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Comment by valar_m | Hacker News Reader

ATC talks a lot faster than I would have expected. Seems like that would be problematic.

Everyone is using a restricted subset of language. 90% of the communication ATC uses is with the same 200 words or so, and most of the people involved (ATCs, pilots) know what is expected next.

Exactly. I'm going to get my clearance in the same format every time. It will be a clearance limit, route, altitude, frequency, and transponder code. The automated weather information will come in the same order at every airport, etc. It is much easier to follow once you have experience with the system.

It's necessary in busy airspace such as around LAX, due to limited frequency-time. Pilots are used to it.

All safety and instruction communication must be read back and identified. If the read-back is incorrect, or the pilot responds with "say again" (or even "speak slower"), then the controller can slow down, but the controller never just assumes understanding.

"Problematic". seriously?

I'm not the person you're responding to, but - yeah, that's a perfectly reasonable word in this situation. "Likely to cause problems". They're not (I assume!) trying to make any social-justice-related implications.

(I don't actually agree with the evaluation - ATC and associated parties are probably well-adjusted to that speed of communication)

ATC and Pilots use a subset of language, they get by with mostly the same 200 words and the formats of most calls is largely the same. So you know what to expect.

Additionally, ATC and Pilots require readback, ie you say what you understood. Only when ATC understands your readback will they assume you understood anything.

That's exactly how the social justice types operate: they inject themselves into a subculture they know nothing about, but feel like should assert control over and start calling things they don't understand "problematic". That's how you end up with pronoun rules in ATC operations.

Are you claiming that the word "problematic" was not in use before it started being used in social justice contexts?

Are you okay?

Show HN: New JS Library to revolutionize Problematic ATC

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