Tail Code
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tail codes are the markings usually on the vertical stabilizer of U.S. military aircraft that help characterize the aircraft's unit and/or base assignment and occasionally other information that is not unique. This is not the same as the serial number, bureau number, or aircraft registration which provide unique aircraft identification.
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[edit] U.S. Air Force
U.S. Air Force uses multiple codes that relate to the aircraft. Two large letters that identify the home base. Three smaller numbers that are the last digits of the airframe's serial number. Two smaller digits that indicate the 2-digit year that the aircraft was ordered.[1][2]
All aircraft of all types assigned to a particular home base use the same home base code.
[edit] Tactical Air Command tail code markings
The mission of the Tactical Air Command (TAC) is to command, organize, equip, train and administer assigned or attached forces; plan for and participate in tactics for light bombardment and other airplanes. These include tactical fighters, tactical bombers, tactical missiles, troop carriers, assault, reconnaissance and support units. The command also plans for and develops the capability to deploy tactical striking forces anywhere in the world.
The Tactical Air Command was established on 21 March 1946. When the National Security Act of 1947 set up an autonomous Air Force, TAC became one of the USAF's commands. On 1 December 1948, TAC was reduced to an operational headquarters assigned to Continental Air Command. It regained major air command status on 1 December 1950.
1st Special Operations Wing:
England AFB, Louisiana
Hurlburt Field, Florida
1st Tactical Fighter Wing:
MacDill AFB, Florida
Langley AFB, Virginia
4th Tactical Fighter Wing:
Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina
15th Tactical Fighter Wing:
MacDill AFB, Florida
23rd Tactical Fighter Wing:
McConnell AFB, Kansas
England AFB, Louisiana
24th Composite Wing:
Howard AFB, Panama
27th Tactical Fighter Wing:
Cannon AFB, New Mexico
28th Air Division:
Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
Keesler AFB, Mississippi
31st Tactical Fighter Wing:
Homestead AFB, Florida
33rd Tactical Fighter Wing:
Eglin AFB, Florida
35th Tactical Fighter Wing:
George AFB, California
37th Tactical Fighter Wing:
George AFB, California
Tonopah Test Range, Nevada
49th Tactical Fighter Wing:
Holloman AFB, New Mexico
56th Tactical Fighter Wing:
MacDill AFB, Florida
57th Fighter Weapons Wing:
Nellis AFB, Nevada
58th Tactical Training Wing:
Luke AFB, Arizona
64th Tactical Airlift Wing:
Sewart AFB, Tennessee
Little Rock AFB, Arkansas
67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing:
Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
Bergstrom AFB, Texas
68th Tactical Air Support Group:
Shaw AFB, South Carolina
75th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing:
Bergstrom AFB, Texas
313rd Tactical Airlift Wing:
Forbes AFB, Kansas
314th Tactical Airlift Wing:
Little Rock AFB, Arkansas
316th Tactical Airlift Wing:
Langley AFB, Virginia
317th Tactical Airlift Wing:
Lockbourne AFB, Ohio
Pope AFB, North Carolina
325th Tactical Training Wing:
Tyndall AFB, Florida
347th Tactical Fighter Wing:
a) Mountain Home AFB, Mountain Home, Idaho (15 May 1971-31 October 1972)
347th Tactical Fighter Wing moved from Yokota AB, Japan in 1971. Equipped with factory fresh General Dynamics F-111F's. Replacing the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (another Tactical Air Command unit) as host unit at Mountain Home AFB. Assigned to 832nd Air Division of Twelfth Air Force.
Operational fighter squadrons:
- 391st Tactical Fighter Squadron (Tail Code: MO, Blue tail stripe)
- 4589th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Tail Code: MP)
- 389th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Tail Code: MP/MO, Red tail stripe)
- 4590th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Tail Code: MQ)
- 390th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Tail Code: MO, Green tail stripe)
The 4589th and 4590th TFS were provisional units, pending the transfer of the 389th and 390th TFSs from the 12th and 366th Tactical Fighter Wings in Southeast Asia. All three squadrons adopted the MO tail code under the common wing concept in June 1972.
