So each squadron shared the same tail code when part of the same Wing. RU F-105D USAF 357 TFSq, 355 TFWg Takhli U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor, 04-079, with Tail Code TY (Tyndall AfB, Florida) Tail markings on USAF F-35 Lightning II, 11-5030, with Tail Code LF (Luke AFB, Arizona) F-16C S/N 84-1258 Tail Code AZ: FB-111A Aardvark 68-0249 380 BMW: A-10 82-659 Tail Code DM: C-130 Hercules 09-707 Tail Code FT: Below the abbreviation "AF" is placed the first two digits of the serial number, indicating the fiscal year in which the aircraft was ordered. The first letter of the tail code represented the wing, usually duplicating the parent base name. 462nd 600-649. green rear fuselage (solid or stripes) Later, two of the squadrons were replaced by two F-4E CONUS squadrons, with the remaining F-4D squadron redesignated the 391st TFS . McFarland & Company. EH AC-119K USAF 18 SOS, 14 SOWg NKP Stinger EC A-1E/G USAF 1 SOS, 14 SOW Nha Trang 1968 +++ DISCLAIMER +++ Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. USAFline, an aftermarket company based in the United Kingdom, recently added two decal sheets with "Distinctive Unit Aircraft Markings," in 1/72 scale, 24-inch, black and . FACT SHEET - KORAT ROYAL THAI AIRBASE. AH RF-101 USAF 45 TRSq, 460 TRWg Tan Son Nhut 1967 You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. 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. I update the first posted based on new posts. Two-letter codes were assigned directly to wings. Wing leaders saw the "ZZ" code as a mark of distinction. Operating out of Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base (RTAFB) in northern Thailand, the 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (TRW) is probably one of the lesser known Air Force units that participated in the Vietnam War, despite the fact that for most of its existence at Udorn, it was unique among Air Force wings. Carrier Air Wing 6 tail code is seen on this VF-84 Phantom II in 1975. From mid-1962 until the end of the conflict in . EK A-37B USAF 8 SOS, 14 SOW Chu Lai 1968 - 71 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport/Shepherd Field, WV. LC F-4E USAF 421 TFSq, 366 TFWg Da Nang This happened with aircraft wearing special or experimental camouflage paint, particularly during the Vietnam War deployments. HS F-100D/F USAF 612 TFS, 37 TFW Phu Cat 1966 - 69 I would not call it "occasional" reference though, personally it is one of those books I end up checking quite often. Instead, they have the name of the base written on the tailalong with the serial number. Atlantic City IAP, N.J. (ANG) AF TG-10B/C/D, TG-14, 306th FTG, U.S. Air . Similarly, BT (Bitburg), why not BB, or following Alconbury logic, BF for Bitburg Fighter? As a result, the single two-letter tail code now designated entire wing. And what does the N stand for in LN; 'nuclear' perhaps? If you've enjoyed this thread I'm sure you'd find the book interesting. OZ RF-4C USAF 14 TRSq, 432 TRWg Udorn On the first of April 1972, the tail code system changed with USAFE with the implementation of AFM66-1, wing maintenance concept. 64-0001/0448 Boeing LGM-30A Minuteman missiles 64-0449/0459 Martin LGM-25C Titan II missiles 0449 (B-85) launched from Vandenberg AFB Mar 1, 1974 0450 (B-86) stored at Norton AFB, CA 0451 (B-87) launched from Vandenberg AFB Feb 3, 1966 0452 (B-88) launched from Vandenberg AFB Feb 28, 1968 0453 (B-89) stored at Norton AFB, CA. FO F-4C/D USAF 497 TFSq, 8 TFWg Ubon (ANG/ACC), A/OA-10A, MD, 175th FG, Baltimore, Md. Free plan; Personal: $4 a month; Premium: $8 a month; Business: $25 a month; eCommerce: $45 a month; AV Tail Code: USAF 31 FW Military Airplane Pictures. 