

• "Cats Eyes" – John Cunningham, Battle of Britain pilot
• "Chappie" – Daniel James, Jr., American Air Force general^[7]
• "Chuck" – Charles Elwood Yeager, World War II USAAF fighter ace and first pilot to break the sound barrier in level flight
• "Cobber" – Edgar J. Kain, Second World War RAF fighter ace
• "Cobra" – Ronald Stein, USAF fighter ace
• "Cocky" – Hugh Dundas, British Second World War RAF fighter ace^[8]
• "Cowboy" – Howard Peter Blatchford, Battle of Britain pilot
• "Crow" – Denis Crowley-Milling, Battle of Britain pilot
• "Cloudy" – Werner Christie, Norwegian fighter ace

D

• "Demon of Rabaul" – Hiroyoshi Nishizawa, Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service fighter ace
• "Dizzy" – H. R. Allen, RAF fighter ace and author^[9]
• "Dogs" – John Dundas, RAF Battle of Britain fighter ace^[10]
• "Dogsbody" – Douglas Bader, RAF fighter ace (radio callsign while Wing Commander of Tangmere)
• "Dolfo" – Adolf Galland, German fighter ace
• "Dookie" – Jenna Dolan, first woman to fly the AV-8B Harrier II in combat^[11]
• "Dutch" – Petrus Hugo, South African WW2 pilot

E

• "The Eagle of Crimea" – Pavel V. Argeyev, Russian World War I flying ace

F

• "Fighter George" – Harold George, USAAC fighter ace (to distinguish him from "Bomber" George)
• "Fighter of Libau" – Erich Rudorffer, World War II German ace
• "Fish" – Herman Salmon, American test pilot^[12]
• "Flotte Lotte" – Charlotte Möhring, German female pilot^[13]
• "Flying Knight of the Northland" – Clennell H. Dickins, Canadian pioneer bush pilot

G

• "Gabby" – Francis Gabreski, American Army Air Force fighter ace
• "Ginger" – James Lacey, British fighter ace
• "Grumpy" - George Unwin, British fighter ace, Battle of Britain

H

• "Hamish" – T. G. Mahaddie, Bomber Command pilot, Pathfinder Force
• "Hap" – Henry H. Arnold, American Army Air Forces commanding general
• "Hasse" – Hans Wind, Finnish fighter ace
• "Hilly" – Mark Henry Brown, Battle of Britain pilot
• "Hipshot" – Danny Hamilton, US Air Force Reserve
• "Hoagy" – Peter Carmichael, British fighter pilot
• "Hooter" – Steve Rainey, American test pilot^[14]
• "Hoppy" – Colin Hodgkinson, British fighter pilot
• "Huss" – F. Hussain, IMA, Col, US Air Force Reserve

I

• "Igo" – Ignaz Etrich, Austrian aviator and aircraft builder
• "Illu" – Ilmari Juutilainen, top Finnish World War II fighter ace

J

• "Jack" – John Frost, South African Air Force pilot
• "Jake" – Leon Swirbul, co-founder of Grumman Aircraft
• "JB" – James Brown, American test pilot^[15]
• "Jimmy" – John S. Thach, American Navy fighter ace^[16]
• "Johnnie" – James E. Johnson, British RAF fighter ace
• "Johnny" – George L. Johnson, British WW2 RAF bomber navigator

K

• "Kaos" – Art Nalls, American test pilot and air show pilot^[17]
• "Killer" – Clive Caldwell, Australian RAAF flying ace
• "Kinch" – Iven Kincheloe, American test pilot

L

• "Little Dragon" – Muhammad Mahmood Alam, Pakistani fighter ace
• "Lock" – Ormer Locklear, American stunt pilot
• "Lightning" – Joe Little, African American WW2 pilot (member of the Tuskegee Airmen)
• "Lucky Breeze" – George Scott, British Royal Naval Air Service pilot and airship pilot

M

• "The Mad Major" – Christopher Draper, British World War I fighter ace
• "Mick" – Edward Mannock, British World War I fighter ace
• "Mouse" – Gordon Cleaver, Battle of Britain pilot
• "Mutt" – Joseph Summers, British test pilot
• "Miketop" – Mike Tendino, test pilot
• "Mover" – C.W. Lemoine, American author, former military aviator, and YouTuber

O

• "One Armed Mac" – James MacLachlan, a British World War 2 ace who flew with a prosthetic arm

