It’s nothing new for an Army helicopter crew to issue interesting call signs before takeoff. Today, the crew of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter — tail number AE59B1 — entered the call sign “FUKIRAN” while flying from Wilmington to Fayetteville, North Carolina.
“The 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade acknowledges that someone used an unauthorized and inappropriate nickname for one of its helicopters that recently returned from a deployment,” Lt. Col. César Santiago, an Army spokesman, said in a statement to Task & Purpose.
The crew seems to have a sense of humor about this particular call sign. The spelling of the call sign is incorrect, but it is very similar to a Japanese orchid called the Fuukiran, a type of Neofinetia falcata orchid. The Fuukiran – not “FUKIRAN” – is said to be a rich and noble orchid, as it historically belonged to the samurai and people of similar rank in Japanese society.
Other names for the Fuukiran are “wind orchid” or “blade orchid.” One of the pilots could be interested in Japanese flowers or culture – or he just wanted to make a statement.
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In-flight call signs are an essential part of military and civilian aviation. These are not the nicknames military pilots give each other (also known as “call signs”). Pilots use their call signs when speaking to air traffic controllers, and they program the call signs into their navigation devices, which can be tracked by civilian flight tracking services.
The call sign “FUKIRAN” was leaked online by flight tracking accounts on Instagram and Twitter and is the latest in a series of offensive call signs. The Navy recently released a statement in response to the Navy’s call sign named “IDICK69.”
“Going forward, flight crews will be encouraged to question call signs that may be perceived as unprofessional or inappropriate,” Commander Beth Teach, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Air Force’s Pacific Fleet, previously told Task & Purpose.
On August 12, the crew of a Navy E-6B Mercury had to change their offensive call sign mid-flight. They began broadcasting “IDICK69” before takeoff from Travis Air Force Base in California and changed it to “STOB7” before landing in Texas. But once the Internet gets hold of it, it’s impossible to erase it.
Offensive and inappropriate callsigns are something that the various branches of the military try to prevent. Task & Purpose has reported on several other examples of offensive callsigns and flight patterns. Everything from “tits” and “breasts” to flight patterns that resemble male genitalia.
Although some on social media claimed it could be a hacking attack, it is highly unlikely that a hacker could access a military aircraft’s computer to change a call sign. Or it could be a crew playing a prank on the backup crew and changing the call sign before passing it on to the new crew, hoping they don’t notice.
Penalties can vary when crew members make poor decisions regarding call signs or flight patterns. Some crew members are reprimanded, while others are fired if they repeatedly make poor decisions.
“The 82nd Airborne Division takes this matter with the utmost seriousness and intends to address the problem,” Santiago said of the latest example of belligerent call signs. “This call sign is contrary to the professional standards, core values and expectations within the 82nd Airborne Division and the U.S. Army.”