The 347th had a short stay at Mountain Home AFB, conducting F-111F training until October 1972, when it was replaced by the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing which moved from Takhli RTAFB, Thailand to Mountain Home AFB. Upon its arrival, the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing absorbed all the people and equipment of the 347th Tactical Fighter Wing.
b) Moody AFB, Valdosta, Georgia (30 September 1975-1 June 1992)
347th Tactical Fighter Wing reactivated in 1975. Replacing the 38th Flying Training Wing (an Air Training Command unit) as host unit at Moody AFB. Assigned to Ninth Air Force.
Operational fighter squadrons:
- 68th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Tail Code: MY, Red tail stripe)
- 70th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Tail Code: MY, Blue/White checkered tail stripe)
- 339th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Tail Code: MY, Red tail stripe). Inactivated and replaced by the 69th TFS, on 1 September 1983.
- 69th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Tail Code: MY, Silver tail stripe). Activated on 1 September 1983. From the assets of the 339th TFS.
The 347th Tactical Fighter Wing flew the McDonnell-Douglas F-4E until 1988, upgrading to the Block 15 General Dynamics F-16A. In 1990 the wing upgraded again to the Block 40 F-16C.
On 1 October 1991, the 347th Tactical Fighter Wing was redesignated the 347th Fighter Wing. On 1 June 1992 the 347th Fighter Wing was assigned to the newly-activated Air Combat Command.
354th Tactical Fighter Wing:
Myrtle Beach AFB, South Carolina
355th Tactical Fighter Wing:
Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing:
Shaw AFB, South Carolina
366th Tactical Fighter Wing:
Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
388th Tactical Fighter Wing:
Hill AFB, Ogden, Utah
405th Tactical Training Wing:
Luke AFB, Arizona
463rd Tactical Airlift Wing:
Dyess AFB, Texas
464th Tactical Airlift Wing:
Pope AFB, North Carolina
474th Tactical Fighter Wing:
Nellis AFB, Nevada
479th Tactical Fighter Wing:
George AFB, California
Holloman AFB, New Mexico
507th Tactical Air Control Wing:
Shaw AFB, South Carolina
516th Tactical Airlift Wing:
Dyess AFB, Texas
602nd Tactical Air Control Wing:
Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
834th Tactical Composite Wing:
Hurlburt Field, Florida
4403rd Tactical Fighter Wing:
England AFB, Louisiana
4410th Combat Crew Training Wing:
England AFB, Louisiana
Hurlburt Field, Florida
4442nd Combat Crew Training Wing:
Sewart AFB, Tennessee
Little Rock AFB, Arkansas
4450th Tactical Group:
Nellis AFB, Nevada
4453rd Combat Crew Training Wing:
Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
4510th Combat Crew Training Wing:
Luke AFB, Arizona
4525th Fighter Weapons Wing:
Nellis AFB, Nevada
4531st Tactical Fighter Wing:
Homestead AFB, Florida
[edit] Air Mobility Command markings
Air Mobility Command (AMC) aircraft do not use two-letter base codes[3], but instead have the name of the base written inside the tail flash. AMC aircraft also use a different standard to identify the aircraft serial number. They use a 5-digit number in which all 5 digits are the same size. In most cases, the first digit represents the last digit of the fiscal year (FY) and the remaining digits identify the 4-digit sequence number. 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.
[edit] U.S. Navy
U.S. Navy Aircraft tail codes tend to change more frequently than the other services as they change assignments more frequently.
[edit] U.S. Marines
U.S. Marine Corps tail codes tend to remain the same for the entire history of the squadron no matter where the home base. However, like U.S. Navy aircraft, Marine aircraft have been specially assigned to a carrier group and their tail codes have changed during those assignments.
[edit] References
- ^ [1] Globemaster.DE Tail Codes
- ^ US Air Force Tail Codes Aerospaceweb.org
- ^ [2] Air Force Aircraft Tail Markings (Jan 1998)
[edit] See also
[edit] Books
- 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
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