Comments on: Air safety board questions the English ability of China Southern Airlines pilots http://www.japanprobe.com/2009/03/29/air-safety-board-questions-the-english-ability-of-china-southern-airlines-pilots/ Japan News Sun, 21 Mar 2010 02:15:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Haf http://www.japanprobe.com/2009/03/29/air-safety-board-questions-the-english-ability-of-china-southern-airlines-pilots/comment-page-1/#comment-312931 Haf Tue, 07 Apr 2009 05:31:06 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=9517#comment-312931 Was that actually true or just a joke? Honestly, the pilot had a point, but still, there should be some discipline on the radio. Coordinating aircrafts is a serious and stressful matter, also the pilot was trained. I didn't fly Lufthansa that often in the past, as they are quite expensive, but when I did, the english announcements of the pilot were ok - at least for German ears. ^^ Commenting the video, that's quite disturbing, how they didn't understand simple questions. Was that actually true or just a joke?
Honestly, the pilot had a point, but still, there should be some discipline on the radio. Coordinating aircrafts is a serious and stressful matter, also the pilot was trained.
I didn’t fly Lufthansa that often in the past, as they are quite expensive, but when I did, the english announcements of the pilot were ok – at least for German ears. ^^

Commenting the video, that’s quite disturbing, how they didn’t understand simple questions.

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]]> By: Alex http://www.japanprobe.com/2009/03/29/air-safety-board-questions-the-english-ability-of-china-southern-airlines-pilots/comment-page-1/#comment-311956 Alex Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:15:10 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=9517#comment-311956 Which one are you, <a href="http://www.teamamerica.com/" rel="nofollow">Joe or Chris</a>? Which one are you, Joe or Chris?

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]]> By: AIB http://www.japanprobe.com/2009/03/29/air-safety-board-questions-the-english-ability-of-china-southern-airlines-pilots/comment-page-1/#comment-311791 AIB Mon, 30 Mar 2009 02:57:22 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=9517#comment-311791 Waiting for their excess as to what happened when ANA did the same thisng last week... http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20090321p2a00m0na005000c.html Waiting for their excess as to what happened when ANA did the same thisng last week…

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20090321p2a00m0na005000c.html

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]]> By: Brian http://www.japanprobe.com/2009/03/29/air-safety-board-questions-the-english-ability-of-china-southern-airlines-pilots/comment-page-1/#comment-311744 Brian Sun, 29 Mar 2009 20:26:00 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=9517#comment-311744 "An air safety board Friday questioned the English ability of a China Southern Airlines pilot and a copilot whose jet entered a runway despite instructions from an air traffic controller not to do so in November 2007. ... However, China Southern officials rejected the assertion, according to the report.(IHT/Asahi: March 28,2009) " It's pretty clear to me as a native English speaker that the pilots in the video coming in to JFK didn't understand the instructions given to them, and assuming that the incident in Japan was similar, I think that the Japan MLIT safety board will agree. “An air safety board Friday questioned the English ability of a China Southern Airlines pilot and a copilot whose jet entered a runway despite instructions from an air traffic controller not to do so in November 2007.

… However, China Southern officials rejected the assertion, according to the report.(IHT/Asahi: March 28,2009) ”

It’s pretty clear to me as a native English speaker that the pilots in the video coming in to JFK didn’t understand the instructions given to them, and assuming that the incident in Japan was similar, I think that the Japan MLIT safety board will agree.

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]]> By: LB http://www.japanprobe.com/2009/03/29/air-safety-board-questions-the-english-ability-of-china-southern-airlines-pilots/comment-page-1/#comment-311706 LB Sun, 29 Mar 2009 14:17:33 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=9517#comment-311706 Exactly. I am reminded of the (probably apocryphal) story of the Lufthansa pilot who while waiting for clearance to taxi out at Frankfurt asked in German for a time check. The tower promptly told him, in English, that all transmissions had to be in English. He replied in English "I am a German, flying for the German national airline, in Germany. Why do I have to speak in English?" To which a third voice speaking in RP chimed in "Because you lost the bloody war, now didn't you?" ;-) Exactly. I am reminded of the (probably apocryphal) story of the Lufthansa pilot who while waiting for clearance to taxi out at Frankfurt asked in German for a time check. The tower promptly told him, in English, that all transmissions had to be in English. He replied in English “I am a German, flying for the German national airline, in Germany. Why do I have to speak in English?”