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 . The Secret Vietnam War: The United States Air Force in Thailand, 1961-1975. WA F-4E USAF 414 FWSq, 57 FWWg Da Nang TDY from Nellis Jan thru Feb 72. TT A-1E/G/H/J USAF 602 SOS, 56 SOWg NKP I can't imagine any aircrew would just leave their mates on the ground like those stories purport. Reply to this topic; Start new topic; Recommended Posts. On display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. JJ F-4E USAF 469 TFSq, 388 TFWg Korat DH C-130E USAF 345 TASq, 314 TAWg CCK 1966 - 71 XD F-4C USAF 558 TFSq, 12 TFWg Cam Ranh Bay http://www.globemaster.de/html/a_f__tail_codes.html. HO F-4D USAF 417 TFS, 49 TFW Korat TDY from Holloman '72 The 35th Tactical Fighter Wing took over as the host unit at Phan Rang on October 10, 1966, being transferred from Da Nang Air Base. Just a veryoccasional reference book? The small digits indicate the fiscal year (FY) the aircraft was ordered. So each squadron shared the same tail code when part of the same Wing. I've often wondered actually. LC F-4E USAF 421 TFSq, 432 TRWg Udorn. The codes were LA, (4th TFS) LC, (421st TFS) and LF. Is there a similar tall tale in the RAF about 43 Squadron? The system was overhauled in 1993 to better match recent restructuring and modern positions. Air Force Serial Number 75-0298 While the design can include color, the final tail flash will likely be done in various shades of gray to maintain its camouflage appearance. CE F-100D/F USAF 510 TFSq, 3 TFWg Bien Hoa 1964 - 69 Short History of Project Ranch Hand. WA F-4E USAF 414 FWSq, 57 FWWg Da Nang TDY from Nellis Jan thru Feb 72. gtag('config', 'UA-228725-17'); 458th: 550-599. 54-0709-Star of Con Air. XC F-4C USAF 391 TFSq, 12 TFWg Cam Ranh Bay 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. (ANG/ACC), F-16C/D, TX, 924th FG, Bergstrom ARS, Texas (AFRES), F-16C/D, TY, 325th FW, Tyndall AFB, Fla. (AETC), F-15C/D, VA, 192nd FG, Richmond, Va. (ANG/ACC), F-16C/D, VN, 71st FTW, Vance AFB, Okla. (AETC), T-1A, T-37B, T-38A, VO, 928th AW, O'Hare IAP/ARS, Ill. (AFRES), C-130H, VT, 158th FG, Burlington, Vt. (ANG/ACC), F-16C/D, WA, 57th FW, Nellis AFB, Nev. (ACC), F-15C/D/E, HH-60, F-16A/B/C/D, A-10A, F-4G, WG, 913th AW, Willow Grove ARS, Pa. (AFRES), C-130E, WI, 128th FW, Madison, Wis. (ANG/ACC), F-16C/D, WM 509th BW, Whiteman AFB, Mo. All rights reserved. As with Air National Guard units, flying squadrons were stationed separately from like controlled units thusAFM66-1 had no effect. Asia. However, the 366th TFW differed with the first letter, A, B and C, used for the 389th, 390th and 480th Tactical Fighter Squadrons, and the second letter being a different letter assigned for each aircraft. HG F-111A USAF 428 TFS, 347 TFW Korat 1974 - 75 zn. ZF F-4E USAF 307 TFSq, 31 TFWg Udorn former 308 TFSq Throughout military history, warriors have carried their unit colors into battle, raising them high to make an impression on their enemies. The 32 TFS maintained the CR tail code after AFM66-1. Share Followers 0. I haven't found this written anywhere, but I haven't done any research into the matter. With the April 1972 change - the reasons for the second letter changed. A second oddity within the 20 TFW, is the non-numeric assignment of tail codes (ie R, S and T for 55, 77 and 79). Patrick Martin - Tail Code Glasser, Jeffrey D. (1998). Interesting topic. WW F-105G USAF 561 WWSq, 388 TFWg Korat I thought I had done pretty good, but clearly missing a bunch. This is an organized list of all of the active aircraft squadrons that currently exist in the United States Air Force, sorted by type. I have some from Lar's book but there were many more in two groups some wer SVAF C130 Tail codes - C-130 Hercules HQ Message Board Two CONUS TAC training wings had used this system for a number of years. It is then responsibility of the commands to evacuate the groundcrews, something that in some cases could not be done completely. CP