Aviation English: Language pilots must speak, regardless of nationality


   I had started learning about aviation knowledge by myself since in the elementary school. One thing I paid much attention on was aviation language, or in other words, aviation English. Basically, the language of flight or Aviation English is a combination of professional jargon and simple English. I still can remember those old days when I know a bunch of professional aviation jargon in English while have trouble on some simple words in the English text book. Since English is the only globally-recognized lingua franca, international aviation language is just another version of English, as simple and as complex as it sounds for pilots all around the world. For those pilots who have trouble talking with others in aviation version of English, well, good luck to them and their passengers.




  Since I had watched a video on YouTube that tells how poor Chinese pilot’s English is by showing a voice record between Kennedy Airport’s controller and an Air China pilot, I couldn’t help to image how chaos there is in the cockpit when I fly internationally with a Chinese airliner. How they communicate with foreign controller in aviation English? What if Chinese pilots can’t fully understand the English spoke by a U.S. air traffic controller? Because sometimes it’s hard to clearly hear what others are talking about in a foreign language through a radio line full of noise. So what’s the worst that can happen in the sky? It was super terrifying to think about those questions when you’re physically on a airplane, isn’t it? Well just kidding, I do trust in Chinese airliners since they are keeping one of the best, if not the best safety record around the world. But the questions do stay in my mind: How much effort do they have to put in just learning English if English is not their premier language? Is aviation English really works effectively? 

Poor English skills from Air China Pilot(Video): https://youtu.be/hUdqyAIAHNQ

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