From: phil@pex.eecs.nwu.edu (William LeFebvre)
Subject: Re: Unfamiliar phraseologies
Organization: EECS Department, Northwestern University
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 05:07:05 GMT

I see that I'm following up to someone from Canada.  He may be speaking to
the ICAO rules, but I did some hunting in the AIM for the US "standards".
Here is what I found.  My differences with what Chris Rasley posted may be
due to the differences between US and Canadian practices.

In article <1992Oct7.193326.11823@jupiter.sun.csd.unb.ca> q1hl@jupiter.sun.csd.unb.ca (Nameless CS Student) writes:
>phil@eecs.nwu.edu (William LeFebvre) writes:
>>Does anyone else out there, when checking with the airline on the status
>>of a commercial flight, say something like "what is the status of united
>>four-one-seven"?
>
>jerrys@btree.uucp (Jerry Samsen) writes:
>>Except that standard phrasiology for air carrier flights is "United four
>>seventeen"

This *is* in the AIM (I must have missed it up until now), para-193a(5)

>I was taught that wind direction and speed are to be expressed
>to the nearest 10 dregrees and 5 knots; the speed only to be
>expressed in group form.

1991 AIM Para-203. SPEEDS:

"The separate digits of the speed followed by the word KNOTS.  Except,
controllers may omit the word KNOTS when using speed adjustment procedures....

"EXAMPLES:  (Speed) 250 ...... TWO FIVE ZERO KNOTS..."

>Flight numbers *MAY* be expressed in
>group form, but I often don't.

According to para-193a(5) they are supposed to be grouped:
"Air carriers and commuter air carriers having FAA authorized call
signs should identify themselves by stating the complete call sign
(using group form for the numbers)..."  Personally, I see no harm in
not grouping them.

This is the one I missed before.  Actually, I was misled by Para-200d which
says "all other numbers shall be transmitted by pronouncing each digit."  I
assumed that "all others" referred to numbers not mentioned in para-200.
I didn't realize that a previous paragraph had mentioned other exceptions
as well.  200c, by the way, is the one that says victor airway numbers 
should be grouped, as in "Victor twelve" and "Victor one twenty-three".

> Altitudes are expressed as individual
>digits of thousands, the word thousands, and the number of hundreds.

Yes, AIM para-201.  I occasoinally use and hear "four five hundred" for
4500, when it should technically be "four thousand five hundred".  Shame!  :-)

>airways always use separate digits.

No, airways are grouped.  See AIM para-200c

>Wind direction and speed:	wind three two zero at fifteen

I always hear "three two zero at one five", and I think the AIM backs
up that phrasing---it is a knot speed and would fall under para-203.

>Chris Rasley.  Pilot.  Controller.

A few postings ago, someone mentioned that one other time you hear
grouped numbers is in the phrase "do a three-sixty turn".  Bearings
are supposed to be separate digits (as in "turn to a heading of three
six zero").  So I guess we can just assume that "three-sixty" and
"two-seventy" are the NAMES of the maneuvers!  :-)  :-)

The important thing in all this, of course, is that the information
is conveyed correctly and unambiguously.  When in doubt, ask.  And
also, IMHO, it is very important to read back any clearance to make
sure (1) that you heard what the controller said and (2) that the 
controller said what he meant!  They're human, too.

		William LeFebvre
		Computing Facilities Manager and Analyst
		Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
		Northwestern University
		<phil@eecs.nwu.edu>