Originally Posted by
Wasatch Phantom
Well, I guess I'm a tool as I've used the term.
It's part of the "Brevity code". It essentially means flying in reduced visibility or in and out of clouds.
Thus suppose ATC calls out traffic and you have the aircraft in sight but you know you'll lose the aircraft momentarily when you re enter the clouds.
I would guess you didn't fly in the military...
Why would you use a term that a good portion of those on frequency have absolutely no idea what you are talking about? I don't remember seeing it in the pilot/controller glossary. I heard that term the other day and we both just looked at each other and said: "Did that guy just say he was Popeye?" It invariably turned into a discussion about whether not Olive Oyl was hot, and what she ever saw in Bluto, because we both agreed he was a real tool. So, we did in fact get a good laugh out of it. Although my time is all purely civilian, the Captain did have a military background and yet we were both clueless as to what the term meant. At least now I know.