Metric system in China

[off_off_dim_and_off]

was just wondering whether ATC Comms carried out in Chinese are in Putonghua (Mandarin) or in the local lingo (like Cantonese)?

For example, you cite "12000m - gao du yao liang dong (level 120)" which I believe is Cantonese or other dialect. As far as I know, in Mandarin it should be "gao du yi er ling." If so, not all Chinese pilots will be able to understand it either.

They are in standard Putonghua. You are correct that 120 should be read as "gao du yi er ling", if said in ordinary conversation. In RT, yi(1) can be mixed up with qi (7) (pronounced like chi) or si(4). That's why in standard putonghua RT, one (1) is yao, seven (7) is guai. Two(2) can be said in two ways in ordinary conversation anyway, like 2 people is liang(2) ge ren(person) not er ge ren. Saying liang for 2 in RT is easier to understand.

[hekokimushi]

yi er lin is ambiguious.

numbers are pronounce diffently. and all chinese ATC are MAndarin
refer to post 16 for number pronounciations

like ICAO eng standard for radio numbers:
1 = won
2 = too
3 = tree
4 = forer
5 = fife
6 = six
7 = seven
8 = ait
9 = nine
0 = zero

we don't speak like that under normal conversations.

oodo,

any more comprehensive write up on the web about the chinese RT?
trying to learn it to get a better situational awareness around in the chinese airspace.

any other airline use chinese RT?

any MAyday? Panpan? emergency descent phrase used in Chinese RT?
also are there some waypoints only in chinese? coz some position reports i do not recognise the waypoints on the jepps charts.

cheers
h

[yyfay]

could anyone also explain the russian RT please?

[reynoldsno1]

In a nutshell : the chinese are a bunch of IDIOTS!!!!

though the US is the least ICAO compliant state in the world....

[ckhy]

great post off_off_dim_and_off!

Thanks very much! really appreciate all your effort

[atmd_cad]

oodo

Where did you learn all these mandarin stuff?! Is it easy to pick that up on the r/t? What I'm thinking is, I believe most local people here in hk do speak some English, but I really doubt if they can understand what we're talking about on the rt.

[Alan Chu]

Hello! My first post here in the forum.

I think Cathays and Dragons do not use Mandarin RT, though some pilots from Air China use English too in the mainland airspace, not sure if it's part of the internationalization of the airline or it's related to the Olympic Games..

I was at PEK few weeks ago. To me, I find that the local RT was not easy to listen at all, even I know some mandarins. For most of the time I could just be able to pick up phrases like callsigns(e.g. Guo-hang yao-dong-ba= Air China 108) and altitude.

Cheers,
Alan

[mingalababya]

Originally Posted by Panama Jack

Great post off_off_dim_and_off

I was just wondering whether ATC Comms carried out in Chinese are in Putonghua (Mandarin) or in the local lingo (like Cantonese)?

For example, you cite "12000m - gao du yao liang dong (level 120)" which I believe is Cantonese or other dialect. As far as I know, in Mandarin it should be "gao du yi er ling." If so, not all Chinese pilots will be able to understand it either.

It's Mandarin, but what's given above by off_off_dim_and_off are the radio telephonetic way of saying the numbers, just like in english, we say "niner" for nine and "tree" for three, "fife" for five etc. I have a whole list of aviation terms in Mandarin (not at my finger tips), which includes terms such as "cleared to land", "upwind", "crosswind", "base", "final" and so on.

It's worth noting that if you're issued with a CAAC CPL and you're not a local Chinese, then your license has a restriction stating that you must not communicate on the radio in Chinese. Having said that, these Chinese terms are worth knowing, though, for greater situational awareness.

[hekokimushi]

so the Chinese RT requires an endoresement??

so if next time the LHS ask to scream down the radio in chinese asking why did the ATC phucked us up for an apology, needs to be in english?

Air China use English too

coz there are some non-chinese expats too in Air china.

but i certainly heard singapore RTing in chinese. sure their license won't have a chinese restriction??!!?? or is there??

So are company other than chinese airline cannot use chinese?

[Dan Winterland]

There is no common Chinese language. Those Air China crews might be from a region where Putonghua isn't spoken. Or they may be ex-pats. There are quite a few ex-pats flying for Air Chia now, or they may be a wet lease. I have flown many flights for Air China!

[Alan Chu]

Dan: Oh yeah, maybe ex-pats were on the flights.. But by judging by the accents of the pilots, i think they should be chinese. Maybe the PFs were ex-pats while the PNFs were chinese, though I'm not sure. But thanks a lot for your information! I know Dragons do have wet-leased flights for Air China on the SZX - PVG - NRT route!

So are company other than chinese airline cannot use chinese?

I would like to know more about it, too! I bet they can't unless it is not traffic -related(e.g. Greetings like ni-hao or thanking like xie-xie)? Any info is appreciated!

[Crossbleed]

And...

Next time you call for pushback in PEK and hear a flurry of Putonghua immediately after, it's probably GND saying" Okay everyone, QF UA (insert as appropriate), is ready for push, who wants to go before them?"
Happens all the time.

[hekokimushi]

they say that on ground do they. never heard. haha.
but i think i remember hearing they offer fly direct to some putongwa when asked in putongwa. but when the english equivalent asked for a direct around the same time. Flt Plan Loot was replied.

[Sleeve_of_Wizard]

SICK OF.........

1. fry pran loot every time i ask for a direct.
2. offset 1 nm lite when on ladar ...... next time they order that, i will say " negative flight plan route!!! "

[Panama Jack]

Dan Winterland wrote:

There is no common Chinese language. Those Air China crews might be from a region where Putonghua isn't spoken.

I was under the impression that "Putonghua" or "ordinary language" or "Standard Mandarin" has been the "official language" of the People's Republic of China since at least the mid-1950's. I can imagine that some Hong Kongese or Macanese may have problems with Mandarin due to their relatively recent political changes, but as for the mainland, most educated Chinese citizens should have a good command of Putonghua since this has been the medium of instruction in the educational system and in the media.

[Mick16]

I hate to imagine running an abnormal/emergency checklist under these conditions, especially losing 2 engines on a 747 classic while converting altitudes in an environment where aircraft are instructed to make "orbits" instead of specific holding instructions.