Charlie charlie....

[south coast]

I have been flying in Africa now for 3 years or so and I wanted know where the whole ' Charlie-Charlie' thing originated from.

I do recall someone once telling me that it was an approved term, but I was unsure of this is.

Does anyone know what the story behind it is?

[Guido]

It's short for "Correct".

[spekesoftly]

It's short for "Correct".

You mean why use one word when two will do? :confused:

[ft]

From the double-tap on the PTT to confirm?

Click-click -> cc -> Charlie-Charlie

Cheers,
Fred

[jed_thrust]

I'm going to hazard a guess that it comes from the Naval flag "C", which is used to mean "affirmative".

Why words twice? Poor comms, HF?

[Arkady]

Si Si

C C

Charlie Charlie

[cubby]

:)
Si
You must be board in the boonies :zzz: with this right charlie question.
I have a better Q. for you.
How's about a beer on Sunday after I've put all the wannerbees back on the ground in Soton????

Anyway you know where I work, it would be great to see you.
Take it easy
Col.:ok:

please don't publish your phone number. If you want to set up a social contact e-mail or private message.

[south coast]

arkady-
do you know me, or was that 'si si' spanish or something

cubby-
i only arrive sunday morning, so i will call you and meet up in the afternoon

thanks for the information everyone, is the 'charlie-charlie' thing only used in africa , or is it used in europe too?

[Fresca]

I think it originates from the same dark place as "Roger".

From what I have been told about those two phrases is that it orgininates from the good old morse key, coupled with the old phonetic alfabet.

The letter C where used to confirm a message in morse key, and as the radio operators moved from morse to voice, the took the C with them and therefore said Charlie Charlie.

This is what I have been told, and it makes more sence than most, I think.

Be well
Fresca

[Guido]

The letter C in morse is, dah dit dah dit, remembered by morse operators (and for the license) as "Chaaarli,Chaaarli"!
Therefore "Charlie Charlie" is the voice for C = Corrrect, I think - seems reasonable to me, simpleton that I am.

[Willit Run]

Like many things in aviation, we tend to mix things up from time to time. "Charlie Charlie" is a term normally used in HF transmissions. When we use HF Radio, we are normally talking to a radio operator, who then relays the info to the appropiate air traffic control center via land line. The radio operators work for,i.e.; Gander radio, Joburg, Shanwick, etc. CC,Charlie Charlie, means to "Copy Company" with the information and not just the air traffic control facility.
Hope this clears things up!

[chiglet]

The "older" pilots tend to say "Thats Charlie!" instead of "Roger", so Charlie and Roger are [very] similar. As to why....:confused:
I dunno.....
we aim to please, it keeps the cleaners happy

[Arkady]

SC

Nyet

Arkady

[FINNISHED]

South coast...

What a load of $%^&!!!!!

U have only been flying in Africa for 3 years, so I suppose you couldnt know.
I have spent 23 years on this bizarre place. I did most of my schooling in various countries on the continent. In local schools in Africa they have a teaching method they use that is affective, but is very repetitive. Basicly the way it works is the english teacher will say for example "this is a shoe" "a what?" "a shoe!" And then the class repeats. So after years and years of practice the whole thing gets to become a habit. The pupil always will say shoe twice.

Then 10 years later Friday gets a commercial license, and when asked to confirm something with a charlie....he says " charlie...charlie....

Bad habits die hard....

[Jelly Doughnut]

Hey FiNNished, have you FiNNished yet in Angola?
Remember My Dear Controller.... "My dear captain, position Charlie Charlie, Charlie Charlie?"
Must catch up for a beer back in Joeys
Cheers
:ok:
JD

[FINNISHED]

DOUGHNUT...

NEED SOME MORE CFA??? Let me know as the exchange rate was pretty good last time!


How you keeping? I am still in town for a while....

[south coast]

finnished, my good friend...

i must appologise for being so foolish and not having even comsidered your excellent theory on the matter.

however, i am not too sure that you are correct, and this is because i once visited a school in the congo and that is not what or how they were teaching the kids.

infact....i had a long chat with the headmaster at the kananga high school at he explained his curriculam strategy to me...

it goes like this, from the age of 3, when the kids start appearing at school they put them on an intensive course...this involves the having to recite....GIVE ME, GIVE ME....now when i say intensive i mean for like 8 hours a day....

chippe, the headmaster told me that the kids continue on this sharp learning curve for a bout 7 years before the move on to ending the sentence...

this is where the course becomes quite tricky because for each week they add a new word to the end of that particular phrase that they have been learning for the last 7 years...

for example, FOOD- 1 week, BEER- 1 week, CIGARETTES- 1 week, MONEY- 4 weeks, CLOTHES- 1 week....and so it goes on, do you understand what i am saying....

so, from this i should guess you can imagine that by the age of 14, 15, 16, these little people are well versed in the english language.

have you noticed these or any other siliar phrases while you have travelled this continent for the past 23 years like you say...?

[Gerund]

South Coast, don't know about FINN', but for me:

Charlie, charlie, charlie! (With apologies to Camilla)