While most water salutes are performed when an airplane retires, they can also be performed for other purposes. If an airline captain is retiring, for example, the airline may honor him or her by blasting water over the airplane of their final flight.

The tradition of splashing a pilot with water is a time-honored aviation ritual known as the "Solo Dunk." It typically occurs immediately after a student pilot successfully completes their very first solo flight—the first time they take off and land an aircraft without an instructor on board. The water serves both as a celebratory "baptism" into the pilot community and a symbolic way to "cool down" the pilot after the intense adrenaline and heat of such a high-stakes milestone. Depending on the flight school’s specific tradition, this can range from a few buckets of ice water to a full-scale soaking from a fire truck's hose. In some cultures, the instructor might even join in or follow the dunk with other rituals like cutting off the back of the student's shirt (symbolizing that the instructor no longer needs to "tug" on them to give directions). It is a moment of immense pride and a definitive right of passage in every pilot's career.