Does this mean anything to you? (See link for graphics)
"I have a source who just retired after 15 years of service @ Offutt.
He confirmed that 'Call the Ball' would definitely be the terminology used by a Commander if they were to request this plane for a mission.
Also confirmed its one baaaad bird.
COBRA BALL = well known w/in AF."
The Boeing RC-135 is a family of large reconnaissance aircraft built by Boeing and modified by a number of companies, including General Dynamics, Lockheed, LTV, E-Systems, and L3 Technologies, and used by the United States Air Force and Royal Air Force to support theater and national level intelligence consumers with near real-time on-scene collection, analysis and dissemination capabilities. Based on the C-135 Stratolifter airframe, various types of RC-135s have been in service since 1961. Unlike the C-135 and KC-135 which are recognized by Boeing as the Model 717,[3] most of the current RC-135 fleet (with the exception of the RAF's RC-135Ws) is internally designated as the Model 739 by the company. Many variants have been modified numerous times, resulting in a large variety of designations, configurations, and program names.
“call the ball” is a specific call from the Landing Signal Officer to an aircraft approaching for landing to indicate that they can see the landing lights and that they are on the appropriate line of approach depending on the light that they see.
So it’s final approach terminology that someone is ready to “land the plane”.j
Now Offutt is “Air Farce” so what the hell they are corrupting it to mean I have no clue. Our Navy Pilots land on a postage stamp in the middle of the ocean with minimal lights in a storm....the first thing the air farce builds is the o-club and e-club at a base... so far as I know ‘call the ball’ for the bus drivers might mean give me a HighBall....
To be fair the guy may have heard it in AF in a different lower usage - but the main one would be for carrier approaches.