What does "Tango" mean?

[Mike]

Ok, this time I have a question for all you ATC, ex-military, and stuck-wing people!

Got this email the other day and I don't know the answer. Any guesses?

Hi Mike,

    Interesting website and I like your comics.  I went out to your site
looking for pilot and ATC lingo because I carpool with a UA pilot who is
also a reservist (Navy CMDR) and every now and then when we are coordinating
carpool meeting departure times from the base he will reply back with a
single word - 'Tango'.

     I use standard well known military communications jargon (having been
associated with the military now for 35 years) like "Roger that" or
"Affirmative", but I'm not familiar with "tango" except for it being a
phonetic "T".  So I thought it must be ATC or commercial pilot lingo.  Does
it ring a bell with you?

     Thanks and again - good work.


v/r

[Oddball]

Maybe the Commander is arranging a dance, or some thing to drink? (Tango is a carbonated drink over here). But I  think Tango means Target

[Rooster Cruiser]

Hmmmmmmmm...  Not familiar with "Tango" as a singular phrase in either military or civilian pilot jargon.

A quick google search put me onto a website for Aviator's Slang, where my search for 'Tango' came up with this:

Tango Uniform
Polite phonetics for “tits up”; broken, not functioning.

Find more here:  http://www.tailhook.org/AVSLANG.htm#T

Methinks your friend needs to inquire his UAL pilot friend directly about what he means by 'Tango' because I am drawing a blank here.

RC

[Mike]

yeah, I drew a blank too....

Maybe it's a UAL - only term, or he's just trying to throw his buddy off heh heh . . .   

[Futeki]

Its a really lazy way of saying "Thank you" over the radio. We use it on the radios a lot at work. Its not official just lazy...

[Baradium]

Here's all I came up with

Tango
(US) NATO phonetic alphabet for the letter "T" and for "Target" (or enemy). Example: "We have two Tango's at 3 o'clock – I'll take the right one."
Tango Down
(US) NATO phonetic alphabet for "Target Down", i.e. when an enemy or target has been neutralized. Example: "The first guard is Tango Down."
Tango Mike
(US) NATO phonetic alphabet for "Thanks much."
Tango Uniform
(US) NATO phonetic alphabet for "Tits Up" also used by the FCC, FAA and DOD to mean killed or destroyed. (Alternative more polite translation: "Toes Up").
(US Army & USMC) Not in optimal condition. (e.g. The HUMVEE went Tango Uniform before we even arrived.).
(US Air Force) Dead drunk.
(US) Object Inverted. (Upside Down) (e.g. 'I'm turning the plane Tango Uniform to get a better look.') May be used in a more vulgar fashion as "Tits Up"
Tango Yankee
(INTL) [NATO phonetic alphabet] short for "Thank You.", commonly used over the radio. Commonly just "Tango" over the radio (for "Thanks").

So at least it's in the dictionary.... shows up as being a NATO/INTL common usage, so that might explain why most of us who are Americans aren't familiar?

[Mike]

Cool! Thanks Baradium!

I didn't know there were that many "Tango's" out there. The only one I knew was "Tango Uniform"....

I'll pass that on, thanks.