List of aviators by nickname

This is a list of aviators by nickname.

A

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

B

• "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
• "Bert" – Albert Houle, Canadian fighter ace
• "Beryl" – John Greer Boyle, Battle of Britain Pilot
• "Big Joe" - Joe McCarthy 617 Squadron pilot
• "Bing" – K. B. B. Cross, British World War II RAF pilot
• "Bird" – Herbert Carmichael Irwin, Irish-born commander of British airships including the R101^[1]
• "The Bish" – John Bislee, Battle of Britain Pilot
• "Black Swallow of Death" – Eugene Bullard, African-American World War I fighter pilot
• "Blackie" – David John Williams, Canadian fighter ace
• "The Black Devil" – Erich Hartmann, German fighter ace^[2]
• "The Blond Knight Of Germany" – 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 Harris, British commander of RAF Bomber Command (Air Chief Marshal) during World War II^[3]
• "Boom" – Hugh Trenchard, British World War I Royal Flying Corps general and founder of the Royal Air Force (for his loud voice)^[4]
• "Boy" - Geoffrey Wellum, British World War II fighter pilot ^[5]
• "Brookie" –Tom Brooke-Smith, Short Brothers Chief Test Pilot^[6]
• "Bubi" (German, "young boy", "kid") —
  • Erich Hartmann, German fighter ace^[2]
  • Alfred Schreiber, German first jet ace^[7]
• "Buck"
  • Robert McNair, Canadian fighter ace
  • Lionel Casson, Battle of Britain Pilot
• "Bud"
  • Harold W. Bowker, Canadian fighter ace
  • George E. Day, American POW
• "Bugs" – John Keating, Battle of Britain Pilot
• "Bunny" – Christopher Currant
• "Butch" –
  • Henry Baker, Battle of Britain Pilot
  • Robert Barton, Canadian fighter ace and Battle of Britain Pilot
  • Arthur T. Harris, British commander of RAF Bomber Command (Air Chief Marshal) during World War II (from "butcher"; affectionately given by his men)
  • Edward O'Hare, American WWII fighter ace and Medal of Honor recipient
• "Butcher" – Arthur T. Harris, British commander of RAF Bomber Command (Air Chief Marshal) during World War II^[8]
• "Buzz" –
  • Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., American aviator, best known as an astronaut and the second man on the Moon
  • 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
• "Cobber" – Edgar J. Kain, World War II RAF fighter ace
• "Cobra" - [Ronald Stein], [fighter ace] [USAF, ANG]
• "Cockney Sparrow" – John Ellis, Battle of Britain Pilot
• "Cocky" – Hugh Dundas, British World War II RAF fighter ace^[9]
• "Cowboy" – Howard Peter Blatchford, Battle of Britain Pilot
• "Crow" – Denis Crowley-Milling, Battle of Britain Pilot
• "Cyclone" – Emmett S. Davis, American World War II Army Air Force officer^[10]
• "Cloudy" - Werner Christie, Norwegian fighter ace

D

• "Darkie" – Herbert Hallowes, Battle of Britain pilot
• "Demon of Rabaul" - Hiroyoshi Nishizawa - Ace of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
• "Dizzy" – H. R. Allen, RAF fighter ace^[11]
• "Dogs" – John Dundas, RAF, Battle of Britain fighter ace^[12]
• "Dogsbody" – Douglas Bader, RAF fighter ace^[13] (radio callsign while Wing Commander of Tangmere)
• "Dolfo" – Adolf Galland, German fighter ace
• "Dutch" - Petrus Hugo - South African WW2 pilot
• "Drunken Duncan" - Wilfrid Duncan Smith - RAF pilot

E

• "Elmer" – Lionel Gaunce, Battle of Britain Pilot

F

• "Fighter of Libau" – Erich Rudorffer, World War 2 German ace

• "Fish" — Herman Salmon, American test pilot^[14]

• "Flying Knight of the Northland" — Clennell H. Dickins, Canadian pioneer bush pilot

• "Foo" – Flt Lt Kinnell, RAF helicopter pilot

G

• "Gabby" – Francis Gabreski, American Army Air Force fighter ace

• "Gilly" – John Gilders, Battle of Britain Pilot

• "Ginger" – James Lacey, British fighter ace

H

• "Hamish" – Claud Hamilton, Battle of Britain Pilot

• "Hap" – Henry H. Arnold, American general

• "Hawkeye" – Kenneth Lee, Battle of Britain Pilot

• "Haybag" – Douglas Haywood, Battle of Britain Pilot

• "Henry" – Roy Ford, Battle of Britain Pilot

• "Hilly" – Mark Henry Brown, Battle of Britain Pilot

• "Hogey" – Peter Carmichael, British fighter pilot

I

• "Igo" – Ignaz Etrich, Austrian aviator and aircraft builder

J

• "Jack" - John Frost, South African Air Force pilot
• "Jimmy" – John S. Thach, American Navy fighter ace^[15]
• "Johnnie" – James E. Johnson, British RAF fighter ace^[4]
• "Johnny" – W. E. P. Johnson, British RAF flight instructor
• "Jumbo" – Edward Gracie, Battle of Britain Pilot

K

• "Kanga" - John 'Jack' Kurtzer, Australian RAAF Lancaster Bomber Pilot Nicknamed for his tendency to bounce his Lancaster upon landing.

