Spot wind 230 degrees "diagonal" 100
 

I heard a crew say something similar to this on the radio today and had never come across this terminology before - i.e using the work "diagonal" to represent the wind speed. Am I missing something? Does anybody else use this terminology and if so, does anybody know if it means anything different to just wind speed??

Hufty.

Err
well I use this terminology and from my experience so does most of the Western World when over the North Atlantic.
If the FMC is displaying 230/100 it kind of makes sense to transmit it in the AIREP as "230 diagonal 100" doesn't it?...or am I missing the point as usual?
Yours, confused, etc............

I do hear this also, but the only time that nomenclature is used for the '/' symbol, does appear to be when crews report wind velocity (that's both wind speed AND direction).

Personally I REALLY REALLY HATE the sxpression 'slash' as a way of expressing this symbol and I'd like to see a campaign to remove it utterly from our daily lives. The term 'slash' in the UK has unfortunate urinary connotations and otherwise has imagery assocaited with violence and knives. The word 'stroke' whilst not without double meanings of its own is much gentler, invoking images of softness and roundness...

You won't hear UK air traffic controllers saying 'diagonal', though, because it ain't approved phraseology. You'll hear something like 'wind is 230 (degrees) at 15 knots'.

Cheers,
The Odd One

The word "diagonal" to represent "/", or "forward slash" in transmitting wind information from aircraft has been in popular use since I was a kid, and that's going back a very, very long time! It probably originates from the old days of poor quality HF R/T, where you can still hear it being used even though modern SSB is almost as good as a phone call. As TheOddOne points out, it isn't used by ATC.

For TheOddOne's info... there are many words which have different meanings around the world. In my pastime of birding the word "Jizz" is a word used in the UK to describe bird behaviour.. but try using it across the pond.

Haha, you said JIZZ...hehehe


im sorry I couldnt resist

that brings back highschool memories it does

'Diagonal' has been common, indeed standard, usage in all my 34 years professional aviation.

...and in my 30 years I've never heard it. Of course, I'm happy to admit that that may be because I only spent the first six or so flying around the planet, and the remainder atc-ing, so I've lived a sheltered life.

But to the actual reason for this missive... we here on this side of the pond (well, in middle part of the upper part of this side of the pond anyway) frown upon "slash" as well, using the word "slant" instead. However, usage is pretty much limited to aircraft type and equipment (I have a theory that new pilots are obliged to use the frowned-upon term "slash" as in "we're a Piper Cherokee PA twenty eight one-eighty-one Archer two slash alpha..." until they've accumulated 75 hours, and then must never speak it again). I've never heard "slash" or "diagonal" with regard to wind. There, it's always been "at."

Well I guess you've not worked HF because for the last 34 years it has been in steady use across the Atlantic, Asia, Australia, Africa, even on VHF too.

Not playing a game of "one upmanship" Rainboe, but I've heard it and used it for the last 40 years, and the people who taught me had been calling it that when I was in short pants.

Now, I'm off to have a sla$h.

Regards,

Old Smokey

Occasionally hear oblique used in place of diagonal. Not heard slash used on the RT, though the F/O'll often say "I'm off for a slash, your controls". :\

I think (but maybe wrong, and if I am, will surely be corrected) that the correct term for the symbol under discussion is 'solidus'.

Like Rainboe and Old Smokey, I have been using, and have heard the term 'diagonal' for over 40 years. I thought that the term 'slash' was a product of the computer age (ie. / = forwardslash, \ = backslash).

Airclues

'Diagonal' has indeed been around ever since pilots/navigators/radio operators had to make position reports on HF. I think the use of it now is generally when a request is made to an aircraft to say the 'spot wind'. The use of the word diagonal merely separates the two elements. Nothing wrong with it at all imho. Long may it continue.
As for slash, slant etc, please, may the Lord give us strength!!!

rubik ,
shurely you mean pilots diagonal navigators slash radio operators fullstop

20 years ago the Oz army used 'slant'. Or more accurately, we used it at least at regimental level & below in artillery & armoured corps.

I prefer it or 'slash' to 'diagonal' or 'oblique'. Ditto 'point' for 'day-see-mal'.

Hmm, ATC (TWR) gives us the wind direction and speed all the time, presumably in ICAO standard terminology.

Perhaps the same terminology could be used ?

When the world goes over to VHF standard comms! But whilst people are shouting on coming and going HF trying to get met across, then 'diagonal' works just nicely and helps split up the elements of direction and speed better than just 'at'.

Well, not across the oceans!

Eventually, the IRP/GPS will make position/velocity reports directly via satellite to the ground system that will have control of the flight. That system will then relay course commands. Airborne human input = zero.

The only human input task will be to steer the a/c to/from the gate/runway.

You've all seen the Global Hawk. Just scale it up & put seats in it.

The Odd One

and try and get passengers for it! Anyone who has flown model aeroplanes or worked a computer will know not to get on it until another generation has passed!

Why can't we move on a little and start to use the '@' symbol. Wind 230@10

No?