Aircraft identification
From USAFA Folklore
Source: Modified from Army FM 44-80
Aircraft identification is an integral part of Doolie knowledge. During the Cold War years, smacks were required to be able to identify the silhouettes of all aircraft in the U.S. and Soviet inventories (Now freshmen need only memorize the U.S. inventory to date), and name the maker, designation, nickname and primary mission of each aircraft. This was often practiced until the fourth class cadets could identify the aircraft with only a fraction-of-a-second glimpse at the silhouette. Some squadrons went to the extent of putting up aircraft ID pages in alcoves, so the fourth class cadets walking by would have to identify and recite the aircraft as they passed them. This skill was particularly important during Knowledge Bowls, in which each round ended with an aircraft identification question.
