Aircraft graffiti
Encyclopedia
Aircraft graffiti is graffiti
on the outside of an aircraft
or in the cargo bins, usually written by airport ground staff. Typically, the graffiti take jabs at ground staff at other airports, at other employees or supervisors, at airline managements, etc., and is usually intended to be humorous rather than offensive. During labor disputes, pro-union and anti-management graffiti are also common.
Although rarely seen by the travelling public, aircraft graffiti are very common and almost every commercial airliner is tagged in some way, most often in the cargo hold. Other common areas for the graffiti (these are usually written in the dirt or grease on an aircraft) include the engine
nacelles, the fuselage
under the wing
, fuel panels, and landing gear
panels, as well as any area of an aircraft where the ground crew work. One well-known case of aircraft vandalism occurred during the merger of US Airways
and Pacific Southwest Airlines
, when PSA employees painted their company's trademark "smile" onto US Airways aircraft formerly owned by PSA.
wrote things like "Eat this, Osama" and "High jack this fags [sic]" onto bombs which were dropped during the campaign.(See fag bomb
)
Another form of military aircraft graffiti is the nose art
painted on the noses of combat aircraft. Though the practice of decorating planes for battle began among Italian and German pilots in World War I, it was expanded and made famous by the US Air Force
during World War II
and the Korean War
. Some of the images used to decorate fighters and bombers were mascot
s for the planes, others were Pin-up girl
s, and many were adorned with gung-ho slogans. Also some military mechanics will jokingly "zap" visiting aircraft by placing stickers representing their own squadron (called zaps) in different areas on the aircraft.
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
on the outside of an aircraft
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
or in the cargo bins, usually written by airport ground staff. Typically, the graffiti take jabs at ground staff at other airports, at other employees or supervisors, at airline managements, etc., and is usually intended to be humorous rather than offensive. During labor disputes, pro-union and anti-management graffiti are also common.
Although rarely seen by the travelling public, aircraft graffiti are very common and almost every commercial airliner is tagged in some way, most often in the cargo hold. Other common areas for the graffiti (these are usually written in the dirt or grease on an aircraft) include the engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
nacelles, the fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
under the wing
Wing
A wing is an appendage with a surface that produces lift for flight or propulsion through the atmosphere, or through another gaseous or liquid fluid...
, fuel panels, and landing gear
Landing Gear
Landing Gear is Devin the Dude's fifth studio album. It was released on October 7, 2008. It was his first studio album since signing with the label Razor & Tie. It features a high-profile guest appearance from Snoop Dogg. As of October 30, 2008, the album has sold 18,906 copies.-Track...
panels, as well as any area of an aircraft where the ground crew work. One well-known case of aircraft vandalism occurred during the merger of US Airways
US Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
and Pacific Southwest Airlines
Pacific Southwest Airlines
Pacific Southwest Airlines was a United States airline headquartered in San Diego, California, that operated from 1949 to 1988. It was one of the first large discount airlines in the United States and is considered a precursor to Southwest Airlines...
, when PSA employees painted their company's trademark "smile" onto US Airways aircraft formerly owned by PSA.
Military aircraft graffiti
In military aviation, fighter crews are also known to write "messages" on the bombs and missiles shortly before leaving on a mission. For example, fighter crews during the U.S. invasion of AfghanistanWar in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
wrote things like "Eat this, Osama" and "High jack this fags [sic]" onto bombs which were dropped during the campaign.(See fag bomb
Fag bomb
The "fag bomb" was a U.S. military fighter-mounted bomb , photographed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise in October 2001 during the United States' invasion of Afghanistan...
)
Another form of military aircraft graffiti is the nose art
Nose art
Nose art is a decorative painting or design on the fuselage of a military aircraft, usually located near the nose, and is a form of aircraft graffiti....
painted on the noses of combat aircraft. Though the practice of decorating planes for battle began among Italian and German pilots in World War I, it was expanded and made famous by the US Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. Some of the images used to decorate fighters and bombers were mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
s for the planes, others were Pin-up girl
Pin-up girl
A pin-up girl, also known as a pin-up model, is a model whose mass-produced pictures see wide appeal as popular culture. Pin-ups are intended for informal display, e.g. meant to be "pinned-up" on a wall...
s, and many were adorned with gung-ho slogans. Also some military mechanics will jokingly "zap" visiting aircraft by placing stickers representing their own squadron (called zaps) in different areas on the aircraft.