Call signs for top guns

[golok]

I am fascinated by the kind of call signs of fighter jet pilots.

Where do they dig up all those crazy but amusing names?

Iceman, Wolfman, Ghost, Apache, Firefox, Lava, Godzilla, etc.

What's the rationale behind all this call sign thing?

Heck, I would to be called Golok101 if I am piloting one of those F16!

 

[ChuteTheMall]

It all started with the Korean Air Force, because everybody was named Kim.

 

[jjcoolay]

I take it you are joking right???
That be funny if that was the case.

 

[jrf]

Disregard.

 

[Bikewer]

Prior to WWII, of course, radio was a rarity in military aircraft, and even during the war, the Japanese generally did not use them in fighters, due to the weight. Handsigns and little manuevers with the aircraft, if you can imagine.
Usually, a flight( the equivalent of a squad ) would be given a code name for a particular mission, something simple like "blue 1" for the leader, blue2 for his wingman, and so forth.
This gradually evolved into the present day practice, fighter guys preferring something that's easily recognized over the radio, and sufficiently macho to impress the other fighter jocks.