Pilot Plays Game of Chance

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Quote: Actually, military controllers would be just as unfamiliar with the term as their civilian counterparts. Sitting SOF, I would often field quizzical looks from the controllers asking "*** did he just say?"

I think you're confusing controllers with C2 agencies. CRC, AWACS, DASC, ASOC, though often pressed into blurry grey areas in certain A/O's, are not controllers. But they will typically understand and operate using brevity comm (albeit to a proficiency level that makes them equal parts dangerous and frustrating ). [not talking to you USMCFLYR, just trying to keep the discussion on point]
Point taken - but I have enough hours under my military belt to know the difference between the Agencies you listed and the ATC type of controllers, and it has been MY experience that military controllers understood the term just perfectly - ESPECIALLY CONTROLLERS out on the boat (though I'll have to take the word of some of my more seasoned CVN peers to confirm this).

Maybe this is a USAF -vs- USN/USMC difference? I glad to say that you have more time spent sitting SOF than I do , but I've been in the environment a few times at least.

Quote:
I had the unique opportunity to go from military aviation (Nav) to a civil school (university flight program) and back home to MilAv. I found that I had to be careful in the civil world of keying the mic and spouting what came naturally. Terms like RTB and tally would generate derision from my CFI's, even if the controllers didn't skip a beat. I would have never imagined throwing a "Bingo" out on the radio. UFB
Oh I get those same looks from some of the sole civilian trained guys I fly with now when I accidentally let a military term slip out - especially if they come from a ATC background which quite a few do in my job.
I never would think of throwing out "Bingo" to a controller in my current working environment either, but I use it often enough between the other pilot and myself, even if I do have to explain to them what it means (along with Bullseye too ).

USMCFLYR
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How much fuel did he actually have after landing?
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The term "Bingo" is situation dependant. It means "I'm done for the day, I've hit RTB fuel, any delay will result in emergency fuel."

I can be Bingo with 2 hours of gas on board, or twenty minutes of gas. Some controllers may know what it means, but this ass hat didn't even know himself.

If you're Bingo on downwind, you're a freaking emergency.
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Quote: The term "Bingo" is situation dependant. It means "I'm done for the day, I've hit RTB fuel, any delay will result in emergency fuel."

I can be Bingo with 2 hours of gas on board, or twenty minutes of gas. Some controllers may know what it means, but this ass hat didn't even know himself.

If you're Bingo on downwind, you're a freaking emergency.
I had a situation once with a 4v4 DACT where I had set a Bingo high enough to knock off the fight out in the 'Y' areas off KNBC, gather the flight together, and RTB with required SOP fuel on deck. I'm -1, got a new guy (about 6 months in the squadron) as -2, -3 was fairly experienced, and -4 was a guy about 2 weeks out of the RAG.

Last run at about the middle of the flow, -4 calls "Bingo". I acknowledge and call for a "continue". My idea being to basically flow to this merge, call the KIO, check the flight 90 right and RTB (we would have all been in the about the same place of pie at the KIO.) This -4, without telling anyone else, departs the fight and head's home direct - - -AND SWITCHES FREQS to SeaLord.
Well Grumble - you can imagine the momentary scare I got when a few minutes later I call for the KIO and there is no -4 echoing the call

His claim was that he had been taught at the RAG that Bingo meant 'put the neddle on the nose and head home'. Having just come from the RAG instructing I knew that they did not teach that - at least when I was there (I had been out of instructing for about 2 years at that point).
when I got back into the RAG at -125, I made sure to emphasize that Bingo (unfortunately could have many meanings and was as Grumble pointed out - situational.) I made sure to be much more clear in my particular briefs from that point forward. Maybe BDGR will pipe up and give the current thought process at the RAG.

'Bingo' itself does not constitute a fuel emergency. If you are on a 'BINGO profile', then it would generally be understood that fuel is an issue. It can be one of the more confusing terms in comm brevity imo.

USMCFLYR
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Briefing item
Flight Lead (with a stern look): "All bingos will be no-$hit bingos."
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