Why do pilots say blue?


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 does foxtrot mean for pilot?

Fox is short for foxtrot, the NATO phonetic designation for the letter F, which is short for fire. The radio call announcing that a weapon has been fired is intended to help avoid friendly fire, alerting other pilots to avoid maneuvering into the path of the munition.


Why do pilots have 4 stripes?

Three Stripes indicate that the person is the co-pilot or second in command. They assist the captain through flight planning and updating communication and flight mechanisms. Four Stripes insignia is worn by the captain; the one ultimately in charge of the safety and operations of the flight.


What does a yellow plane mean?

Aircraft located using satellite data are coloured blue on the map, and yellow if located by terrestrial receivers.


What does blue mean for pilots?

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.


Why do pilots say rotate?

Therefore, when pilots say the word rotate on takeoff, it serves as a clear reminder for them to carry out the rotation. The pilot needs to make sure that they lift the nose of the airplane off the ground at the precise time required for the plane to take off.


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.


Why do pilots say 5 by 5?

The phrase five by five can be used informally to mean good signal strength or loud and clear. An early example of this phrase was in 1946, recounting a wartime conversation.


How do pilots say 5?

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.


Why do pilots say Niner instead of nine?

Changing “nine” to “niner” adds another vowel sound, which may help distinguish them when radio reception is poor. Niner is spoken for the numeral 9 to avoid it being mistaken for 5.


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.


What is the code blue at the airport?

A Code Blue announcement provides an immediate security awareness alert to all airport workers that a security concern is perceived by another airport worker and the report is being investigated.


Why do pilots talk so fast on the radio?

Pilots and ATCs talk fast because both parties understand that they are small parts of a very big, very efficient system.


How do pilots greet each other?

How do pilots greet each other in the air (from different planes)? You pull up alongside, perform the line action for undoing your window (remember manual windows in cars?), and when both yours and his windows are open, it is typical to ask for a cup of sugar.


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.