Why do they say "decimal"?

[Ray Proudfoot 8,960]

6 minutes ago, jozeff said:

As far as I can guess people who say Twi-er are mainly  younger women on dating shows  or reality soaps. Is that  somewhere near the truth?

My experience is they’re definitely young people but generally male.

7 minutes ago, jozeff said:

Yoo-ni-id sounds like some soccer fan from north of UK.

They’re usually referring to Manchester United - so well known that omitting the city isn’t seen as a problem.

9 minutes ago, jozeff said:

Maybe we were tought some Margaret thatcher English in high school.

Not familiar with that but Received Pronunciation would be refreshing. Not likely to happen in this modern youth-obsessed age. 🙁

[jozeff 93]

Ok Ray, thanks for your insight.  Appreciate it!

 

Jozeff

The Netherlands

[icewater5 181]

I love that in the US iff you ask the waitress for a glass of water (pronounced with the "T")  you wont get one😁

[ckyliu 1,749]

4 hours ago, tonywob said:

As for decimals, maybe it's because in some European countries we use "," instead of "." to show decimal numbers. So saying point wouldn't be correct.

That's a really good point Tony, I'd completely forgotten about the "decimal comma" used in much of Europe.

That reminds me as a kid playing early version of flight sim being told to "press period" to release the parking brake I had no idea what they meant! "Period" was simply a length of time in my world then (i.e. "I've got Maths second period, then English third period after break"), although I have since learned it's other meanings 🤣

Edited February 22, 2022 by ckyliu

[Lord Farringdon 495]

Just another thought. Like the phonetic alphabet and saying 'niner' or 'fife',  the need for such precision in ATC speech is to ensure it is properly heard and understood even when radio communications are scratchy. HF communications and sunspots implied not only the use of 'decimal' but comms often used the exaggerated form of "dey -see-mal" (sp?) ...just to get the.....uh hum... point across.

 

I'll get my coat...😔

 

 

    

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

17 hours ago, neil0311 said:

Line up? That’s implies being in a line of aircraft, not positioning on the runway or anywhere else.

Line up with the centre line obviously.

Edited February 22, 2022 by Glenn Fitzpatrick

[neil0311 366]

14 hours ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

There’s no such word as mathematic.

Right but just because “Mathematics” ends in an “S” doesn’t make it plural. It’s a discipline. 

What’s the singular then?

 

 

[neil0311 366]

14 hours ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

There’s no such word as mathematic. 😉 Always plural. Same as physics. I’ve never heard anyone say “physic” so it always baffles (and frustrates) me when I hear “do the math”. Arrgghh! 🤔

And let’s also think about other similar words like orthodontics which is normally shortened to “ortho” not orthos.

The “ics” doesn’t denote plural.

[Lord Farringdon 495]

2 hours ago, neil0311 said:

And let’s also think about other similar words like orthodontics which is normally shortened to “ortho” not orthos.

The “ics” doesn’t denote plural.

It's all semantics really, and ironic that 'semantics' (another uncountable noun) is the study of how languages (the way people talk) show meaning. Although, while some might attend their math class, I'm not sure I'd encourage anyone attending their semantics class to similarly abbreviate it. 🤭

Edited February 23, 2022 by Lord Farringdon

[Glenn Fitzpatrick 3,798]

1 hour ago, Lord Farringdon said:

Although, while some might attend their math class, I'm not sure I'd encourage anyone attending their semantics class to similarly abbreviate it. 🤭

Aussies have that one sorted, abbreviate everything and add "o" to the end.

So do not say  "John and Jack met David and had a quick smoke break before the semantics class"

Instead you would say - "Jonno and Jacko met Davo and had a quick smoko before the Semo class. 

[MadDog 353]

Okay... I'll jump in with a couple of new questions.

Why do Europeans refer to the final approach phase of flight as being "on finals"?

Is it really that difficult to get everybody over there to agree on a single transition level/altitude? 😉

Bonus comment:  The U.S. phraseology is actually much more precise when issuing altitude assignments... Climb and maintain/Descend and maintain.

Edited February 23, 2022 by MadDog

[Isaiah53six 134]

On 2/21/2022 at 8:03 PM, neil0311 said:

Well, standardization is important, but just because “everyone else does it” doesn’t make it better or the correct way.

 

exactly right

[Stearmandriver 2,296]

19 minutes ago, Isaiah53six said:

exactly right

No, the data indicating a safety enhancement is what makes it a better way.  Data isn't interested in opinion or any individual's sacred cow... it just is what it is.  The data indicated that the "pos and hold" verbiage was contributing to confusion, and seeing the expected change in the data after adopting the ICAO verbiage bears it out. 

Often though, if there is no clear data one way or the other about which way might be better, standardization means that doing it the way everyone else does IS better.  Enhanced standardization in aviation is a safety benefit all by itself. 

The U.S. is slowly being dragged kicking and screaming, towards ICAO standards in many ways, and this is good for us even though we (like all humans) dislike change.  😉

[MadDog 353]

1 hour ago, Stearmandriver said:

The data indicated that the "pos and hold" verbiage was contributing to confusion, and seeing the expected change in the data after adopting the ICAO verbiage bears it out. 

I would agree with you if the data was analyzed in a vacuum.  However, there have been much more intensive efforts to prevent runway incursions other than just changing the "position and hold" phraseology... hot spot designations on airport diagrams, enhanced surface surveillance radar, runway status lights, RAAS, runway occupancy memory aids in the tower, increased pilot and controller training (and that's just to name a few).  Personally, I believe the other measures have contributed much more to the shift in data than the adoption of the ICAO verbiage.

[Pathfinder633 223]

9 hours ago, neil0311 said:

And let’s also think about other similar words like orthodontics which is normally shortened to “ortho” not orthos.

The “ics” doesn’t denote plural.

May I briefly interrupt your commentary and bring notice to you that the English language developed in England, should other Domains chose to adopt it then  that's fine of course, if they chose to alter it to better suit themselves that's also fine, but after doing so please have the grace to accept the provenance of the original.

 

Thanks😜

Edited February 23, 2022 by Pathfinder633