To which a third voice speaking in RP chimed in “Because you lost the bloody war, now didn’t you?”

;-)

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]]> By: Rob A http://www.japanprobe.com/2009/03/29/air-safety-board-questions-the-english-ability-of-china-southern-airlines-pilots/comment-page-1/#comment-311697 Rob A Sun, 29 Mar 2009 12:46:52 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=9517#comment-311697 I understand that there's a negative outlook on "Everyone should speak English" statements, but this is a pretty important one. The world agreed on English as a standard for Air-Traffic Communication and if you can't intelligibly speak it, you shouldn't enter a cockpit and head for controlled airspace. China seems to need to learn that they can't just half-ass air travel like they do industry, outsourcing to the cheapest bidder and having a completely laissez-faire attitude about standards and quality. I understand that there’s a negative outlook on “Everyone should speak English” statements, but this is a pretty important one. The world agreed on English as a standard for Air-Traffic Communication and if you can’t intelligibly speak it, you shouldn’t enter a cockpit and head for controlled airspace. China seems to need to learn that they can’t just half-ass air travel like they do industry, outsourcing to the cheapest bidder and having a completely laissez-faire attitude about standards and quality.

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]]> By: Yom http://www.japanprobe.com/2009/03/29/air-safety-board-questions-the-english-ability-of-china-southern-airlines-pilots/comment-page-1/#comment-311683 Yom Sun, 29 Mar 2009 09:34:35 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=9517#comment-311683 There should NEVER be ANY misunderstanding between pilots and ground staff due to language. Thats the whole reason English has been decided on as the universal language used in aviation. I used to teach Angolan pilots aviation English in the UK and if they didnt get to the required level, they lost their job. airports need to restrict any airline that can not provide pilots that can speak English There should NEVER be ANY misunderstanding between pilots and ground staff due to language.

Thats the whole reason English has been decided on as the universal language used in aviation.

I used to teach Angolan pilots aviation English in the UK and if they didnt get to the required level, they lost their job.

airports need to restrict any airline that can not provide pilots that can speak English

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]]> By: Vonskippy http://www.japanprobe.com/2009/03/29/air-safety-board-questions-the-english-ability-of-china-southern-airlines-pilots/comment-page-1/#comment-311672 Vonskippy Sun, 29 Mar 2009 06:56:33 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=9517#comment-311672 You just know that China is going to F*ck over the world with their arrogance, ignorance, and unwillingness to work with the rest of the world. Just because they can afford to buy the big boy toys doesn't mean they understand how to use them. At least Russia actually understands the technology they steal. You just know that China is going to F*ck over the world with their arrogance, ignorance, and unwillingness to work with the rest of the world.

Just because they can afford to buy the big boy toys doesn’t mean they understand how to use them. At least Russia actually understands the technology they steal.

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]]> By: Scott http://www.japanprobe.com/2009/03/29/air-safety-board-questions-the-english-ability-of-china-southern-airlines-pilots/comment-page-1/#comment-311671 Scott Sun, 29 Mar 2009 06:54:24 +0000 http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=9517#comment-311671 It's hardly unusual for misunderstandings to occur due to language. It is just that typically the pilots and tower work it out before any "incident" occurs. The real problem here seems to be that the pilots pretended to understand instead of admitting their confusion. It’s hardly unusual for misunderstandings to occur due to language. It is just that typically the pilots and tower work it out before any “incident” occurs.

The real problem here seems to be that the pilots pretended to understand instead of admitting their confusion.

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