Flying Kangaroo

Pilots, air-traffic controllers face English tests - News - Travel - smh.com.au

Pilots and air-traffic controllers around the world must now be able to speak basic English after new rules to improve safety came in to effect yesterday.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has introduced a mandatory English exam for hundreds of thousands of people worldwide who control aircraft at international airports.

It is hoped the rules will prevent accidents caused by poor communication, such as the death of 349 passengers in 1996 after a mid-air collision between a Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747 and an Air Kazakhstan Ilyushin, because the pilots could not understand each other.

London's Telegraph reported that native English speakers will not have to prove their competence, but have been told by the Civil Aviation Authority to make sure they can be understood and refrain from the use of idioms, colloquialisms and other jargon.

ICAO officials said the organisation did not expect perfect English, but the ability to handle emergency situations and ensure that pilots and control towers throughout the world understand each other.

David Learmount of Flight International magazine told the Telegraph the new English standard was an important step in improving air safety.

He said if anything "non-standard" happens it was not enough simply to know the technical words, the pilot had to be able to communicate the problem to air traffic controllers and understand them in return.

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C-Rex

I would say, that's about time.

I'm sure it would be useful at these situations.


Just to set a few samples.

Air China 981

ATC@JFK. Russian Pilots.

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| Rex |

aritrixa

Waw!...I am very surprised that such a test just initiated now. I thought it has been a must for ATC and pilot to be able to speak English.
So, it wasn't a must?

D-AIHC

Someone posted an ATC audio clip between JFK tower and an IB A346 on a.net a while ago - the controller yelled at the pilot for not following readback instructions.

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Lufthansa - Star Alliance member since 1997

B-16707

hahahah, gotta love them chinese.

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The Completed Customs The Airport

1:200Freak

I wonder how non-Chinese airlines fare at Chinese airports?

V1UHOH

Those of us fluent in English face the same thing in other parts of the world. Having operated in every corner of the world I have frustrated many a controller with the phrase "say again". But when in other countries I learned to use ONLY EXACT phraseology and use minimal words rather than the conversational radio transmissions common in the US.
Alot of times it's not the language itself, but the thick accents. (No offenSe, France, but this means YOU)

Especially over the middle of Africa when conversation is being filtered through two 60's vintage HF transmitters in the middle of the day with the atmospheric static roaring in the background!