"zero" versus "oscar" versus "sierra"

"Ron Garret" wrote:
In the air it
turns out that "zero poppa" and "sierra poppa" sound an awful lot alike

"SIERRA" is a failure as a phonetic letter and should be changed, IMO.
"SUGAR" was better, but it is too much of an oddball pronunciaton to be
successful internationally. How about "SUPER?"

(try it), which has occasionally led to confusion when both planes are
in the pattern. (I've taken to saying a very exaggerated version of
ZEEEEEE-ROW-OOOO when I'm flying.)

Some pilots with "SIERRA" in their tail #s get sick of the continual
confusion and substitute "SUGAR." Controllers always accept it, even use it
themselves sometimes. Normally I am opposed to non-standard phraseology but
I make an exception in this case. "SIERRA" sucks.
--
Dan
C-172RG at BFM

In the air it
turns out that "zero poppa" and "sierra poppa" sound an awful lot alike

"SIERRA" is a failure as a phonetic letter and should be changed, IMO.
"SUGAR" was better, but it is too much of an oddball pronunciaton to be
successful internationally. How about "SUPER?"

(try it), which has occasionally led to confusion when both planes are
in the pattern. (I've taken to saying a very exaggerated version of
ZEEEEEE-ROW-OOOO when I'm flying.)

Some pilots with "SIERRA" in their tail #s get sick of the continual
confusion and substitute "SUGAR." Controllers always accept it, even use it
themselves sometimes. Normally I am opposed to non-standard phraseology but
I make an exception in this case. "SIERRA" sucks.
--
Dan
C-172RG at BFM


Man, just call yourself oscar pop!

In article ,
emove (AJW) wrote:

Man, just call yourself oscar pop!

I've been told by people who have tried it that some controllers don't
like it. But maybe I'll give it a whirl and see how far I get.

rg

that's about as bad as Kilo and Quebec... Q in the military jargon was
pronounced KayBec..

don't know how many times I would write down a K instead of a Q and have to
go back and check it when decoding messages..

BT

"Dan Luke" wrote in message
...

"Ron Garret" wrote:
In the air it
turns out that "zero poppa" and "sierra poppa" sound an awful lot alike

"SIERRA" is a failure as a phonetic letter and should be changed, IMO.
"SUGAR" was better, but it is too much of an oddball pronunciaton to be
successful internationally. How about "SUPER?"

(try it), which has occasionally led to confusion when both planes are
in the pattern. (I've taken to saying a very exaggerated version of
ZEEEEEE-ROW-OOOO when I'm flying.)

Some pilots with "SIERRA" in their tail #s get sick of the continual
confusion and substitute "SUGAR." Controllers always accept it, even use
it
themselves sometimes. Normally I am opposed to non-standard phraseology
but
I make an exception in this case. "SIERRA" sucks.
--
Dan
C-172RG at BFM

On Fri, 17 Dec 2004 15:19:56 -0600, "Dan Luke" wrote:

"SIERRA" is a failure as a phonetic letter and should be changed, IMO.
"SUGAR" was better, but it is too much of an oddball pronunciaton to be
successful internationally.

One of the worst! A Spanish speaker would presumably render it
SOO-harrr.

I learned the old phonetic alphabet, and when I began flying I found
that the term that stuck with me despite my best effort to abolish it
was Baker in lieu of Bravo. The FSS briefer would always correct me.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum www.pipercubforum.com
the blog www.danford.net

"Cub Driver" wrote:
"SIERRA" is a failure as a phonetic letter and should be changed,
IMO.
"SUGAR" was better, but it is too much of an oddball pronunciaton to
be
successful internationally.

One of the worst! A Spanish speaker would presumably render it
SOO-harrr.

Nope; "g" is pronounced hard in Spanish when followed by "a". Spanish
speakers might have trouble with the "sh" sound, though.

I learned the old phonetic alphabet, and when I began flying I found
that the term that stuck with me despite my best effort to abolish it
was Baker in lieu of Bravo. The FSS briefer would always correct me.

A least you have an excuse! On two occasions I've said "october"
instead of "oscar."
--
Dan
C172RG at BFM