Air Travel » Air Travel Flight » Aeroflot and English.
Question:
In response to the guy from Alaska who posted about Aeroflot pilots not speaking English: [snip] I was under the impression that all pilots had to communicate with ATC in English. Some Captain’s actually get a purser or another to convey messages, but is this strictly allowed.? I have heard Pursers on some Spanish Charter airliners conveying the Captains messages to the passengers, but thought it was because the Captain could not be bothered Can we get some clarification on this? — Visit my Scottish Airport pages at http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/jcurry The top UK Air Travel newsgroup is alt.travel.uk.air Please ask your Internet Service Provider for access. There are over 58 airports in the UK, post news about your airport now.
Response:
Joe’s comments re: [Aeroflot pilots not speaking English] FWIW, when I monitor 6575 (NY ARINC) on my shortwave radio and there is a xmission from an Aeroflot pilot, it usually takes several tries before NY gets the gist of what Aeroflot is saying. They also have a difficult time with the Iberia pilots too I have noticed, and I have been monitoring transatlantic aircraft for almost 25 years-and it definitely has not changed much in that time period. Maryanne.
Response:
> Joe’s comments re: > [Aeroflot pilots not speaking > English] > FWIW, when I monitor 6575 (NY ARINC) on my shortwave radio and there is > a xmission from an Aeroflot pilot, it usually takes several tries before > NY gets the gist of what Aeroflot is saying. They also have a difficult > time with the Iberia pilots too I have noticed, and I have been > monitoring transatlantic aircraft for almost 25 years-and it definitely > has not changed much in that time period.
Local accents can also cause problems with visiting pilots to some fields. Even when the visitors are communicating in perfect English. The problems are magnified when the pilots acknowledge ‘ground’ directions but still manage to get lost. I begin to wonder just what sort of chaos could ensue if countries insisted that all traffic conversed in the language of the host! France comes to mind but I am sure there must be others…… It might just lead to passengers being offered free flights if they can act as interpreters.! — Visit my Scottish Airport pages at http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/jcurry The top UK Air Travel newsgroup is alt.travel.uk.air Please ask your Internet Service Provider for access. There are over 58 airports in the UK, post news about your airport now.
Response:
It`s quite possible that the pilot does not speak English. I fly with a Ukrainian cargo airline and quite a few of the flight crew do not speak English. Even 1 or 2 of the radio operators struggle a bit, but between the 6 people on the flight deck they seem to cope. In difficult situations they use me. Another point worth making is that even those Russian pilots who do speak English quite well, find it difficult to understand ATC in countries where it is not first language and vice versa. By the way this is not a problem only with Russians, as an Air Traffic Controller I came across many nationalities who`s English was very difficult to comprehend. Gary – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I was under the impression that all pilots had to communicate with ATC >in English. Some Captain’s actually get a purser or another to convey >messages, but is this strictly allowed.? >Can we get some clarification on this? >–
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Joe’s comments re: > [Aeroflot pilots not speaking > English] > FWIW, when I monitor 6575 (NY ARINC) on my shortwave radio and there is > a xmission from an Aeroflot pilot, it usually takes several tries before > NY gets the gist of what Aeroflot is saying. They also have a difficult > time with the Iberia pilots too I have noticed, and I have been > monitoring transatlantic aircraft for almost 25 years-and it definitely > has not changed much in that time period. > Local accents can also cause problems with visiting pilots to some fields. > Even when the visitors are communicating in perfect English. > The problems are magnified when the pilots acknowledge ‘ground’ > directions but still manage to get lost.
This is a problem in the United States where the rapid fire instructionsgiven do create grounds for concern for non US crews. > I begin to wonder just what sort of chaos could ensue if countries > insisted that all traffic conversed in the language of the host! > France comes to mind but I am sure there must be others……
English is the official language of aviation but it has been noted thatFrench ATC do communicate in French with French aircraft, including landing instructions > It might just lead to passengers being offered free flights if they can > act as interpreters.!
If I recall correctly when the Trans Siberian route first opened up across Russia, Europe to the Far East and vv, non Russian aircraft did have to carry an on-board interpreter to communicate with the Russian ATC. Michael.
Response:
> English is the official language of aviation but it has been noted
that French ATC do communicate in > French with French aircraft, > including landing instructions
Surely the whole idea of open frequencies is to let everybody know whats going on? How on earth can somebody know what the AF Airbus is doing if they are told they are number two, without understanding who is number one? It seems to me that there are two languages to decipher, one is English and the other rubbish! No offence to the French, but they along with local accents and other National languages, must come in for some flak. — Visit my Scottish Airport pages at http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/jcurry The top UK Air Travel newsgroup is alt.travel.uk.air Please ask your Internet Service Provider for access. There are over 58 airports in the UK, post news about your airport now.
Response:
>In response to the guy from Alaska who posted about Aeroflot pilots not >speaking English: >[snip] >I was under the impression that all pilots had to communicate with ATC >in English. Some Captain’s actually get a purser or another to convey >messages, but is this strictly allowed.? >I have heard Pursers on some Spanish Charter airliners conveying the >Captains messages to the passengers, but thought it was because the >Captain could not be bothered
It is not the job of the pilot to speak to the passenger, but indeed the French pilots have some problems with this, and the foreign carriers when the go over France have to speak in French But I can understand that a F/A has a better accent as he is a commercial person, and the pilot he is a technical person. Cu Guy Turf at VAMOS Free Internet Travel Services http://www.ping.be/vamos
Response:
>Another point worth making is that even those Russian pilots who do = speak >English quite well, find it difficult to understand ATC in countries = where >it is not first language and vice versa. By the way this is not a = problem >only with Russians, as an Air Traffic Controller I came across many >nationalities who`s English was very difficult to comprehend. >Gary
Yes the ATC in Japan and Korea give directions in English as light and left or right and reft. =20 >I was under the impression that all pilots had to communicate with ATC >in English. Some Captain’s actually get a purser or another to convey >messages, but is this strictly allowed.? >Can we get some clarification on this?
Rosalie in MD
no comment untill now