It gives the men and now women a fun diversion from the everyday routine and shows the wild imagination and creativity these people have. Ultimately, the squadron car is a symbol of pride for the unit. Note the unit awards painted on the upper portion. However, a few may still have a reference or two if you look close enough. When ladies began to incorporate into the flying units, the crude references were mostly stricken. The early cars were very politically incorrect and crass. Basically, the rule of thumb is this: it has to be bigger, wilder and more flashy than the other squadron’s ride yet, reflect the squadron’s history and culture. Retired tails are mounted, maybe a refueling boom or perhaps simulated missiles/guns. Modern squadron vehicles are adorned with anything and everything to make their ground transportation match their aerial rides. As the type of vehicle changed, so did the exterior details. Not to be outdone, limousines transformed into old school buses and RVs. Standard cars morphed into retired limos. Over time, the cars started to get custom paint jobs that reflected persona of the squadron. The original squadron cars were plain and simple, what my generation would call a “beater” – cheap and usually in need of some sort of repair. Usually, the junior officers were tasked with driving the senior officers around to the base functions and parties. Several members would chip in a few dollars and buy a cheap vehicle to get around. Accordingly, the squadron car was born out of necessity. According to lore, official transportation was generally unavailable to squadrons that were deployed or on training detachments. The tradition appears to have started with the Navy. Inside are custom seats in the yellow and blue squadron colors. The more gaudy and outrageous the better! Everything from wild paint schemes to spare aircraft parts can be seen on what has become the squadron’s ultimate alter ego. For semi-truck drivers, wood in the cab is the decor of choice while chrome is king for most “hot rods”. On the ground, a squadron’s identity is reflected in their vehicle. In the air, a squadron can be identified by the type of aircraft being flown and squadron logo or tail codes.
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