Just for Fun: What’s in a name?

Not surprisingly, pilots tag their pets with aviation names to reflect their passions. What is surprising is that once you dig beneath the surface, you find names that go beyond simple tributes to those that reflect a lot of thought. Nobody names their dog Caution Wake Turbulence (true story) on a whim. Winger is a Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever (or “toller” for short), and he belongs to Camoriah Eaton of Manato, Minnesota. Winger’s American Kennel Club registered name is Vermilion’s Caution Wake Turbulence.

We asked pilots to share their pets’ aviation names, and we discovered some patterns. For example, the aviation alphabet is a common source: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie (a name that seems particularly suitable for golden retrievers), all the way to Zulu.

Then there are airplane manufacturers. Cessna and Piper are very common for both cats and dogs—Piper more so than Cessna (sorry, Clyde). But then there’s Mooney, the very good boy owned by aviation writer Jolie Lucas. Mooney is equally at home at the airport or in the psychotherapy chair in Lucas’s Southern California office, Lucas said.

How about P–51? That’s the name of Allegra Monserrat Rodriguez’s dog, who lives in San Antonio, Texas, and sports a tag that says “P–51.” Or FiFi, a ball python named for the Boeing B–29 Superfortress, and owned by Amy Fenster?

Janet Davidson’s “smooth-coated Wisconsin cheese hound” Jennywren is named for the Curtiss Jenny biplane.

Then there’s Vought—who is an Ornate Uromastyx owned by Theresa Farley of Chandler, Arizona. If, like me, you had never heard of an Ornate Uromastyx, you might like to know that they are colorful lizards that grow to be about 15 inches long, and they’re considered the couch potatoes of Uromastyx—they enjoy lounging in the sun and eating.

Aubrey Folsom’s pet rats are named Orion and Hercules, named after the P–3 and C–130. They are Dumbo rats, so called because they have small round ears that stick out to the side, much like the cartoon elephant. This breed of “fancy” rat is said to be calm, sweet, and intelligent.

All of Stacie Lufkin Whitford’s dogs have had airplane names: Fairchild Metro aka Metro; Bellanca Scout aka Belle; Lockheed Constellation aka Connie; and MIG29 Fulcrum aka MIG. A new puppy is due to arrive soon, and Whitford said the short list of names is Lockheed Vega or Lockheed Lodestar. “Yes, we are that family,” she said.

Renowned aviators and astronauts provide much inspiration.

David Kelly’s orange tabby is named Hadfield, for Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, “whose book continues to inspire,” Kelly said. He lives in Galway, Ireland, and you can see more photos of Hadfield (the cat) on his Twitter timeline (@clearofcloud).

YouTube pilot personality Steve Thorpe (FlightChops) has a pup named Hoover. Nonpilots think he’s named after a vacuum, but pilots know better. Hoover the pup’s first flight with Thorpe was documented on YouTube (youtu.be/zeP4-YBYy30) and it is a thoughtful and well-produced segment that details how Thorpe worked with Hoover for weeks to get him comfortable in an airplane, including training him to wear Mutt Muffs at home and bringing snacks and a favorite blanket along for the first time.

An aviator need not be famous (or infamous) to earn a pet tribute. Flying magazine Editor in Chief Julie Boatman’s dog Cap’n Billy is named for a much-loved United Airlines pilot.

There are lots of Amelias, Bessies, and Chucks (Yeager) out there, but litters of puppies and kittens offer an opportunity to go full throttle with aviation names. Cyndi Metcalf Cougoule fostered a pregnant dog that gave birth to five puppies. They were named Louise Thaden, Bessie Coleman, Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle, and Chuck Yeager. All the pups were adopted. “We kept the mama [named Amelia] and she is living her best life with us after spending two years in a junkyard,” Cougoule said.

Bonus points go to Shawna Malvini Redden, whose two Maltese-poodle mixes are named Clyde Pratt and Walter Whitney. Can you guess their namesakes? Redden says, “We could not decide on their names to save our lives. So, they each have two.” The dogs are named for Clyde Cessna, Walter Beech, and Pratt & Whitney.

How about notable aviation events? Eve Lopez’s dog Derby is named for the 1929 Women’s Transcontinental Air Race, also known as the Powder Puff Derby.

Wrapping up this article, I was reminded that Frederick Municipal Airport has a canine celebrity with an aviation name: Turbo the Flying Dog. His owner, Victoria Neuville, has co-written a series of children’s books about his flying adventures. He even has his own Facebook page.

Honorable mentions go to Maverick, Goose, Tailgunner, Aileron, Aero, Jet, Wingnut, Sigmet, Gilmore, Huey, Chandelle, and so many more.

What about your pet? If you have a pet with an aviation name—particularly if it’s not one mentioned here—send us an email at [email protected], with the subject “Pet names.”

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