Originally Posted by
dilogdp
I've asked this to a bunch of non-pilot people, and none of us could answer.
That's because they're not pilots. Or controllers.
If you want to know a pilot-question, ask a pilot.
Originally Posted by
dilogdp
On the way back from San Diego to DC on Alaska Air, I thought to myself "how do the pilots and control towers communicate, when they don't speak the same language?"
Pilot's and controllers do speak the same language.
Originally Posted by
dilogdp
What about that recent Boeing crash, where they had to "talk through" a rather complicated issue?
What's complicated? Pilot has an emergency, pilot handles emergency. Pilot declares emergency, tells controller what he wants. If he's busy, he ignores the controller and flies the aircraft.
The controller isn't a pilot-expert who is going to sort the problem out for the pilot. That's not his job; he's neither qualified, nor able. If the pilot needs something, he will state what he needs. There's no complicated discussion to be had. There's nothing to "talk through."