Why don't you write "niner"?

Lindberg

Final Approach
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Lindberg
Question for those who write out "delta," "charlie," and "bravo," rather than 'D', 'C', and 'B': Why don't you write "niner" rather than '9'?

;)
 
Question for those who write out "delta," "charlie," and "bravo," rather than 'D', 'C', and 'B': Why don't you write "niner" rather than '9'?

;)
Because it sounds good to say something different than what’s written when it means the same thing without question.
 
Well, because I was talking about the Mississippi River, a cartoon character with a dog that flies his doghouse, and a John Wayne movie. But I do when talking about an NFL team in San Francisco.
 
“Niner” sounds cool, but that’s about the only reason to leep saying it. They came up with it was to prevent German speakers from confusing “nine” with “nein”. Being that “negative” is the word to use for, well, a negative response rather than “no”, it’s specious that we need a special pronunciation. Plus, if an English-speaking pilot is talking to an English-speaking controller, there is no chance of confusing it. Maybe an Austrian visitor might become confused if he hears a pilot announce that he’s on final for nine and it’s interpreted as final no, or he might hear an ATC instruction as “fly heading zero no zero”.

Methinks that they overthought it. “Niner” never was needed.
 
I always heard it was for the same reason we say “fife” and use the phonetic alphabet.
And “tree”.

One afternoon I was on flight following and Norcal Approach tells me “fly heading one tree zero”. I says “one three zero, Cessna one zero hotel.” “Cessna one zero hotel, Norcal, fly heading one tree zero”. “One three zero, Cessna one zero hotel”. “Cessna one zero hotel, Norcal Approach, fly heading one TREE zero!”. “Fine - one TREEEEEE zero, Cessna one zero hotel.” It’s never been a problem any other time, nor have I ever heard any controller getting pedantic over nine vs niner or five and fife. Dude was just in a snit that day.
 
“Niner” sounds cool, but that’s about the only reason to leep saying it. They came up with it was to prevent German speakers from confusing “nine” with “nein”.
So it seems there's no reason to write '9' as "niner" because there's no possibility of confusing '9' with "nein" in writing. So then what reason is there to write "Class D" as "Class Delta"?
 
So it seems there's no reason to write '9' as "niner" because there's no possibility of confusing '9' with "nein" in writing. So then what reason is there to write "Class D" as "Class Delta"?
‘Cause we gotta let the world know that we’re pilots. Personally, I do write it was Class D.

Now, what gores my ox is guys just writing the airport code without the airport name. Not everyone knows where KSEF and KMCE are.
 
Sometime I want the reader to process it as "delta" and not "d."

When I read "Class D," in my head I read it as Class Dee. I know it's a Delta, I just read it as D. When speaking I rarely say the phonetic alphabet unless I'm spelling something, or someone says, "did you say B, D, G, P, T, V ?"

"So went into this class dee airport the other day..."
I also rarely say niner except when talking on the radio.
 
And “tree”.

One afternoon I was on flight following and Norcal Approach tells me “fly heading one tree zero”. I says “one three zero, Cessna one zero hotel.” “Cessna one zero hotel, Norcal, fly heading one tree zero”. “One three zero, Cessna one zero hotel”. “Cessna one zero hotel, Norcal Approach, fly heading one TREE zero!”. “Fine - one TREEEEEE zero, Cessna one zero hotel.” It’s never been a problem any other time, nor have I ever heard any controller getting pedantic over nine vs niner or five and fife. Dude was just in a snit that day.
That is positively ridiculous!

The only weirdo controller I got a couple trips in a row was South Bend approach in Indiana a couple years ago. He was a new voice on the radio and I don't know if the guy just had too much free time or didn't know his job yet -- but he insisted on getting a full flight plan for every VFR pilot on FF with all their waypoints (even when operating outside C airspace). Then he would advise when anyone was more than ~5* off course. For training aircraft with no defined waypoints, and those of us flying the south end of the lake w/very loosely defined waypoints, it was torture listening to this guy constantly tell us we're off course.

I do not believe he's still there, praise jebus.
 
When I read "Class D," in my head I read it as Class Dee. I know it's a Delta, I just read it as D.
It's not "delta," it's 'D'. In your head, you're reading it correctly. It's only pronounced Delta, but it's D. Do those who write "delta" also write "auderves"?
 
It's not "delta," it's 'D'. In your head, you're reading it correctly. It's only pronounced Delta, but it's D. Do those who write "delta" also write "auderves"?
I have heard remain clear of the "class Delta/ Charlie/Bravo", not "Class D/C/B."
If I'm requoting them I'm going to type it out.
 
Because some pilots have never learned shorthand. It can be a very important skill in IFR flying, the ability to quickly write down a clearance without having to spell everything out. New IFR students frequently miss a lot of their clearance as they are writing out "Cleared to..." It isn't dictation.

That being said, "niner" and "fife" were created because on a staticky or weak radio, nine and five can sound similar.
 
I have heard remain clear of the "class Delta/ Charlie/Bravo", not "Class D/C/B."
If I'm requoting them I'm going to type it out.
I have heard a waiter say, "Would you like to order any auderves." But if I was typing a transcript, I'd spell it "hors d'oeuvres." We frequently write and speak the same thing differently.
 
I have heard a waiter say, "Would you like to order any auderves." But if I was typing a transcript, I'd spell it "hors d'oeuvres." We frequently write and speak the same thing differently.
I just pronounce it horse doovers and then I don't have to worry about spelling it vs saying it. :D
 
Because I don't want the airspace class to get mixed-up with the grade I gave the controller. :rofl:
 
“Niner” sounds to me like they thought they wanted to say nine, then in the middle decided they weren’t sure, “NINE..err”. (maybe not nine?)
 