P

• "Paddy"
  • Hubert Adair, Battle of Britain pilot
  • Brendan Finucane, Irish World War II RAF fighter ace
  • W. H. Harbison, British RAF officer^[18]
• "Pancho" – Florence L. Lowe, American pioneer aviator
• "Pappy"
  • Greg Boyington, American World War II U.S. Marine Corps fighter ace^[19]
  • Paul Gunn, American World War II Army Air Force bomber pilot
• "Pete"
  • Frank K. Everest, Jr., American test pilot
  • Marc Mitscher, American World War II carrier admiral
  • Elwood R. Queseda, American fighter ace
• "Petit Rouge" (fr|Little Red) – Manfred von Richthofen, German fighter ace
• "Pick" - Percy Charles Pickard, well known in England during the Second World War, KIA during the Amiens prison raid
• "Pritzl" – Heinz Bär, German fighter ace, because of his affection for Pritzl candy bars.
• "Punch" – Clennell H. Dickins, Canadian pioneer bush pilot

R

• "Ratsy" – George Preddy, P-51 Mustang ace
• "Red" – Eugene Tobin, American who flew with the RAF during the Battle of Britain
• "The Red Baron" (German, der Rote Baron) – Manfred von Richthofen, German fighter ace
• "The Red Battle-flyer" (German: der rote Kampfflieger) – Manfred von Richthofen, German fighter ace
• "The Red Knight" – Manfred von Richthofen, German fighter ace
• "Reeste" – Heinz Bär, German fighter ace
• “Raspy” - ‘’’Jack Gilardi’’’, Iceland fighter ace Battle of Queef

S

• "Sailor" – Adolph Malan, South African RAF fighter ace^[20]
• "Sandy" – Brian Lane, RAF Battle of Britain pilot, Squadron Leader and fighter ace
• "Sexy Rexy" – Ola Mildred Rexroat, Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) aviator^[21]
• "Shorty" – Vernon Keogh, American who flew with the RAF during the Battle of Britain (named for diminutive height)^[22]
• "The Silver Fox" – Robert L. Stephens, record-setting American test pilot^[23]
• "Skip" – Jean Ziegler, American test pilot on Bell X-1 program
• "Slew" – John S. McCain, Sr., American naval aviator and chief of Bureau of Aeronautics
• "Snort" – Dale Snodgrass, American naval aviator, demonstration pilot, and commander of Fighter Wing, U.S. Atlantic Fleet
• "Snow Eagle" – Clennell H. Dickins, Canadian pioneer bush pilot
• "Spig" – Frank W. Wead, U.S. Navy aviator and screenwriter
• "Spuds" – Theodore Ellyson, pioneer U.S. Navy aviator
• "Stan" – Roderic Dallas, top Australian fighter ace of World War I
• "Stapme" – Gerald Stapleton, British Battle of Britain fighter ace
• "Strafer" – Geoffrey Warnes, No. 263 Squadron RAF
• "Stuffy" – Hugh Dowding, British commander of RAF Fighter Command from before the war into the Battle of Britain
• "Sawn Off Locky" – Eric Lock, Battle of Britain pilot

T

• "Taffy" – Trafford Leigh-Mallory, Fighter Command Group commander during the Battle of Britain
• "Tex" – David L. Hill, American fighter pilot
• "Tim" – John Elkington, Battle of Britain pilot
• "Timbertoes" – Sydney Carlin, Battle of Britain gunner who lost a leg in World War I
• "Titch" – George Palliser, Battle of Britain pilot

U

• "Uncle Wiggly Wings" – Gail S. Halvorsen, American Air Force officer^[24]

W

• "Wop" – Wilfrid R. May, Canadian pioneer bush pilot
• "Whitey" – Edward L. Feightner, American fighter ace and Blue Angels solo^[25]
• "White Eagle" – Clennell H. Dickins, Canadian pioneer bush pilot
• "Willie" – Hugh Wilson, RAF aviator
• "Winkle" – Eric Brown, British naval aviator and test pilot
• "Wrong Way" – Douglas Corrigan, American aviator (from having to lie to Civil Aeronautics Board to fly the Atlantic)

Z

• "Zulu"
  • Albert Lewis, Battle of Britain pilot
  • George Lloyd World War I pilot

