Lining Up

I was just reading Luca F. Bencini-Tibos letter to the editor (Unicom, December 2010) and wanted to correct what I perceive to be some misunderstanding. First, changing to ICAO weather abbreviations was and is for the purpose of international standardization, and not to benefit any one group. Second, airspace can have more than one designation, even under ICAO: The TRSA around Oklahomas Altus AFB, exhibits Class D, Class E, and TRSA simultaneously. Third, it was not luck, but study and much debate that caused ICAO in 1952 to streamline the then-internationally accepted French, Spanish and English into the current single language. The overall effort involved linguists and psychologists, not luck.

Key Takeaways:

• International aviation standards, such as ICAO weather abbreviations and a single official language, were established through extensive study for global standardization and safety, not for specific group benefit or luck.
• Aviation phraseology, like "position and hold," is psychologically designed for clarity using "referent codability" to prevent miscommunication in the inherently hazardous flying environment.
• Pilots must maintain critical awareness of specific environmental hazards, such as hidden cables during water landings, and conduct thorough terrain observations for non-towered IFR departures.
• There is an ongoing petition concerning the Third-Class Medical, with calls for major aviation organizations to promote greater awareness and support.

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