Tail Code: USAF 531 TFS / 3 TFW Military Airplane Pictures. This Corsair of 354th TFW with tail code MB for Myrtle Beach AFB was flown by Maj. Colin A. Clarke from Korat on a nine-hour rescue support mission on Nov. 18, 1972 over Thanh Ha, Vietnam. See my link above for the factual story of how the "ZZ" code was assigned. else "Flying Tigers" - the USAF wing that claims direct lineage from the legendary American Volunteer Group. Warren AFB, Wyo. and P-51B 42-106559 had 2106559 painted on the tail. CA - CZ F-4C/D USAF 480 TFSq, 366 TFWg Da Nang Adopted Wing/Squadron designator sys 1969 The 48 TFW started with the LK tail code, before switching to LN during F-4D conversion. They were applied for general aerial identification of aircraft, but particularly for the identification of aircraft guilty of "buzzing" (very-low-altitude high-speed passes) over populated areas.The system was designed to be a deterrent to 8th Air Force . If you want current codes,the Air Force publishes them once a year in its AIRMAN magazine which might beavailable on line. I don't know the official reasons, but back in the old days when they just started using tailcodes in USAFE, the first letter represented the base or wing, and the second letter was for one of the squadrons. JV F-4E USAF 34 TFSq, 388 TFWg Korat (AFRES), A/OA-10A, KS, 81st TW, Keesler AFB, Miss. AL EC-47 USAF 361 TEWSq, 14 SOWg Phu Cat 1966 - 71 RC EB-66 USAF 41 TEWS, 355 TFWg Takhli 1968 - 69 ER C-47, 0-2 USAF 9 SOS, 14 SOWg Nha Trang Psyops USAF Tail Code "UK" USAF Tail Code "UK" By Hippy-Ed, February 4, 2007 in Jet Modeling. Another odd example was the A-1 Skyraiders acquired from the Navy for use in Vietnam--they had USAF serial numbers constructed by taking the plane's Navy serial number (Bureau Number) and prefixing in front of it the fiscal year number in which the plane was ordered by the Navy. function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} The FRS for carrier based helicopters do not follow this rule. Home; Background; F-100 Roll Call; CONUS; USAFE; PACAF; Air National Guard; In Harm's Way . In cases where more than 10,000 aircraft were ordered in a single year (1964, for example), the complete 5-digit sequence number - without FY identification - is used. The exception is those squadrons assigned to a Navy Carrier Air Wing which use the Carrier Air Wing's tail code. EO C-47 USAF 5 SOS, 14 SOW Phu Cat 1966 - 71, Physops The design should not have too many details. 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. EN AC-47D USAF 4 SOS, 14 SOWg Pleiku Spooky ABOUT THIS SITE | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY POLICY | CONTACT US Transferred to South Vietnam Air Force, Dec 1969. HK F-4D USAF 480 TFSq, 12 TFWg Phu Cat 12 TFWg reactivated Phu Cat Mar 70 BA - BZ F-4C/D USAF 390 TFSq, 366 TFWg Da Nang System discontinued 1969 So Bentwaters/Woodbridge had WR, WS and WT, for instance, and Bitburg BR, BS, BT and BU over the years, Lakenheath had LT, LR and LS in their F-100 days, and later changed to first LK and shortly thereafter LN on the F-4D's. A total of 52 new antennas, associated with the APR-38 radar homing and warning system, were added to the F-4G. Though these two F-4Ds are not active duty Air Force they did fly in various Air Force test programs. In most cases, the first digit represents the last digit of the fiscal year, and the remaining digits identify the four-digit sequence number. But variations in numbering can vary from state to state, and unit to unit. (Weapons, Illustration) by "Airman"; Military and naval science Military aircraft Statistics Tail Fins (Vehicle) . This is not the same as the serial number, bureau number, or aircraft registration which provide unique aircraft identification. During Vietnam they changed often -- presumably as a