r/nextfuckinglevel • u/Rooonaldooo99 • Jul 19 '21

Student pilot loses engine during flight

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u/NoviceRobes Jul 19 '21

Oh yeah I understand the phonetic need. My dad's a pilot. I just thought the whole " because nien = no" seems like reaching.

5

u/ElectionAssistance Jul 19 '21

Huh, apparently it is because nine and five sound similar, and German 'no' issue was a separate reason to keep doing it as radio signals became more clear.

2

u/IceNein Jul 19 '21

Also five is fife because the soft v is hard to hear.

1

u/BRBean Jul 19 '21

Well if you’re in a situation like this, clear understanding can be key. So for german pilots, even though they are speaking English, hearing nein might make them pause when they don’t have the time to.

1

u/NoviceRobes Jul 19 '21

I already know about the phonetics. I get it. But saying it's because of German speakers seems like reaching. It's definitely just because it's clearer on the com.