A closer look
Air traffic controllers use a highly specific, standardized vocabulary called aviation English to prevent catastrophic miscommunications between pilots of different nationalities. Since thousands of planes are flying over international borders every single hour, it is absolutely crucial that a Japanese pilot flying over French airspace can clearly understand the instructions of a local controller. The vocabulary is stripped of all nuance, slang, and emotion, relying on stark, robotic phrases like 'roger', 'wilco', and 'affirm' to convey precise logistical data over crackly radio frequencies. It’s a beautifully efficient system that proves humanity is perfectly capable of clear, global communication, provided the alternative is a fiery mid-air collision that would result in billions of dollars in damages and endless governmental paperwork
