Unpopular opinion: Aviation would be safer with one global language and one unit system
Posted by Maruan-007@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 10 comments
I still really don’t understand why the aviation industry doesn’t use one fully standardized worldwide system for communication/phraseology and measurements.
Pilots and ATC rely on ICAO phraseology, but there are still differences between regions such as different procedures (FAA, EASA, CASA etc…) phraseologies and units (feet vs meters, lbs vs kg, etc.). In an industry where clear communication is critical, a single global standard could reduce misunderstandings and improve safety for everyone.
namesarenotus@reddit
Maybe you should create an all encompassing language and measurement model to bring them all together.
Insert obligatory XKCD image.
JohnnyChutzpah@reddit
https://xkcd.com/927/
For those uninitiated.
MiniatureLucifer@reddit
English is the global aviation language. ATC speaks English worldwide
frankgjnaan@reddit
Well I mean there's a few countries where the level of English spoken/used by ATC and aviators is... let's call it iffy... at best. But yes, in theory, even a rural controller in the middle-of-nowhere-China should have a reasonable mastery of English.
Maruan-007@reddit (OP)
ATC and Pilots speaks both English but sometimes with different phraseologies that can lead to big misunderstanding. That’s the point.
angelic_sun@reddit
i think this applies to nearly all aspects in life, sadly i doubt we can ever archive that realistically
aviation is doing comperatively pretty well with standardized units and language compared to many other fields
Maruan-007@reddit (OP)
That’s also right
frankgjnaan@reddit
What? English (specifically NATO-phonetic radio telephony English) is the standard language for communication in aviation, with the exception of a few countries that play fast and loose with regulations to begin with.
Feet/meters is the same as feet/yards + a bit of margin; lbs/kgs maybe, but you should really know the weights of your aircraft and if you see a number either 50% lower than you'd expect or about 220% higher than you'd expect that should ring a few bells.
Maybe there's a case to be made for METAR/TAF standardisation across the world, but for the rest, I don't know where you're getting your information, but aviation is among the most standardised industries/regulations on the planet.
Maruan-007@reddit (OP)
“Most standardized” Yeah so standardized that yet the JFK ATC didn’t know what the hell the BAW Pilot was talking about
Late-Mathematician55@reddit
Popular Opinion: EVERYTHING would be safer with one global language and one unit system.