Cussing on the radio.

John Baker

John Baker

Final Approach
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John Baker
:hairraise:

We have all heard the old, "I'm F*cking bored" joke, but it got me to thinking while in the shower this morning, so I thought I would post it here.

I know we are not supposed to use vulgar words in our assorted radio transmissions, I'm also guessing politically incorrect words, such as the infamous "N" word that at least one African Nation uses the same spelling, although a different pronunciation, so that geography students won't have to use the "N" word.

So, considering the various "cuss" words that seem to predominate more than a few conversations, what exactly are these verboten words that would get our nations radio censors all in a dither? What words, or colorful adjectives, can we use without ending up with a bunch of splaining and possibly fines, who knows, even the impounding of our airplanes?

In short, what can we get away with, what can't we get away with?

John
 
My operational premise is simple: Vulgar, curse, and other potty words as well as racial slurs and other bile are the sign of a weak, illiterate mind.
 
So it's safe to assume you aren't a big Ron White fan?

dmccormack said:
My operational premise is simple: Vulgar, curse, and other potty words as well as racial slurs and other bile are the sign of a weak, illiterate mind.
Click to expand...
 
George Carlin's old, "Seven words you can't say on television" act is on YouTube, I'm sure....
 
John Baker said:
such as the infamous "N" word that at least one African Nation uses the same spelling, although a different pronunciation
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Same spelling? I think you will find that the African country Niger has a different spelling than the most common variant of the N word.

-Skip
 
I think there are two levels of radio communication. The first is the stereotypical communication we hear and use both IFR and VFR and which are used in pretty standard circumstances. These are pretty much stock exchanges and by and large the more stock they are the better, as everyone who listens in receives and understands the communication the same way.
Then there are less structured conversations such as between airplanes in a flight of two or more an airplane asking an FBO for some information or announcing an arrival over CTAF or one of the other frequencies. These, too, are better when we use simple language with active words. Another subset is the really casual, almost chit chat that we sometimes hear, sadly too often on CTAF. The language used here often seems to be the common language between the parties simply transposed to the air. Sometimes this language gets salty and is often long-winded and boring, not to mention annoying when someone else has a legitimate use for the frequency. This is the only conversation I will deliberately walk on if I have a legitimate use of the frequency.
In other words, there is no place for any kind of vulgarity or even slang and from my point of view, the less talking on the radio the better.
 
Actually the African country is spelling Niger and pronounced ni' jer with the long I vowel in the first syllable. The common term for the population of that country is Nigerian, or phonetically, ni jer' ri an, again with the long I in the first syllable and the soft G starting the second syllable.

[soapbox on]

The derogatory versions of the term Negro have two g's in the middle of the word, indicating the hard G sound, and the short I vowel in the first syllable.

I am offended when one group of the human race allowed to use it as a positive and/or acceptable word in informal conversation but when used by other groups, it's a most offensive of racial slurs. If we are to assume equality and respect for all groups, then all groups should be held to the same standard. I know of no Asian community, group or country which uses derogatory versions of words relating to its own race. And the same argument can be used for religions.

[soapbox off]
 
murphey said:
Actually the African country is spelling Niger and pronounced ni' jer with the long I vowel in the first syllable. The common term for the population of that country is Nigerian, or phonetically, ni jer' ri an, again with the long I in the first syllable and the soft G starting the second syllable.
Click to expand...

Nigerians come from Nigeria which is a different nation than Niger.
 
Not only that, the internet fortune-sharing deals from Nigeria are much better.

Henning said:
Nigerians come from Nigeria which is a different nation than Niger.
Click to expand...
 
Henning said:
Nigerians come from Nigeria which is a different nation than Niger.
Click to expand...

Whoops! My bad.

Niger and Nigeria are named for the Niger River, which flows thru both. Niger and Nigeria share a border (to the south), as does Libya to the north. None of the news reports mention refugees going to Niger.

The term for both populations is Nigerien. Niger's language is French, Nigeria's is English.

Both countries and the river are variations of the Latin word "niger" meaning black.

Useless trivia.
 
Lenny Bruce once said that if the president of the United States commonly used the word Ni**er, you would not see a black kid crying because someone called him a ******.

By selecting specific words to be used in a derogatory manner in order to inflame emotions, even if it be the emotions of our censors, adds more credence to the words selected, as a weapon.

The famous four letter word, F***, has lost much of its power over the years, as it has become one of the most used adjectives in our conversations, especially among the younger set.

I remember my grandmother washing my mouth out with lye soap for saying "hell". We don't do that to kids anymore.

John
 
John Baker said:
I just googled that well used word. I can not believe it is now in the Wikipedia encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/****

John
Click to expand...

Half the fun of going to the public library used to be looking up cuss words in the unabridged dictionary.

Now we have urbandictionary.com so the kids can find out how dirty that Sanchez guy really is...
 
murphey said:
Actually the African country is spelling Niger and pronounced ni' jer with the long I vowel in the first syllable. The common term for the population of that country is Nigerian, or phonetically, ni jer' ri an, again with the long I in the first syllable and the soft G starting the second syllable.
Click to expand...

