What is pilot language?


What is pilot language? Aviators often speak “pilot English” to avoid miscommunications over radio transmission. “Tree” for instance, means three, “fife” is the number five and “niner” means nine, says Tom Zecha, a manager at AOPA. The variations stemmed from a desire to avoid confusion between similar-sounding numbers, he says.


How do pilots talk so fast?

At busy international airports, the number of pilots that one air traffic controller has to deal with at any one time can be immense and this is why they talk fast. Most pilots are able to understand these fast-talking controllers because they are also very experienced and have been talking with ATC for a long time.


Why do pilots say squawk?

Air traffic control units use the term squawk when they are assigning an aircraft a transponder code, e.g., Squawk 7421. Squawk thus can be said to mean select transponder code or squawking xxxx to mean I have selected transponder code xxxx.


What does the pilot say before flying?

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning / afternoon / evening. Welcome on board (flight reference). This is Captain / Co-pilot (your name) speaking and I have some information about our flight. Our flight time today will be (flight duration) and our estimated time of arrival in (destination) is (ETA)local time.


Why do pilots say say again?

Radio Communications Procedures Know your call sign, location on the airfield and where you intend to go. ? If you are ever unsure about what the controller said, or if you don't understand an instruction, ask the controller to repeat the communication by transmitting “SAY AGAIN” .


What language do pilots speak?

Aviation English is the de facto international language of civil aviation. With the expansion of air travel in the 20th century, there were safety concerns about the ability of pilots and air traffic controllers to communicate.


How do pilots say zero?

Pilots mostly pronounce numbers as in regular English but with a few exceptions. Zero (0) is always “zero,” not “oh.” Three (3) becomes “tree.” Five (5) becomes “fife.” Nine (9) becomes “niner.”


Why do pilots say fly west?

I love dream puns! It means to die. Its an adaptation of an older phrase “To go West” which mean to follow the setting sun, as in dying.


How do you say yes in pilot language?

Affirm: Contrary to popular belief, pilots do not say “affirmative” when they mean “yes” – the correct term is affirm, pronounced “AY-firm”.


Why do pilots say souls on board?

The number of “souls” on an aircraft refers to the total living bodies on the plane: every passenger, pilot, flight attendant and crew member, according to Lord-Jones. Pilots often report the number of “souls” when declaring an emergency, she says, so rescuers know the amount of people to search for.


What do pilots talk about while flying?

Most of the time, pilots read up on flight manuals while they're up in the air. They also check the fuel's condition every now and then. In other cases, pilots also ask reports from cabin crew members about the happenings inside the cabin.


Why do pilots say pan pan?

Pan-Pan, short for “possible assistance needed,” is used to communicate an urgent, but not emergency, situation over VHF radio, in the case of aviation, to air traffic control. Examples could include a recreational pilot getting lost, or perhaps needing to climb to a higher altitude to sort a problem out.


Why do pilots say blue?

The callout from the pilots like LOC blue serves to remind themselves of the current flight guidance modes, and to maintain awareness of mode changes. This is also to ensure that their mental idea of what the aircraft will do next is up to date and fits to the current flight situation.


What is a group of pilots called?

In commercial aviation, the aircrew are called flight crew.


Why do pilots say Roger?

(In 1957, the English phonetic alphabet changed the R to Romeo, but by that time, Roger was deeply embedded in the minds of pilots.) So, in short, Roger means r which stands for received. The word Roger means nothing more.


What do pilots say before takeoff?

What do pilots say right before takeoff? These can vary, but in general, the announcements are relatively standard across different airlines. Most pilots will typically introduce themselves and the cabin crew; state the aircraft type, flight number, and route, and remind passengers of the airline's seatbelt policy.


Do pilots call themselves captain?

The title of Captain can officially be used by someone whom flys a multi-pilot aircraft (aeroplane or helicopter) that is the holder of an ATPL(A/H) (Airline Transportation Pilots License), and is the Pilot In Command (PIC) of the flight and qualified to the rank of Captain in a multi-pilot certified aircraft type and ...


What are 3 things pilots do?

Operate and control aircraft along planned routes and during takeoffs and landings. Monitor engines, fuel consumption, and other aircraft systems during flight. Respond to changing conditions, such as weather events and emergencies (for example, a mechanical malfunction)


Why do pilots say heavy?

The word heavy means a larger aircraft type, with a Maximum Takeoff Weight of 160 tonnes or more. These aircraft create wake turbulence from their wings and require extra separation between following aircraft, and the use of heavy reminds other pilots of that fact.