Let's Talk Pilot Talk!

Download or read book Let's Talk Pilot Talk! written by Jamale Benitez-Porch and published by . This book was released on 2014-05-02 with total page 46 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Alpha to Zulu, Jamale Benitez-Porch presents the phonetic alphabet used by every pilot on Earth in a joyful method that will enhance the learning of children. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) developed this system in the 1950s in order to account for discrepancies that might arise in communications as a result of multiple alphabet naming systems coexisting in different places and organizations.In a world so polluted with conflict, the ICAO phonetic alphabet is a shining example of cooperation that has enhanced safety in the aviation industry. The ICAO phonetic alphabet (the most widely used spelling alphabet) assigns code words acrophonically to the letters of the English alphabet so critical combinations of letters and numbers can be pronounced and understood despite language barriers or transmission static. The 26 code words in alphabetical order are as follows: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliet, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-ray, Yankee, Zulu. The final choice of code words for the letters of the alphabet and for the digits was made after hundreds of thousands of comprehension tests involving 31 nationalities. With these distinct code words air traffic controllers and aircrews can communicate clearly and avoid deadly actions as a result of misunderstanding.What a neat way to learn the English alphabets, tap into aviation history and prepare young minds for an expanding aerospace industry.The brave airmen of the 332 Fighter Group learned similar code words at Moton Field in Tuskegee, Alabama before deploying into battle in World War II. Retired NASA Astronauts like R. "Beamer" Curbeam, B. Alvin Drew and Joan Higginbotham used the ICAO phonetic alphabet during Space Shuttle missions. Airline pilots like Captain Louis Freeman, Southwest Airlines, and First Officer Kimberly Scott, Alaska Airlines use the phonetic alphabet daily. Furthermore, student pilots all over the world are learning the ICAO phonetic alphabet for the first time. It is awesome that children will read this book and learn the phonetic alphabet before they can ride a bike.I could not be prouder of Jamale. He is a certified Private Pilot, still in high school and living up to the Bronze Eagles Flying Club of Texas (BEFC) tradition of aviation education. Currently affiliated with Black Pilots of America, Inc., the BEFC was formed in 1968 when Tuskegee Airmen Hulon "Pappy" White, and Elton "Ray" Thomas got together with Jesse D. Hayes, Jr., MD, Matthew Plummer, and Horace Perkins. These men had a passion for aviation and a mission to share it with others. I am encouraged that with fine young people like Jamale, the future of the BEFC is in good hands. Please share this book with every child you know.Jesse D. Hayes IV President, Red-tailed Hawks Flying Club Black Pilots of America, Inc