Chinese (and other) pilots unable to speak English pose danger for air travel (CNN)

CNN's Web page has a video segment from The Situation Room that describes the
serious problems with international pilots who cannot speak English well
enough to communicate with air traffic control. They provide a recording of
communications with Air China flight 981 in April in which the pilot has no
idea what the controller is saying and the controller's frustration continues
to build as his instructions are not followed. (This same recording has been
circulating in aviation forums for months.) Air China says that it was the
controller's fault for not speaking "standard" English, but the recording
makes it clear that the pilots simply couldn't speak or understand at all.

Several Chinese pilots and officials are interviewed; all are provided with
subtitles (even though they are nominally speaking English) because their
English is unintelligible. One pilot who supposedly passed an English test
that will soon become mandatory is asked if he has ever had problems, and his
response, in extremely broken English, is also unintelligible. And he's one
of the pilots who passed?

It's a rather alarming report. Controllers have known about the problem for
years but nothing has ever been done.

"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
One pilot who supposedly passed an English test
that will soon become mandatory is asked if he has ever had problems, and
his
response, in extremely broken English, is also unintelligible. And he's
one
of the pilots who passed?

I wonder if the tests are all written, like in Japan where everyone studies
English but few people can speak it?

--
Donald R. Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net

Donald Newcomb writes:

I wonder if the tests are all written, like in Japan where everyone studies
English but few people can speak it?

According to the news segment on CNN, the new test is verbal. It must be
extremely easy, though, since they interviewed a Chinese pilot who had passed
it and he was incomprehensible--and it was obvious that he had barely
understood the question put to him as well.

On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 15:39:21 +0200, the renowned Mxsmanic
wrote:

Donald Newcomb writes:

I wonder if the tests are all written, like in Japan where everyone studies
English but few people can speak it?

According to the news segment on CNN, the new test is verbal. It must be
extremely easy, though, since they interviewed a Chinese pilot who had passed
it and he was incomprehensible--and it was obvious that he had barely
understood the question put to him as well.

Are you sure he wasn't a Chinese pirate?


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

Spehro Pefhany writes:

Are you sure he wasn't a Chinese pirate?

There was no reason to believe that he might be a pirate.

Mxsmanic wrote:
Spehro Pefhany writes:
Are you sure he wasn't a Chinese pirate?

There was no reason to believe that he might be a pirate.

Why do you think a pirate would go out of his way to give you clues that
he was a pirate?

miguel
--
Hit the road! Photos from around the world: http://travel.u.nu
Detailed airport information: http://airport.u.nu

"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
Spehro Pefhany writes:

Are you sure he wasn't a Chinese pirate?

There was no reason to believe that he might be a pirate.

Were you bending over, or was that one really that far over your head?

On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 15:39:21 +0200, Mxsmanic
wrote:

According to the news segment on CNN, the new test is verbal.

Most tests are, unless they are intended for folks who can't read.
(Putting round pegs into round holes would be non-verbal. Checking off
"round hole" to the question "which hole does this peg go into?" is
verbal.)

But perhaps you meant "oral"?

Blue skies! -- Dan Ford

Claire Chennault and His American Volunteers, 1941-1942
forthcoming from HarperCollins www.flyingtigersbook.com

Cubdriver usenet AT danford DOT net writes:

Most tests are, unless they are intended for folks who can't read.
(Putting round pegs into round holes would be non-verbal. Checking off
"round hole" to the question "which hole does this peg go into?" is
verbal.)

But perhaps you meant "oral"?

I was simply using the same term CNN used. I don't know exactly what they
might have meant by it, but I presume they meant oral.

As more and more aviation business is operated from Asia and Chinese is
the most spoken language in the world all communication should be made
in Chinese then. :-)