security measure. So AK would be assigned to the 389th TFS and perhaps be the 11th aircraft. TS A1-E/G.H/J USAF 22 SOS, 56 SOWg NKP Zorro To accommodate the expanding Vietnam War, Phan Rang was expanded by the USAF in 1966 to accommodate both American and South Vietnamese fighter and helicopter units. Lots of exclusive photographs and an incredible amount of history. Thanks for the updates guys. The 48 TFW started with the LK tail code, before switching to LN during F-4D conversion. So actually only the first letter really seems to be significant somehow. USAF tail codes are markings usually consisting of letters or numbers applied to the tails of US military aircraft. 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. Current and superannuated USAF tail codes indicate the Wing or Group, generally chosen to signify their base, but parts of a Wing discretely based often adopted their own tail codes. 18th Wing History Office AB - Pope AFB, North Carolina (1st SOW aircraft assigned to Det. One option is organic fertilizer made from chicken manure, which can be found at Menard's for a reasonable price of $10.99 per 25-pound bag. I was thinking about the32nd TFS that was based at Soesterberg in the Netherlands and which carried the tail code CR. For example, let's assume this is the 56th Fighter Group, and the 61st Fighter Squadron. Between 1979 and 2002, the facility was used by the Soviet/Russian Navy. Ronald Augzinger. HO F-4D USAF 8 TFSq, 49 TFWg Takhli TDY from Holloman May thru Oct 72 (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. yellow spinner. --The GLOBEMASTER US Military Aviation Database onhttp://www.globemaster.de/, You do not have permission to delete messages in this group, Either email addresses are anonymous for this group or you need the view member email addresses permission to view the original message. A - AR, AS, AT 1, 30, 32 TRS 10 TFW RAF Alconbury, L - LR, LS, LT 492, 493, 494 TFS 48 TFW RAF Lakenheath. Unit 5141 Box 20 Aircraft Locator for Douglas C-47. FF, the tail code of the USAF 1st Fighter Wing, is displayed on this F-15 Eagle. Martin, Patrick (1994). A tail code is not the same as the Air Force Serial Number, Navy Bureau Number, aircraft registration number, or Buzz Number. ET A-1E/H USAF 6 SOS, 633 SOWg Pleiku Spad DOUGLAS C-47D SKYTRAIN. Air Mobility Command (AMC) aircraft do not use the two-letter identification number. Naval Air Force Pacific Fleet carrier based fixed wing aircraft FRS use tail code NJ and Naval Air Force Atlantic Fleet carrier based fixed wing aircraft FRSs display tail code AD. Different units located at the same air base can use different 2-letter codes. Prior to 1992 the 23rd was based at England AFB, Louisiana (EL code), where they flew A-7Ds before the current A-10s. F-4 in Alaska. Under AFM66-1 concept . That makes sense, but why WR for Woodbridge/Bentwaters and not WB? 15308/26753. (ANG/ACC), C-130E, MI, 127th FW, Selfridge ANGB, Mich. (ANG/ACC), F-16C/D, MJ, 35th FW, Misawa AB, Japan (PACAF), F-16C/D, MK, 440th AW, General Mitchell IAP/ARS, Wis. (AFRES), C-130H, MM, 341st MW, Malmstrom AFB, Mont. AB - Pope AFB, North Carolina (318th SOS of the 1st SOW . First, the 401 TFW using J, K and L as second letters. What I was told (again, many years ago) was that the pilots/aircrew took off in their aircraft, abandoning the ground personnel to their fate, which was eventual execution by the North Koreans and/or Chinese. (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. It was an air base dating back to World War II, used by the Japanese and French. In South Vietnam, the squadron carried the tail code "SG" on its F-100s. AE. Will update the list below with your further posts. U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command (AMC) aircraft do not use the two-letter identiication number. The Air Force aircraft Serial Number is also usually marked on the tail, in smaller numbers. This actually addedmore two-letter codes on a larger variety of types than existed 1972-1992, as prior to 1992most if not all SAC (bombers and tankers),MAC (airlifters), trainers, and ANG types wore unit markings but not tailcodes as such. 