• "Killer" – Clive Caldwell, Australian RAAF flying ace

• "Killy" – John Kilmartin, Battle of Britain Pilot

• "Kinch" – Iven Kincheloe, American test pilot

L

• "Little Dragon" - Muhammad Mahmood Alam, Pakistani Flying Ace

• "Lock" – Ormer Locklear, American stunt pilot

• "Lofty" – Russel Hamer, Battle of Britain Pilot

• "Libby" - Søren Liby, Norwegian WW2 pilot.

M

• "The Mad Major" – Christopher Draper, British World War I fighter ace

• "Mick" – Edward Mannock, British World War I fighter ace

• "Mindy" – Minden Blake, Battle of Britain Pilot

• "Mitzi" – Edward Darling, Battle of Britain Pilot

• "Moose" – Robert Fumerton, Battle of Britain Pilot

• "Mouse" – Gordon Cleaver, Battle of Britain Pilot

• "Mutt" – Joseph Summers, British test pilot

O

• "Obi Two" – Colin McGregor, RAF Tornado Pilot, also brother of actor Ewan McGregor who played the character Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars franchise.^[16]
• "One Armed Mac" – James MacLachlan, a British World War 2 ace who flew with a prosthetic arm
• "OV" – Owen Burns, Battle of Britain Pilot

P

• "Paddy"
  • Hubert Adair, Battle of Britain pilot
  • Brendan Finucane, Irish World War II RAF fighter ace
  • W. H. Harbison, British RAF officer
• "Pancho" – Florence L. Lowe, American pioneer aviator
• "Pappy" –
  • Greg Boyington, American World War II U.S. Marine Corps fighter ace^[17]
  • Paul Gunn, American World War II Army Air Force bomber pilot
  • Charles Yankey, co-founder of Mooney
• "Pete" – Marc Mitscher, American World War II carrier admiral^[18]
• "Petit Rouge" (French: Little Red) — Manfred von Richthofen, German fighter ace
• "Polly" – John Flinders, Battle of Britain pilot
• "Pritzl" – Heinz Bär, German fighter ace, because of his affection for Pritzl candy bars.
• "Punch" – Clennell H. Dickins, Canadian pioneer bush pilot
• "Pyker" – Jean Offenberg, Battle of Britain pilot

Q

• "QTP2T" – Abignayle Wood, RAAF F/A-18A/B Hornet Pilot

R

• "Randy" – George Goodman, Battle of Britain Pilot

• "Ratsy" – George Preddy, top P-51 Mustang ace with 26.83 aerial victories

• "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

• "Robin" – Hilary Hood, Battle of Britain Pilot

S

• "Sailor" – Adolph Malan, South African RAF fighter ace^[19]
• "Sandy" – Brian Lane, RAF Battle of Britain pilot, Squadron Leader and fighter ace
• "Sheep" – George Gilroy, Battle of Britain pilot
• "Shorty" – Vernon Keogh, American who flew with the RAF during the Battle of Britain, so-named for diminutive height^[20]
• "Skeets" – Alfred Keith Ogilvie, Battle of Britain pilot and participant in the Great Escape. Short for "Skeeter"
• "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
• "Snow Eagle" – Clennell H. Dickins, Canadian pioneer bush pilot
• "Spanky" – George Roberts, American commander of the 99th Fighter Squadron (Tuskegee Airmen)^[21]
• "Spig" – Frank W. Wead, U.S. Navy aviator and screenwriter
• "Spud" – James Hayter, Battle of Britain pilot
• "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
• "Sticks" – William Gregory, Battle of Britain pilot
• "Sticky" – Norman Glew, Battle of Britain pilot
• "Strafer" – S/Ldr Geoffrey Warnes, No. 263 Squadron RAF
• "Stuffy" – Sir Hugh Dowding, British commander of RAF Fighter Command from before the war into the Battle of Britain^[19]
• "Sawn Off Locky" – Eric Lock, Battle of Britain pilot

T

• "Taffy" –
  • Fredrick Higginson, Battle of Britain pilot
  • Trafford Leigh-Mallory, British Group commander during Battle of Britain and head of Fighter Command from 1942
• "Tage" – Dennis Lockhart, Battle of Britain pilot
• "Tex" – David L. Hill, American fighter pilot
• "Tiger Tim" – Fredrick Eley, Battle of Britain pilot
• "Tim" – John Elkington, Battle of Britain pilot
• "Timbertoes" Sydney Carlin, Battle of Britain gunner who lost a leg in WWI
• "Titch" – George Palliser, Battle of Britain pilot
• "Tubby" – Herbert Mermegan, Battle of Britain pilot

U

• "Uncle Wiggly Wings" – Gail S. Halvorsen, American Air Force officer

W

• "Wop" – Wilfrid R. May, Canadian pioneer bush pilot
• "White Eagle" – Clennell H. Dickins, Canadian pioneer bush pilot
• "Winkle" – Eric Brown, British naval aviator and test pilot^[22]
• "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
• "Zulu" - George Lloyd World War I pilot

See also

• Nickname
• List of basketball nicknames
• List of hockey nicknames
• List of nicknames of European Royalty and Nobility
• List of nicknames of historical personages
• List of criminals by nickname
• List of monarchs by nickname
• List of military figures by nickname
• List of nicknames of United States presidents
• Lists of nicknames – nickname list articles on Wikipedia

References