Russian pilots to speak English

[stuckgear]

KAG,

We're not really talking about C-150's doing touch and go's in Flint, or anywhere to that matter.

The civil register is that. Aircraft in civil use. That also includes as well as c-150's, commercial jet transport aircraft, both in scheduled and non-scheduled operation as well as Gulfstreams, Challengers, Lears, Citations etc. etc. All of them share the airspace internationally with each other.

Situational awareness doesn't just come down to knowing what you are doing but also with the capacity to understand what other aircraft in the same airspace are doing.

Maybe 50% of aircraft will be Chinese and on the civil register by 2025, maybe not. but thats then, not now. Maybe by 2025, the world wont exist, having been assured complete destruction triggered off by a nuclear reaction by North Korea. Or maybe not.

I really cannot be @rsed to get into some flag waving, jingoism about whether Cantonese or Mandarin should be the common language of aviation and any supporting reasons why. It's a pointless and infantile discussion.

Remove nationalistic pride or rhetoric from the equation and look at the practicality of a common language. To wit, the Russians are making a common sense move in the name of safety progression, not just within themselves but also on an international basis. Fair play to them.