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. While the design can include color, the final tail flash will likely be done in various shades of gray to maintain its camouflage appearance. Forrest Adkins. Feel free to discuss anything here - as long as it is C-130 related. For example, the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman AFB uses "WM" while the 442nd Fighter Wing of the Air Force Reserve at the same base uses "KC.". 14 SOW Tan Son Nhut 1965 - 72 Even in '73, our Nellis birds had all gone to "NA" nt, Organic Fertilizers: A Natural Alternative for Feeding your Garden | Texas Tomato Food, GreenLeaf Nutrients & More, Fertilizers have become increasingly expensive in recent years, leading many gardeners to look for alternatives. with Tail Code SH (Tinker AFB), Oklahoma City, Tail section of F-105 Thunderchief, S/N 57-803, Tail Code HI (Hill AFB), on display at the March Field Air Museum in California, U.S. Air Force A-7D Corsair, S/N 74739, with Tail Code SD, outside Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, Tail section of McDonnell-Douglas F-4C Phantom II, 63-7424, Tail Code MO (Mountain Home AFB), at the Hill Aerospace Museum in Utah, USAF B-52 Stratofortress, 60-062, 2nd Bomb Wing, with Tail Code LA (Barksdale AFB, Louisiana), U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor, 04-079, with Tail Code TY (Tyndall AfB, Florida), Tail markings on USAF F-35 Lightning II, 11-5030, with Tail Code LF (Luke AFB, Arizona), Tail markings on USAF C-5M Super Galaxy, 87-0040, of the Air Mobility Command (AMC) from Travis AFB, California, Tail markings on USAF C-17 Globemaster III 30603 of the Air Mobility Command (AMC) from Charleston AFB, F-16 Fighting Falcon, 87-345, of the Wisconsin Air Guard 115th FW with Tail Code WI (Wisconsin ANG), "Connecticut Air National Guard" markings on the tail of the restored F-100 Super Sabre at the New England Air Museum, Tail markings on F-101B Voodoo, S/N 58-0301, of the Oregon Air National Guard, C-130J-30, S/N 78609, of the U.S. Air Force, 86th Airlift Wing, with Tail Code RS (Ramstein AB, Germany), Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ - 943rd Rescue Group, under the 920th Rescue Wing, Ramstein AFB, Germany - 86th Airlift Wing. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a . - INSIGNIA CAMOUFLAGE & STENCIL US MARINE. RH RB-66 USAF 42 TEWSq, 355 TFWg Takhli Air Force Reserve tactical units adopted the TAC standard pre AFM661 tail code method: Tail codes maintained through a sometimes very complex changing command structure involving Groups and wings. However, sometimes when sliced open, white rings can appear in the flesh, a disorder known as "internal white tissue." Fleet Replacement Squadrons (FRS) for fixed wing carrier based aircraft use the CVW style tail code. if (escape(top.document.referrer)) Major Abbot was the pilot of an AC-47 with the 4th Air Commando Squadron (ACS), 6250th Combat Support Group, 13th Air Force, Tan Son Nhut, AB. Aircraft of Marine Helicopter Squadron One . WE C-123B/K USAF 19 ACS, 315 ACWg Tan Son Nhut Since 1993, all Air Force units, including Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard, utilize this system. The code of "ZZ" was chosen due to the fact that the code "KA" had already been used by the 457th Tactical Airlift Wing stationed at Cam Rahn Bay in Vietnam, and the fact that the wing was already using the letter "Z" as the first letter of their old tail code. The U. S. Navy's