Why is nine niner?

Aviators often speak “pilot English” to avoid miscommunications over radio transmission. “Tree” for instance, means three, “fife” is the number five and “niner” means nine, says Tom Zecha, a manager at AOPA. The variations stemmed from a desire to avoid confusion between similar-sounding numbers, he says.


Why does the Navy say Niner?

Why does the military say, 'Niner'? "Niner" is how 9 is said as part of a phonetic alphabet. This is similar to how one might say "Bravo" for B. "Niner" was chosen especially for Civil Aviation as to help differentiate it from the German "Nein," meaning "No".

What does niner niner niner mean?

The reason why pilots say “niner” instead of nine is to avoid miscommunication over an occasionally fuzzy radio transmission. Miscommunication up in the sky among pilots and air traffic control can lead to devastating consequences, so it's paramount that communication is as clear as possible.


Why do pilots say Wilco?

In the US, the "official" meaning is in the Pilot/Controller Glossary: WILCO − I have received your message, understand it, and will comply with it. (Note that this is slightly different from roger, which is just an acknowledgement and doesn't mean that you will comply with anything.)

How do you pronounce 9 in aviation?

Pilots pronounce numbers similar to regular English, with a few exceptions:
  1. The number three (3) is pronounced “tree.”
  2. The number five (5) is pronounced “fife.”
  3. The number nine (9) is pronounced “niner.”


Niner Founder, Chris Sugai - Inside the Nine



Why do pilots say 5x5?

The phrase "five by five" can be used informally to mean "good signal strength" or "loud and clear". An early example of this phrase was in 1946, recounting a wartime conversation.

Why do pilots say tree instead of three?

Aviators often speak “pilot English” to avoid miscommunications over radio transmission. “Tree” for instance, means three, “fife” is the number five and “niner” means nine, says Tom Zecha, a manager at AOPA. The variations stemmed from a desire to avoid confusion between similar-sounding numbers, he says.

Why do pilots say knock it off?

The phrase "knock it off" means to stop the work, listen, then reassess the situation. 2. Odie says that, like fighter pilots, workers have nothing to lose if something goes wrong on the job. 3.


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 does Pan Pan Pan stand for?

Pan-pan is the international standard urgency signal that someone aboard a boat, ship, aircraft or other vehicle has an urgent situation, but which, for the time being, does not pose an immediate danger to anyone's life or to the vessel itself.

Why do pilots say V1 rotate?

During the takeoff roll, the pilot monitoring the displays (PM) will call out the two important speeds: V1 and rotate. This indicates to the pilot flying the aircraft (PF) when they are beyond the safe stopping speed and when to rotate the aircraft into the air.


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."

Do pilots still say Niner?

In most circumstances, pilots will say “niner”, though “tree” and “fife” are said less often, even though they are part of the official FAA phonetic pronunciation.

What does Niner mean in military?

Niner, the pronunciation of the number nine in the NATO phonetic alphabet.


Why is 9 pronounced Niner in aviation?

Did you know that in aviation, 9 is pronounced "niner" instead of "nine"? The reason for this is to encourage the pilot to enunciate clearly. “Nine” can be easily muffled, slurred, or confused with other words, like five.

What does the Navy yell?

Oorah is a battle cry common in the United States Marine Corps since the mid-20th century. It is comparable to hooah in the US Army and hooyah in the US Navy and US Coast Guard. It is most commonly used to respond to a verbal greeting or as an expression of enthusiasm. (Source: Wikipedia.)

What does 3 stripes mean in pilot?

A flight engineer or second officer wears two stripes, a first officer wears three stripes on their pilot uniform and a captain normally wears four.


What does the Navy call their pilots?

A naval aviator is a commissioned officer or warrant officer qualified as a crewed aircraft pilot in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps.

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 cactus?

That's what they painted on the outside of the airplanes, but in the cockpit, the call sign pilots used for the combined lines was “Cactus,” which had been the call sign for America West.


Why do pilots say bingo?

"Bingo" actually means to divert. The official US Navy definition of "BINGO" is: "An order to proceed and land at the field specified, utilizing a bingo profile. Aircraft is considered to be in an emergency/fuel critical situation. Bearing, distance, and destination shall be provided."

What do pilots say after landing?

Make shortly after landing, once the engine noise has subsided. “Ladies and gentlemen, [Airline Name] welcomes you to [city]. The local time is [time]. For your safety and the safety of those around you, please remain seated with your seat belt fastened and keep the aisle(s) clear until we are parked at the gate.

What does 3 dings mean on a plane?

Three low chimes in a row means there is turbulence ahead and all crew should put away any meal carts and fasten their seatbelts. Of course, each airline uses a customized system.


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.

Why do pilots say Bogey?

Bogey, according to Eric Partridge's slang dictionary, is Royal Air Force usage from early in World War II meaning ''an aircraft suspected to be hostile. '' American aviators picked it up from the R.A.F. veterans; in 1945, Newsweek used the term to mean ''in radar code, an unidentified enemy aircraft.