DRUNK
28 August 2006, 0957ZNo, I haven't been drinking. But clearly, recovering from surgery has afforded me too much free time.
First, a quick explanation for non-pilots. We have these things called victor airways which are basically highways in the sky. They are predetermined routes between airports and radio beacons, used primarily for flight in bad weather. Airways are dotted with fixes (also called intersections or reporting points), which are just fixed points along the airway. All fixes have five-letter pronounceable names. The map below shows an airway called V32 with a fix named FESKO (emphasized by the red arrow).
When the FAA creates a new fix, they usually try to include some local flavor in the name. For example, Nashville has one named GUITR, and Boston has fixes named BOSOX and CELTS.
Imagine my surprise when I noticed that Boston also has a fix named DRUNK. My Republican coworkers will no doubt be tempted to suggest that this name is related to a certain prominent senator. I'm not so sure. But plugging in DRUNK's latitude and longitude to Google Maps reveals that it is precisely located above someone's house.
Not all fixes have meaningful names, but I just can't believe that a fix named DRUNK located directly over someone's house is an accident. So, to the owner of that house on Calypso Lane: evidently you made an impression on the FAA.
And yes, I am going back to work today.