aircraft visual identification system uses tail codes and modex to visually identify the aircraft's purpose and organization. The base is the home of the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing which. Most squadrons have changed names and designations many times over the years, so they are listed by their current designation. Gilroy R. Baca. The first Eighth Air Force aircraft to receive unit markings were the Spitfires of the 4th and 31st Fighter Groups training with RAF Fighter Command in September 1942. Obviously that must have changed as 3 Sqn now operates the Typhoon from somewhere in the UK. FY F-4C/D USAF 555 TFSq, 8 TFWg Ubon XC F-4C USAF 557 TFSq, 12 TFWg Cam Ranh Bay Deactivated March 1968 Colors called out for install are Red #45, White #46, Blue #47, Med Green #42, Olive Drab #41, Black #44, Yellow #48, and . As a result, the single two-letter tail code now designated entire wing. Happened more than once in RAF history, afterall when a unit is ordered to fly the aircraft out, the pilots fly the aircraft out. }, Page last modified: Jun 11, 2011 #6. List of Frequently Seen U.S. Air Force Tail Codes, Tail Code "DM" (Davis-Monthan AFB) on a Fairchild-Republic A-10A Thunderbolt II, Copyright 2023 DOCER.TIPS. This full color book is a fully comprehensive reference work on USAF tail code markings, and covers all major command untis; Pacific Air Forces, Alaskan Air Command, TAC, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, USAFE, Air Training Command, Air Forces Logistics Command, and Air Force Systems Command. 506th FG. The legend also stated that the 18th Wing could never be reassigned to a CONUS base because of this. Britmodeller.com GA: 35TFW, George AFB ("GA" is the traditional abbreviation for Georgia, but George AFB is in California, on the opposite side of the country! Air National Guard units often use the two-letter state abbreviation (AK, CO, NM, VA, etc) as part of the identification on the tail of an aircraft. HA F-100D/F USAF 174 TFS, 37 TFW Phu Cat 1967 - 72 AE RF-4C USAF 16 TRSq, 460 TRWg Tan Son Nhut Deactivated Jul 71 (ex-475th squadron number from Misawa that had been replaced by the 80th TFS) The three squadrons adopted new codes that fell in line with the rest of PACAF. There were two exceptions to R, S, T, U and V system. [4] They have the name of the base written inside the tail flash and a five-digit number in which all digits are printed in the same size. 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. Tail No Tail Code Type Unit ZZ171 N/A N/A 99 Sqn ZZ172 N/A N/A 99 Sqn ZZ173 N/A N/A 99 Sqn ZZ174 N/A N/A 99 Sqn ZZ176 N/A N/A 99 Sqn ZZ177 N/A N/A 99 Sqn ZZ178 N/A N/A 99 Sqn ZZ175 N/A N/A Sustainment Fleet C-130 Tail No Tail Code Type Unit ZH865 N/A Mk 4 47/24 Sqn Pool ZH868 N/A Mk 4 47/24 Sqn Pool With the US entry in the Vietnam War, the F-4 became one of the most identifiable aircraft of the conflict. The large digits are the last three digits of the aircraft's serial number. The US Navy Reserve's Tactical Support Wing (formerly Reserve Carrier Air Wing 20) uses tail code AF. HP F-100D/F USAF 355 TFS, 37 TFW Phu Cat 1966 - 69 United States Air Force Tail Codes. PR/WM Eugene D. Rossel | Email: [email protected], Tail Code Aircraft Branch Unit Location Comments EN AC-47 USAF 4 SOS, 14 SOW Nha Trang 1968 - 70 If you want current codes, the Air Force publishes them once a year in its AIRMAN magazine which might be available on line. TO T-28D, C-123K USAF 606 SOS, 56 SOWg NKP Zorro, Candle Scribd is the world's largest social reading and publishing site. See graphic below. This due to the TS and TT tail codes in prior usage by the 22 and 602 SOS. In June 1972, the Air Force tried to bring some semblance of order to this chaotic system. UD F-4E USAF 25 TFSq, 432 TRWg Udorn Redesignated from 