NurPhotoGetty Images A U.S. Air Force refueling tanker flying in the Middle East used the call sign "PIKLRICK." The call sign was a nod to the animated comedy Rick and Morty . Air Force call signs typically refer to the mission, or the Air Force in general. Not a talking pickle. A U.S. Air Force tanker crew used an unusual call sign during a recent mission in the Middle East: “PIKLRICK.” ✈ The KC-10A tanker took off on an otherwise unremarkable flight from Al-Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, but soon attracted global attention for naming the flight after the pickle version of Rick Sanchez, the foul-mouthed mad scientist from the cult animated comedy