The Mighty BIC 4-Color Pen
I was lucky enough to watch Top Gun: Maverick on opening weekend at an IMAX theater, courtesy of my previous employer (they rented the whole place out) and something I noticed immediately was the use of BIC 4-Color pens. It came up too often to be a coincidence so I looked into it a little.
Here’s a few shots from the movie:
Notice the pen in Fanboy’s hand? And the one in Phoenix’s pocket? That’s what I spotted because it’s exactly what I fly with as well.
On a hunt for more info, I came across a mini doc on some real Top Gun pilots. Below is a still image from that video.
I then found another video on YouTube that shows the pen in use.
I knew I was on to something.
This led me to a forum post where the “4 color pen of judgment” is mentioned. Is this the BIC 4-Color pen? Unsure, but most likely.
Further down this self dug rabbit hole, I found a podcast and saved this excerpt:
Writing is something a pilot does almost constantly. It seems like there’s always something to jot down, whether it’s radio frequencies, headings, altitudes, transponder codes, or times. In the jet, we typically used kneeboards as our writing surface. A kneeboard is just a small clipboard strapped to your upper thigh. My favorite is a popular model by Hendricks called the 9G. My 9G with standard Skilcraft pen and very-non-standard iPad mini Many pilots tie a government ballpoint pen to the top clip with a string so it doesn’t fall off and get stuck in the controls (that would be bad… very bad).
Designed to write anywhere regardless of climate or altitude. Ink does not skip or smear. Will write for one mile. There are a few problems with the standard Skilcraft pens, among them the fact that it easily twists apart into a bunch of pieces, it doesn’t have a loop for the aforementioned string, and it only writes in black – inconvenient for keeping track of who’s who in a complicated dogfight. These flaws have been almost completely overcome by the remarkable Bic 4-Color Pen. Perfect For Recording Data.
The 4-Color has a loop for a string, solid construction, and fighter-friendly multicolored ink: blue (good-guy #1), green (good-guy #2), red (bad-guy #1), and black (bad-guy #2). I never migrated to this highly upgraded piece of cockpit technology, but I know a lot of guys (especially weapons school graduates) who swore by it. A US military flight suit has slots for two writing implements on its upper left sleeve. Most people kept their daily use (non-flying) pen and pencil there, and I was no exception. In 1997, when I finished ground school and received my first flight suit, my dad gave me a Cross Classic Century Pen and Pencil set in 24kt Gold and Matte Green. I took that pen and pencil with me on every flight over 17 years – including two combat deployments – and I still carry them in my flight suit today. There are those that say that the best tools are the ones that get used the most. Of all the writing tools I’ve ever owned, these are the ones with the most mileage. The Pilot G2 Gel Ink pen was a revolution in the late nineties. Hardly anything else felt like writing with gel ink but they were notorious for clogging and smudging.
Where am I going with all this? Well, nowhere I guess. I just really enjoy the BIC 4-Color pen for quick differentiating of my notes while flying and it feels good knowing that other pilots also appreciate this same pen.
Maybe I’ll take some photos of how I use it these days but in general, I use black ink for departure airport information and blue ink for arrival. They’re also cheap enough that I can keep a few in my flight bag and I’m not upset if one gets left behind.
Currently, I use the BIC 4-Color Pro as my actual writing tool in day to day use but I keep a Cross Classic Century in my shirt pocket, mostly for professional appearances. Well that’s not completely true, as do I enjoy the look and feel of the Cross. I also prefer non-click pens when taking notes in front of other people because they’re less distracting.
Disclaimer, because lawyers ruin everything: Some of the links above might earn me a tiny commission if you buy something. No, it won’t fund a yacht. Yes, it will probably go toward car magazines and candy cigarettes. I have to mention it regardless.