555 TFSq, Jul 74 66-7483 (N430FS) and 66-7505 (N427FS) at ELP in the summer of 1993. window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; HO F-4D USAF 7 TFSq, 49 TFWg Takhli TDY from Holloman May thru Oct 72 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. [2][3], All aircraft assigned to a unit, or in the case of ANG units, the entire state, use a common code. Photo Galleries; Hun Resources; Unicom; About; Notice: The appearance of U.S. Air Force, Department of Defense, or NASA imagery or art does not constitute an endorsement . (ANG/ACC), C-130H, RA, 12th FTW, Randolph AFB, Texas (AETC), C-21A, T-1A, T-3A, T-37B, T-38A, AT-38B, T-43A, RG , Warner Robins ALC, Robins AFB, Ga. (AFMC), C-130E/H, RI, 143rd AG, Quonset State Airport, R.I. (ANG/ACC), C-130E, RS, 86th AW, Ramstein AB, Germany (USAFE), T-43, C-9, C-20, C-21, C-130E, SA, 149th FG, Kelly AFB, Texas (ANG/ACC), F-16A/B, SC , 169th FG, McEntire ANGS, S.C. (ANG/ACC), F-16C/D, SD, 114th FG, Sioux Falls, S.D. is. As the previous posters have alluded, it's somewhat misleading to say the second letters in the wing codes"stand for" anything specific, although generally the codes adopted show some degree of logic in that most use letters common to the assigned base name, or in a few rare cases have some other historic significance. All squadrons display their CVW's tail code as follows, regardless of aircraft type: Electronic Attack Squadrons (VAQ) of Electronic Attack Wing Pacific which are not assigned to a CVW but instead deploy to fixed land bases in support of joint tasking ("Expeditionary" VAQ Squadrons) use tail code NL. Helicopter FRS and helicopter squadrons not assigned to CVW (except for reserve squadrons) and all land-based fixed-wing squadrons use two letter codes unique to each squadron. The tail codes are listed alphabetically and . Air National Guard units usually use the two-letter state abbreviation (AL, AZ, DE, NM, PA, etc) as a tail code. Lord Riot The two-letter codes prominently displayed on the tails of U.S. Air Force aircraft today represent the owning wing. Is that book Tail Code worth getting? The 366th was the first permanent USAF . BEWARE! US Navy F-4s flew their first combat sortie as part of Operation Pierce Arrow on August 5, 1964. I was reading an article about the 81st TFW where it said that the AR tailcode stood for Alconbury Recon. It is a goldmine of information with a lot of pictures. 457th: 500-549. DR C-130E USAF 346 TASq, 314 TAWg CCK 1966 - 71 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). . (ACC), T-37B, EC-135C/E/J, C-135A/B, OC-135B, WC-135B, E-4B,C-21A, TC-135S/W, RC-135S/U/V/W/X, OH, 178th FG, Springfield, Ohio (ANG/ACC), F-16C/D, OH , 180th FG, Toledo, Ohio (ANG/ACC), F-16C/D, OK, 138th FG, Tulsa, Okla. (ANG/ACC), F-16C/D, OK, 552nd ACW, Tinker AFB, Okla. (ACC), T-37, EC-135K, E-3B/C, OR, 142nd FG, Portland, Ore. (ANG/ACC), F-15A/B, OS, 51st FW, Osan AB, South Korea (PACAF), F-16C/D, A/OA-10A, C-12F, OT, USAFAWC, Eglin AFB, Fla. (ACC), F-15A/B/C/D/E, F-16A/C/D, EF-111A, F-111F, OT, 79th TEG, Eglin AFB, Fla. (AFMC), F-15A/B/C/D/E, F-16A/B/C/D, PA, 111th FG, Willow Grove, Pa. (ANG/ACC), A/OA-10A, PA, 193rd SOG, Harrisburg, Pa. (ANG/AFSOC), EC-130E, PD, 939th RW, Portland IAP, Ore. (AFRES), HC-130P, HH-60G, PF, 302nd AW, Peterson AFB, Colo. (AFRES), C-130E/H, PI, 911th AW, Pittsburgh IAP/ARS, Pa. (AFRES), C-130H, PR, 156th FG, San Juan, Puerto Rico (ANG/ACC), F-16A/B, PX, 139th AG, St. Joseph, Mo. Usaf tail codes and modex to visually identify the aircraft 's serial number Fighter squadron are... Restructuring and modern positions they have the name of the U.S. Air Force tried bring... Same as the serial number: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a the RAF about 43?! 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