Brew Names
Did you know all of our brew names and label art are legitimate military aviation references? Some are informative and fun. Others reference true stories of gallantry in the air. Read on to find some gems hidden in our brew art and names. And of course, if you learn something new, stop in sometime, and let us know what you've found!
Introduced in 1942, the Sikorsky R-4 (or HNS-1) "Hoverfly" was the first helicopter used by the US Armed Forces. While the British were actually the ones to coin the name "Hoverfly", the moniker became widely accepted by her crews.
This small, 2 seater aircraft actually provided the first combat helicopter medical evacuations in history. In June, 1945 while serving in Manila, PH, crews were asked if they were able to help get critically wounded soldiers to the regional field hospital. One pilot, 2nd Lt Louis Carle, removed a seat from his bird, and placed the wounded man on the aircraft floor. He proceeded to fly the soldier to the 311th General Field Hospital near Manila. Over the course of the next month, Carle and 5 other pilots successfully evacuated 75-80 wounded soldiers in the newly tested "Hoverfly", all while under direct enemy fire.
In military aviation, the term "Homeplate" is the standard reference for an aircraft's main field.
In aviation map symbology, the crosshair combined with an inner circle in the symbol for a joint military and civilian airfield. If you look closely at the background of this label art, the background is a snippet of an aeronautical chart centered over Stewartstown, PA.
At Aviator, we believe it is just as important to represent and inspire the Borough or Stewartstown as it is to honor our military and aviation heritage. Home ought to be a place where we are casual enough to be ourselves and serious enough to make a difference.
Mission 263 honors the men of the Army’s 15th Air Force, 2nd Bombardment Group who bravely flew in the Battle the White Carpathians which took place in the skies over Czechoslovakia on August 29, 1944. On that fateful day, the bomber group was assigned oil refineries in use by occupying Nazi forces as targets. Regrettably, the bombers' escort fighters never arrived. Instead, the bomber group was met enroute by over 100 enemy fighter aircraft.
One of the four bomber squadrons assigned to that mission, was completely lost. Of the 101 American casualties on that mission, 41 would perish. Another 57 became prisoners of war by the Nazis. Those American airmen offered up their lives to free people they would never meet.
During the Nazi occupation, flowers were outlawed as a means of demoralizing the people. Decades later, wreaths of flowers are used throughout many towns to honor the American servicemembers who restored hope and beauty to the nation. Each year, many Czechoslovakians, descendants of the airmen, and the men and women of the USAF 2nd Bomb Wing meet in Vyskovek, Czech Republic to honor the bravery and noble sacrifice of the men who flew Mission 263.
The OV-10 Bronco was an unsung hero of multiple conflicts. This purpose built workhorse of an airplane reportedly started with the creativity of two Marine officers in the Vietnam War who dreamed up a plane that would do exactly what they needed.
✓ Long endurance
✓ High mobility
✓ High visibility
✓ Internal cargo capacity for air delivery
✓ Close air support / light attack
✓ Radio relay
✓ Short takeoff and landing
✓ Unprepared runway capability
The Bronco did all of the above. It was so successful, the OV-10 Bronco remained in service with the US Military until 2015. It is still in use today by NASA and the US State Department, along with seven different foreign nations.
As a mission asset, the OV-10 was a true workhorse. As an aircraft design, it was good as gold.
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"MAD Cat" was the nickname given to specially modified American PBY-5 Catalina patrol planes. These aircraft were assigned anti-submarine roles during WWII. The MAD Cat was specially configured to carry Magnetic Anomaly Detection (MAD) equipment, considered a sort of "secret weapon" at that time.
The MAD gear would detect submarines by identifying local variations in the Earth's magnetic field caused by a U-Boat's large metal body. The MAD Cat would then mark the U-Boat's trail with smoke and flares. Some MAD Cats were even equipped with specialized rear firing rockets (called retro-bombs) designed to land back where the plane overflew the U-Boat.
The MAD Cat was considered a breakthrough in aviation's role in antisubmarine warfare. Notable differentiators of the MAD Cat from the standard Catalina included a second observation gondola on the nose and a boom carrying the MAD equipment extending from the back of the plane. The MAD Cat was the predecessor to the venerable P-3 Orion and today's P-8 Poseidon.
The Sandy's provided close air support for the pilot recoveries during Vietnam. The venerable A-1 Skyraider was the primary fixed wing aircraft assigned to Rescue Escort (RESCORT) missions of downed aircrews in Vietnam. A flight of four "Sandy's" would accompany a flight of Cobra and Huey or Jolly Giant helicopters. Two Sandy's stayed high, the others low.
Sandy Low coordinated the Close Air Support and kept enemy forces away from the recovery scene. Sandy High provided the high cover and escort for the flight home. In the event Sandy Low became "Winchester" (expended all their ammunition), Sandy High would descend and pick up the low mission.
These ground 'n' pound missions were in the direct lineage between the P-47 Thunderbolt and today's A-10 Thunderbolt II.
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Scud Running is the practice of flying lower and lower to stay out of the clouds. This is considered a dangerous practice in general and requires focus and awareness to prevent controlled flight into terrain. However, for the world’s premier pilots in the US armed forces, scud running can be quite exhilarating as they often cruise at high speed above the brush and below the soup.
