21 Nov 22 Flight 03

Plane Talk

Have you ever paid attention to what pilots say. That is, in the air, and that is, when you can hear what they are saying which means you are in a small-to-medium size aircraft, and the pilot knows the lingo franca of aviation, which (s)he better if a safe takeoff and landing is the objective. Lack of communication in the sky can be suicide. In some particularly noisy planes – rotor or fixed wing – headsets are de rigeur, e.g., helicopters to hear at all, and in the big jets to assure clear communication. Every word counts in the air.

Today’s “ground school” (look it up) lesson focuses on the lingua franca of the sky which is standardized throughout the planet – well mostly. If you are a pilot, alone or carrying hundreds of souls, you must speak English with rare exceptions.

At a 1944 convention in Chicago aiming to resolve some of the problems of air travel at the time, established English as the language of aviation. The aim was to help avoid misunderstanding and confusion over the radio and between international crews. Currently, the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization), the world's organizations that oversee aviation, require all pilots flying under their organizations to have attained ICAO “Level 4” English ability. This means all pilots must speak, read, write, and understand English fluently – but there is one concession.

This unusual exception (I don’t fully understand the rationale) is Japan. Be prepared, however, for some Japanese communication as well as English when in Japanese air space. Japanese pilots have a choice to speak either Japanese or English, and the controller or flight service operator will usually respond in the language spoken by the pilot. 

Not to flog a broken propeller, but so, bottom line: not all pilots need to speak aviation English if they only fly locally. However if they fly foreign, especially on oceanic routes to another continent, say to North America or Europe or Asia then an ICAO level 4 or higher of English is mandatory. This is a hiring requirement for the 121 airlines. This English language proficiency level is noted on their country’s pilot’s license. So to answer the question, a pilot can get a commercial and even an ATP pilot’s license in countries where it is allowed without speaking any English, but it will severely handicap a pilot’s advancement and career.

No English = not getting hired at any major airline or corporate aviation.

I’ve veered off on a tangent. Must be the wind shear. ( ウインドシア in Japanese.) Let’s get back on track and have a look at the aviation alphabet. You betcha.

Aviation Alphabet

Did you know that aviation has its own alphabet list? Here it is:

Alpha, Bravo, Charli, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliett, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, PaPa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-ray, Yankee, Zulu.

In order to be sure that letters are pronounced and understood correctly, no matter what language is spoken, the aviation alphabet helps to avoid mistakes. This alphabet takes letters and makes it easier to understand, even with interference and static.

Now for the fun stuff. After you read this post, you are invited to write a poem using any of the aviation language that you like. The questions and answers below are a mix of civilian and military terms. We toyed with the idea of giving a “matching test", but figured you would probably not with want to take it.

Why do pilots say Roger?

In short, "Roger" means "r" which stands for "received." The word "Roger" means nothing more. Taking it a step further, some may know "Roger" as part of the full reply "Roger Wilco." Translated into typical English, that phrase actually means "Received, will comply."

Why do pilots say pickle?

Pickle. Slang reference by pilots to the release of ordnance (bombs and canisters) over a target, one at a time in close sequence, on one pass. Such a release allowed the ordnance to cover a larger linear area.

Why do pilots say cactus?

The FAA suggested that America West come up with a new call sign. The company held an employee contest to come up with the new name. Cactus was chosen. America West was based in Phoenix, Arizona near the Sonoran Desert – home of the giant Saguaro cactus.

Why do pilots say butter?

The term butter comes from the texture of regular butter. It is smooth and slick, how a good landing is. To butter the landing, when you land you have to keep the nose up by flying just above stall speed to keep the plane at a neutral rate of altitude speed.

Why do pilots say souls?

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

Why do pilots tap the brakes after takeoff?

It's strictly done to stop the wheels from vibrating as they wind down, which can scare the passengers and sometimes the pilot at first.

What do pilots say when they drop a bomb?

When you fly one of our Air Combat missions, you will hear “FOX 2, Fight's On”. “FOX 2” is a brevity code used by fighter pilots to declare a weapon's release (sorta like “bomb's away” from WWII).

Why do pilots say heavy after their flight number?

Thus, the term "heavy" (unlike light, medium and large) is included by heavy-class aircraft in radio transmissions around airports during take-off and landing, incorporated into the call sign, to warn other aircraft that they should leave additional separation to avoid this wake turbulence.

Why do pilots say tree?

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. The variations stemmed from a desire to avoid confusion between similar-sounding numbers.

Do pilots like clapping?

You've spent the last hour gripping your seat white-knuckled and the sense of relief you feel as the plane makes contact with the ground is palpable. You bring your hands together, ready to clap - but before you do, know this: pilots hate it when you applaud when the plane lands.

What do pilots call a very clear day?

Severe clear. This is an aviation term used by pilots to describe unlimited visibility conditions.

What does whiskey mean in aviation?

There are many rumors as to how the magnetic compass, found in the cockpit of many aircraft, became known as the "whiskey compass". Some say it was dubbed the whiskey compass to remind pilots to refill the compass fluids with the alcoholic beverage instead of water due to its lower freezing temperature.

What does Zulu mean in aviation?

Coordinated Universal Time

Zulu time is another name for Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is the time at 0° longitude at the Greenwich Meridian. It is used worldwide to avoid confusion arising from local time differences. By creating a 'standard' time, aviators all have a reference point to work from.

Why do pilots say Bogie?

Bogie, according to Eric Partridge's slang dictionary, is Royal Air Force usage from early in World War II meaning ''an aircraft suspected to be hostile". American aviators picked it up from the R.A.F. veterans. In 1945, Newsweek used the term to mean, in radar code, an unidentified enemy aircraft.

What is a SQUAWK in aviation?

Squawks, or squawking, has its origins in The Second World War, when IFF systems were first installed. These Identification Friend or Foe systems were established in response to control friendly fire by establishing a two-way transponder system, one where air traffic control (ATC) effectively requests an aviation vehicle to identify themselves as either a “friend” or remain silent, where ATC can assume – not confirm – a “foe.” This IFF system was codenamed parrot during the war and hence the modern term “squawk.”

Since World War II, squawking has evolved somewhat, and today a squawk refers to a discrete transponder code. These codes are four-digit numbers that each respond to secondary surveillance radar interrogation signals sent by ATC to uniquely identify an aircraft on a radar.

What does Pan Pan Pan mean in aviation?

The pilots sent out a Pan Pan Pan, signaling that the aircraft was experiencing a problem, but there was no immediate danger. At the time, they believed there was an issue with the air conditioning system and were unaware of the rapidly intensifying fire in the ceiling.

Why do pilots say blue skies?

Named after the wish “Blue Skies and Tailwinds” that all pilots give each other blessing them with safe travels as they navigate where the birds fly.

And let’s finish our foray into aviation lingo land with . . .

Why do pilots land sideways?

Airplane crabbing is usually needed because of high crosswinds. Those strong winds can also prevent planes from taking off and landing at the airport. A perfect crosswind landing is when the upwind wheel touches down first, the aircraft is straight down the runway, and then the second wheel comes down after.