What words do pilots use?

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.


What phrases do pilots say?

Pilots Have Their Own Secret Language. Here's What They're Really Saying
  • “Let's kick the tires and light the fires” ...
  • “Feet wet” ...
  • “We've got a deadhead crew flying to Chicago” ...
  • “There's a pilot in the jumpseat” ...
  • “It's 17:00 Zulu time” ...
  • “George is flying the plane now” ...
  • “We're flying through an air pocket”


What do pilots say before flying?

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning / afternoon / evening. Welcome on board (flight reference). This is Captain / Co-pilot (your name) speaking and I have some information about our flight. Our flight time today will be (flight duration) and our estimated time of arrival in (destination) is (ETA)local time.


What words do pilots use for letters?

The ICAO phonetic alphabet has assigned the 26 code words to the 26 letters of the English alphabet in alphabetical order: Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliett, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-ray, Yankee, Zulu.

What is the pilot language?

The globally agreed pilot language in international aviation is English.


27 Pilots' Phrases Passengers Know Nothing About



What do pilots say when landing?

PED – Descent

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have begun our descent into [city]. Please turn off all portable electronic devices and stow them until we have arrived at the gate. In preparation for landing in [city], be certain your seat back is straight up and your seat belt is fastened.

How do pilot greet?

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning / afternoon / evening. Welcome on board (flight reference). This is Captain / Co-pilot (your name) speaking and I have some information about our flight.

Why do pilots say Bravo?

This is to avoid the possible confusion between letters if you would simply say the letter itself. For example, the letters B and V could easily be confused with each other when spoken on the radio. If we instead say "Bravo" or "Victor" it is almost impossible to confuse the two.


How do pilots know what to say?

All pilot/controller communication is carefully scripted and uses a standard phraseology. This is important because airplanes fly all over the world. Pilots and controllers everywhere expect each other to say certain things at certain times. This makes communication much easier.

What are pilots nicknames called?

An aviator call sign or aviator callsign is a call sign given to a military pilot, flight officer, and even some enlisted aviators. The call sign is a specialized form of nickname that is used as a substitute for the aviator's given name.

What do you say when flying?

Classic Have a Safe Flight Wishes
  1. Fly safe!
  2. Safe flight!
  3. Enjoy the flight!
  4. Travel safely!
  5. Bon voyage and travel safe!
  6. Fly safely and see you soon!
  7. Have a safe and comfortable flight!
  8. I hope the flight goes okay!


Why do pilots say Roger?

So, 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."

What do pilots always say?

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. Pilots pronounce numbers similar to regular English, with a few exceptions: The number three (3) is pronounced “tree.”

What do captains say before take off?

Usually, the Captain will make a small briefing before take-off, sometimes indicating the priority for take-off (e.g. “We are third in priority for take-off, we should depart in about five minutes”). But there is always an announcement like: “Flight attendants, prepare for take-off please.”


Why do pilots say foxtrot?

"Fox" is short for "foxtrot", the NATO phonetic designation for the letter "F", which is short for "fire". The radio call announcing that a weapon has been fired is intended to help avoid friendly fire, alerting other pilots to avoid maneuvering into the path of the munition.

How do pilots say 0?

The pilot alphabet

Numbers get special treatment too. Pilots pronounce most numbers normally with these exceptions: Zero (0) is always “zero,” not “oh.” Three becomes “tree,” five becomes “fife,” and nine becomes “niner.”

Why do pilots say heavy?

When a pilot uses the phrase “heavy,” he is reminding ATC that his aircraft is large and requires more separation between it and the aircraft following.


Why do pilots say blue?

The callout from the pilots like "LOC blue" serves to remind themselves of the current flight guidance modes, and to maintain awareness of mode changes. This is also to ensure that their mental idea of "what the aircraft will do next" is up to date and fits to the current flight situation.

What do you address a pilot as?

One will take full responsibility for the flight and be referred to as the Captain. If both pilots are Command Course qualified, one pilot will take responsibility for the flight and will be referred to as 'Commander'.

What do pilots say before takeoff to tower?

What do pilots say when requesting to take off? “Tower, (your call sign,) ready at Runway XX.” Example: “Columbus Tower, Cessna 527 Tango Mike, ready at Runway 23.” Or, “Tower, (your call sign,) holding short of Runway XX.”


How do pilots say the time?

"Zero seven five seven" is the correct way to state the time, pronouncing each digit separately per the table below. Aircraft call signs are sometimes grouped instead of annunciating each digit, for example United 6330 would be "sixty three thirty" instead of "six three three zero".

Why do pilots have nicknames?

Using nicknames instead of a pilot's name was easier and protected their identities. By World War II, the use of call signs grew in popularity. Pilots and other aviation officers had names based on their appearance, personality, background or some pop-culture reference.

How do pilots say numbers?

Pilots mostly pronounce numbers as in regular English but with a few exceptions. Zero (0) is always “zero,” not “oh.” Three (3) becomes “tree.” Five (5) becomes “fife.” Nine (9) becomes “niner.”


Why do pilots say mayday?

The "mayday" procedure word was conceived as a distress call in the early 1920s by Frederick Stanley Mockford, officer-in-charge of radio at Croydon Airport, England. He had been asked to think of a word that would indicate distress and would easily be understood by all pilots and ground staff in an emergency.