Turns out those who spell out Delta, Bravo, and Charlie also lean for taxiing.

Maybe we should pool our research and publish it.

I've found that those who lean for taxiing are being conservative in their approach to flying, and therefore they lean right. 99.44% of unverified respondents agree.

Feel free to list yourself as lead author.
 
Maybe we should pool our research and publish it.

I've found that those who lean for taxiing are being conservative in their approach to flying, and therefore they lean right. 99.44% of unverified respondents agree.

Feel free to list yourself as lead author.
I’ve found that those who lean for taxi usually lean the direction that they turn the yoke trying to steer.
 
“Niner” sounds cool, but that’s about the only reason to leep saying it. They came up with it was to prevent German speakers from confusing “nine” with “nein”. Being that “negative” is the word to use for, well, a negative response rather than “no”, it’s specious that we need a special pronunciation. Plus, if an English-speaking pilot is talking to an English-speaking controller, there is no chance of confusing it. Maybe an Austrian visitor might become confused if he hears a pilot announce that he’s on final for nine and it’s interpreted as final no, or he might hear an ATC instruction as “fly heading zero no zero”.

Methinks that they overthought it. “Niner” never was needed.
Did you get this from r/sh*ttyaskflying?
 
Because some pilots have never learned shorthand. It can be a very important skill in IFR flying, the ability to quickly write down a clearance without having to spell everything out. New IFR students frequently miss a lot of their clearance as they are writing out "Cleared to..." It isn't dictation.

That being said, "niner" and "fife" were created because on a staticky or weak radio, nine and five can sound similar.
Hard consonants are not as easily swallowed by radio noise. Hence, fife, niner, and tree.
 
Question for those who write out "delta," "charlie," and "bravo," rather than 'D', 'C', and 'B': Why don't you write "niner" rather than '9'?

;)
Whiskey Hotel Yankee Delta India Delta November Tango Yankee Oscar Uniform Romeo India Tango Echo Tango Hotel India Sierra Quebec Uniform Echo Sierra Tango India Oscar November Uniform Sierra India November Golf Oscar November Lima Yankee Tango Hotel Echo Papa Hotel Oscar Echo November Echo Tango India Charlie Alpha Lima Papa Hotel Alpha Bravo Echo Tango?
 
Whiskey Hotel Yankee Delta India Delta November Tango Yankee Oscar Uniform Romeo India Tango Echo Tango Hotel India Sierra Quebec Uniform Echo Sierra Tango India Oscar November Uniform Sierra India November Golf Oscar November Lima Yankee Tango Hotel Echo Papa Hotel Oscar Echo November Echo Tango India Charlie Alpha Lima Papa Hotel Alpha Bravo Echo Tango?
Because his spelling would probably degrade like yours, and he wouldn’t be able to rite it rite.
 
Whiskey Hotel Yankee Delta India Delta November Tango Yankee Oscar Uniform Whiskey Romeo India Tango Echo Tango Hotel India Sierra Quebec Uniform Echo Sierra Tango India Oscar November Uniform Sierra India November Golf Oscar November Lima Yankee Tango Hotel Echo Papa Hotel Oscar November Echo Tango India Charlie Alpha Lima Papa Hotel Alpha Bravo Echo Tango?
FTFY
 
And “tree”.

One afternoon I was on flight following and Norcal Approach tells me “fly heading one tree zero”. I says “one three zero, Cessna one zero hotel.” “Cessna one zero hotel, Norcal, fly heading one tree zero”. “One three zero, Cessna one zero hotel”. “Cessna one zero hotel, Norcal Approach, fly heading one TREE zero!”. “Fine - one TREEEEEE zero, Cessna one zero hotel.” It’s never been a problem any other time, nor have I ever heard any controller getting pedantic over nine vs niner or five and fife. Dude was just in a snit that day.
I've read stories of this kind of thing before, and after much thought I'm now ready for it. "Thorry! One Three Zero. Cessna one zero hothel. And are you making fun of me?"

Or just be calm and keep repeating it until they give up like you're in a SNL skit. Because kind of you were.
 
“Niner” sounds cool, but that’s about the only reason to leep saying it. They came up with it was to prevent German speakers from confusing “nine” with “nein”.
No, it was to avoid confusion with "five" on crappy old radios.

And “tree”.

One afternoon I was on flight following and Norcal Approach tells me “fly heading one tree zero”. I says “one three zero, Cessna one zero hotel.” “Cessna one zero hotel, Norcal, fly heading one tree zero”. “One three zero, Cessna one zero hotel”. “Cessna one zero hotel, Norcal Approach, fly heading one TREE zero!”. “Fine - one TREEEEEE zero, Cessna one zero hotel.” It’s never been a problem any other time, nor have I ever heard any controller getting pedantic over nine vs niner or five and fife. Dude was just in a snit that day.
"Oh, OK. Tree. Is that how many days you've been on the job?"

Whiskey Hotel Yankee Delta India Delta November Tango Yankee Oscar Uniform Romeo India Tango Echo Tango Hotel India Sierra Quebec Uniform Echo Sierra Tango India Oscar November Uniform Sierra India November Golf Oscar November Lima Yankee Tango Hotel Echo Papa Hotel Oscar Echo November Echo Tango India Charlie Alpha Lima Papa Hotel Alpha Bravo Echo Tango?
Bravo Echo Charlie Alpha Uniform Sierra Echo Tango Hotel India Sierra India Sierra November Tango Alpha Foxtrot Alpha Charlie Echo Bravo Oscar Oscar Kilo Mike Echo Mike Echo.

I want there to be a fiver
I had a chief pilot who used to say fiver all the time. It was kinda funny the first thousand or so times.
 
Why does ATC say "K beck" instead of "Quebec"?
 
I say "Class B" or "Bravo." I don't say Class Bravo.
 
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