PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - QNH 1000 - digit by digit or 'wun tousand'?
Old 21st Jul 2007, 21:37
  #18 (permalink)  
Tommyc81
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Tommy,
If you worked in the UK and said '..... heading tree hundred' you would be shot. But what you say may very well be standard R/T in Sweden.
The correct phraseology according to Swedish regulations are:
Fly heading (3 digits)
Turn left/right heading (3 digits)

When the radiotransmission is good you are allowed to simplify numbers and values (wun hundred/tousand etc.) BUT headings should normally be read digit by digit. Though I personally use "wun hundred" etc. after some confusion between 100/200 and 170/270, which I haven't experienced since.

Tommy, in the UK when we issue a turn instruction with a heading ending in 0 we say "degrees" afterwards to avoid any confusion.
Only if you want an aircraft to turn a specific number of degrees in either direction you use "degrees" over here:
Turn left/right (3 digits) degrees

Which I, to avoid confusion, usually say: Turn left/right BY (3 digits)

Which nicely illustrates the weak point in all this effort to ensure controllers use 'standard R/T'. We each use the phrases deemed acceptable by our respective national aviation authorities, but in spite of ICAO there are numerous differences between each state's standards. So our customer - the pilot - flying on an international route, will be subjected to a number of variations on a theme and have to interpret them all accurately. What's the betting in a normal day he will hear both 'One tousand' and 'One zero zero zero'. He'll know what it means. Isn't this all getting a bit anal?
Good point, I really find it interesting to hear what the practice is in other countries, gives a bit more understanding about the pilots situation. Thanks!