The F-111 Aardvark (pictured on the label) was an American cold war era aircraft designed for low-level supersonic flight. A USAF pilot friend of mine who flew both the F-111 and the F-15 (air superiority fighter) once told me, “The F-15 was the world’s premier dogfighting machine, but there was nothing more fun than flying just over the treetops travelling literally faster than the sound of your aircraft.”
In 1942, the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) group was specifically organized to enable women to ferry aircraft from manufacturing facilities to combat crews. WASPs were considered excellent pilots, as they had to endure stringent standards aimed at washing out the unqualified. In that era, most men considered most women to be unqualified to fly combat aircraft. WASPs soon put those concerns to rest.
More than 50% of the combat aircraft produced in the US during WWII were ferried by WASP pilots. In total, 1,074 women graduated as WASPs, 38 of whom lost their lives in the line of duty. WASPs did not receive any recognized veteran status until 1977, which also happened to be the year the first women pilots graduated the US Air Force pilot program.
WASPs wore gold wings with a diamond center. The background depicted in the can art is a partial representation of the WASP patch, originally designed by Walt Disney.
Dustoff was a callsign given to the first air medevac helicopter crews of the 57th Medical Detachment during the Vietnam conflict. The original Dustoff air ambulance crews suffered a high casualty rate as they continuously went into "hot" landing zones to evacuate critically wounded soldiers from the battlefield.
During deployed operations, aviation units take on separate callsigns, completely different than their primary unit callsign. These deployed callsigns rotate often to prevent opposing forces from recognizing the type of asset it is. However, because of their courage in face of fire, and willingness to proceed on behalf of others despite the imminent risk to themselves, the Dustoff callsign is used to designate US Army air medevac helicopters in a combat theater to this day.
Many are familiar with Chicago O’Hare International airport, but you would be hard-pressed to find someone who knows the story behind the man it was named after. That man was Edward “Butch” O’Hare. The son of an American mafia lawyer, Butch was not considered strong, smart or in any way motivated by his father. In fact, it was a request to borrow the family car so he could drive down the block to buy a doughnut that inspired Butch’s father to enroll him in military school. But Butch would eventually prove himself.
Butch received a commission in the US Navy and became a fighter pilot flying the F4F-3 Wildcat. In February 1942, Butch was flying in defense of the USS Lexington when it was detected and attacked by multiple waves of Japanese bombers. Through a series of events, Butch became the only defense against a flight of 9 heavily armed Japanese bombers. Through his skill and courage, Butch downed 5 aircraft in quick succession despite being significantly outclassed, outgunned, and outnumbered.
He became the US Navy’s first ace (5 victories) of WWII. Butch was credited with nearly singlehandedly saving the “Lady Lex” and her crew. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions. Butch would later give his life for our country, flying and fighting in defense of US Marines on Tarawa island, in an attempt to intercept a nighttime raid by enemy forces.
In military aviation, the term “Sparkle” is a standard reference to marking a target with an Infrared (IR) laser pointer. This IR illumination can then be seen by supporting forces using night vision goggles and comparable camera systems. It is an easy way to mark an objective or simply light up the area at night in a way that is invisible to the naked eye.
There are more than a few good life lessons that can be drawn as comparisons. Some might include A) if things are dark, call for illumination; and B) shine the light; someone desperately needs to see it. Shine bright!
"Broken Arrow" was a military phrase that was used to call for all available air assets to come to the assistance of a ground unit. It was used only in the event the ground unit was being overrun and overwhelmed. Of course, the dire situation meant there was a high likelihood for casualties due to friendly fire.
It was an incredibly difficult call for a commander to make, and an extreme challenge for the aviators above to execute. We honor the men and women who endured those moments, and the aviators who pushed every boundary to support their brothers and sisters on the ground.
The aircraft depicted in the "feathers" of the arrow is the F-105 Thunderchief. A total of 334 F-105 Thunderchief's were lost in combat operations in Vietnam.
"Heavy" is an official term in aviation. It is a classification for planes weighing more than 300,000 lbs. The primary need for the reference is for wake turbulence. In other words, larger planes disturb more air more violently than lighter aircraft.
For those who have deployed in the last 4 decades, a C-17 is one of a very short list of aircraft to epitomize the Heavies. It can carry nearly 90 tons, and has room for over 300 passengers if properly loaded. It's a beast and a workhorse, and has served as the "freedom bird" for many a warfighter!
Dr. Buzz Aldrin Famously said, Exploration is wired into our brains. If we can see the horizon, we want to know what's beyond."
Buzz Aldrin ultimately made 3 separate spacewalks and was the second person to ever walk on the move. His generation seemed to reach the peak of aeronautical prowess, and yet...
Today we see private companies launching and recovering reusable rockets. As of the beginning of 2024, 47 different nations have sent astronauts to space. We have leaders publicly stating their objective to make humanity a multi-planetary species. There will always be another horizon!
Meet the Artist
All the artwork for our beer labels are original pieces by Eric Elwell. Eric is David's youngest brother, a faithful family man, and a native of western NY. Eric's thoughtful approach to the context, story and customer experience helps guarantee an authentic brand. Eric has done everything from concept art for LucasArts games to illustrating children's books. The art Eric produces for Aviator is arguably his least fanciful! For more of his creative work, check out ericelwellart.com