See also

• Nickname
• Lists of nicknames – nickname list articles on Wikipedia

Notes and References

1. Book: Valentine Henry Baker funeral brochure . Martin-Baker Co. . 1942 .
2. [Erich Hartmann]
3. Book: Saward, Dudley . 1984 . "Bomber" Harris : the story of Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Sir Arthur Harris, Bt, GCB, OBE, AFC, LLD, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Bomber Command, 1942-1945 . London . Buchan & Enright . 11082290 .
4. Book: Johnson, Johnny E. . Johnnie Johnson (RAF officer) . 1964 . Full Circle: The Story of Air Fighting . London . Chatto and Windus . 2486377 .
5. Book: Wellum, Geoffrey . Geoffrey Wellum . 2002 . First Light. New York . Viking Books . 0-670-91248-4 .
6. Book: Hastings, Max . Max Hastings . 1979 . Bomber Command . registration . New York . Dial Press/James Wade . 5170758 .
7. Web site: National Museum of the USAF - Photos . 2008-01-23 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100905155132/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/photos/index.asp?galleryID=529&page=214 . 2010-09-05 .
8. The Most Dangerous Enemy, p.362.
9. Book: Allen, Hubert Raymond "Dizzy" . 1974 . Who Won the Battle of Britain? . London . Barker . 978-0-213-16489-8 . 1092232 .
10. Book: Kershaw, Alex . The Few: July-October 1940 . 2008 . Penguin . 978-0-14-101850-8 . 151 .
11. Web site: Kellner . Tomas . What We Need To Win: GE Hires 1,000 Vets In 2012, Hits Its Goal . GE Reports . November 13, 2012 . General Electric . Fairfield, Connecticut . May 16, 2019.
12. Caidin, Martin. Thunderbirds.; Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame (retrieved 29 January 2019)
13. News: Die flotte Lotte. Jo. Gernoth. derwesten.de. Funke Mediengruppe. 15 October 2015. de. 27 October 2019. 15 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190415203545/https://www.derwesten.de/sport/lokalsport/gelsenkirchen-und-buer/die-flotte-lotte-id9936327.html. dead.
14. Reynolds . Linda KC . February 6, 2015 . Lockheed Martin pilot hits 1,000 hours in Raptor . . 28 . 44 . 1 . Aerotech News and Review, Inc. . Lancaster, California . April 21, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150628070927/http://www.aerotechnews.com/news/2015/02/06/lockheed-martin-pilot-hits-1000-hours-in-raptor/ . June 28, 2015.
15. • Reynolds. Linda KC . April 13, 2012 . Lockheed chief test pilot hits 1,000 hours in Raptor . . 28 . 11 . 1 . Aerotech News and Review, Inc. . Lancaster, California . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402195328/http://www.aerotechnews.com/wp-content/uploads/publications/anr_04132012A20.pdf . April 2, 2015 . May 17, 2019. dead.
16. Wikipedia, John Thach
17. News: Johnson . Jenna . January 2, 2008 . Flying Back in Time, In His Own Warplane . The Washington Post . Washington, D.C. . April 22, 2018.
18. News: Copp . Tara . May 25, 2015 . Inside old log book, memories of heroism . The Washington Examiner . Washington, D.C. . November 21, 2020.
19. Book: Boyington, Gregory . Baa baa, black sheep . Pappy Boyington . New York . Putnam . 1958 . 2124961 .
20. Book: Deighton, Len . Len Deighton . 1977 . . London . Cape . 978-0-224-01422-9 . 3388095 .
21. Web site: Last surviving South Dakota WASP, 'Sexy Rexy,' recalls World War II service. Nick Penzenstadler Journal. staff. 11 November 2010 . rapidcityjournal.com.
22. Web site: Battle of Britain London Monument – P/O V C KEOUGH . Bbm.org.uk . 1941-02-15 . 2015-12-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151224103826/http://www.bbm.org.uk/Keough.htm . 2015-12-24 .
23. News: Williams . Phillip . 122 . 67 . August 21, 1999 . Airport renamed for "Fox" Stephens . The Gilmer Mirror . Gilmer, Texas . April 21, 2018.
24. Web site: National Museum of the USAF - Photos . www.nationalmuseum.af.mil . 13 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100905223925/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/photos/index.asp?galleryID=529&page=209 . 5 September 2010 . dead.
25. Book: Veronico, Nicholas A. . The Blue Angels: A Fly-By History: Sixty Years of Aerial Excellence . 2005 . 46 . Illustrated . Zenith Imprint . Minneapolis, Minnesota . 0-7603-2216-3.