UNDERSTANDING AVIATION LANGUAGE

THE LANGUAGE OF AVIATION CAME ABOUT FROM A NEED FOR SAFETY. TO AVOID PILOTS AND CONTROLLERS MISHEARING EACH OTHER AND POTENTIALLY CREATING AN ACCIDENT, A LANGUAGE OF AVIATION TERMS AND PHRASES WERE COMPILED IN THE PILOT/CONTROLLER GLOSSARY.

LETTERS

• A – Alpha
• B – Bravo
• C – Charlie
• D – Delta
• E – Echo
• F – Foxtrot
• G – Golf
• H – Hotel
• I – India
• J – Juliet
• K – Kilo
• L – Lima
• M – Mike
• N – November
• O – Oscar
• P – Papa
• Q – Quebec
• R – Romeo
• S – Sierra
• T – Tango
• U – Uniform
• V – Victor
• W – Whiskey
• X – Xray
• Y – Yankee
• Z – Zulu

NUMBERS

• 0 – “Zero”
• 1 – “Wun”
• 2 – “Two”
• 3 – “Tree” (pronounced like a Scandinavian)
• 4 – “Fower”
• 5 – “Fife”
• 6 – “Six”
• 7 – “Seven”
• 8 – “Eight”
• 9 – “Niner”
• 100 – “Wun hundred”
• 1000 – “Wun thousand”
• 10 000 – “Wun, zero thousand”
• FL330 – “Flight level tree, tree, zero”