I believe the common term for the population of Niger is Nigerien, Nigerians are citizens of neighboring Nigeria.
 
In any event, the issue of the use of obscenity (actually, in this case, "profane language") on the radio is governed by FCC rules, not FAA. See http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/obscene.html for more, but you won't find a list of specific words there. George Carlin's routine identifies the seven words (two of which are hyphenated) which, at the time he wrote it, were specifically banned from over-the-air broadcasting (and one of them "...doesn't even belong on the list!"). However, times change, and I've heard most of them on over-the-air TV broadcasts after 10pm local time in the last few years.

That said, even though we've probably all heard one or more of them used inadvertantly on aviation radio frequencies in time of stress without consequences, I think that we can safely say that apparently deliberate use of at least six of those seven words, particularly on a taped frequency, would be highly inadvisable.
 
John Baker said:
I remember my grandmother washing my mouth out with lye soap for saying "hell". We don't do that to kids anymore.

John
Click to expand...
Wanna bet?
The only cussing I've tolerated was on a visit to Fontana Dam in North Carolina where the kids took liberties with reading all the signs.

Dam parking
Dam giftshop
Dam road
Dam obvervation deck
Dam nice view (wait a dam minute, that last one isn't on any sign you dam kids.)
 
flav8r said:
Wanna bet?
The only cussing I've tolerated was on a visit to Fontana Dam in North Carolina where the kids took liberties with reading all the signs.

Dam parking
Dam giftshop
Dam road
Dam obvervation deck
Dam nice view (wait a dam minute, that last one isn't on any sign you dam kids.)
Click to expand...
Don't forget the Dam Approach to Gaston's!
 
gprellwitz said:
Don't forget the Dam Approach to Gaston's!
Click to expand...

And then there's the local West Virginia lore...

Typically lakes and dams are named after the first town upstream to go underwater. Summersville Dam and Lake were named "Summersville" instead though because the first town upstream was "Gad".

Think about it. I'll wait. :idea:
 
Ron Levy said:
In any event, the issue of the use of obscenity (actually, in this case, "profane language") on the radio is governed by FCC rules, not FAA. See http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/obscene.html for more, .
Click to expand...

So, your approaching a Delta airport, VFR. You announce who you are, "Cessna 123GH." Where you are, "I'm over the f***ing lake, at about four thousand f***ing feet." What you want to do, " I wanta land at your f***ing airport, full f***ing stop.

Who do you suppose you will hear from first, the FCC, or the FAA? :D

John
 
John Baker said:
So, your approaching a Delta airport, VFR. You announce who you are, "Cessna 123GH." Where you are, "I'm over the f***ing lake, at about four thousand f***ing feet." What you want to do, " I wanta land at your f***ing airport, full f***ing stop.

Who do you suppose you will hear from first, the FCC, or the FAA? :D

John
Click to expand...

It'll be a race for the FAA to pull your medical and the FCC to hand you a $10k fine.
 
John Baker said:
I know we are not supposed to use vulgar words in our assorted radio transmissions, I'm also guessing politically incorrect words, such as the infamous "N" word that at least one African Nation uses the same spelling, although a different pronunciation, so that geography students won't have to use the "N" word.
Click to expand...

The country uses ONE "G"

The racial pejorative uses TWO "G"s.

That is not the same spelling.
 
John Baker said:
I remember my grandmother washing my mouth out with lye soap for saying "hell". We don't do that to kids anymore.

John
Click to expand...

Well, not exactly. Back in North Carolina my 6 years old son has been taken to the Principal's office and asked to call his mom and explain why he said "What the heck" in the classroom. We recently moved to Northern California and here teachers and principal himself saying that in front of kids.

To the radio communications - I used strong words on CTAF only once when I was landing on uncontrolled field, made all my radio calls 5 miles, entering downwind, base and final and when I turned final I saw the plane taking off towards me with 10 miles/hour tailwind. He didn't do a single radio call and I didn't spot him early just because I didn't expect someone might be so stupid to take off with a wind and not talking on the radio at all ( luck of experience on my side I guess). He scared a s*** out of me and that was what I announced on the CTAF adding a couple extra words to describe him, his actions and what I would do in case we meet on the ground.
 
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Trapper John said:
George Carlin's old, "Seven words you can't say on television" act is on YouTube, I'm sure....
Click to expand...
Network still censors a couple of words on the list, notably the big F word. With cable, even the networks are relaxing their rules. I think the FCC pretty much ignores these words unless there are complaints.
Since we hear them almost constantly, most people arent complaining. We could probably play all of George's skit on NBC with hardly a beep.
 
Artiom said:
To the radio communications - I used strong words on CTAF only once when I was landing on uncontrolled field, made all my radio calls 5 miles, entering downwind, base and final and when I turned final I saw the plane taking off towards me with 10 miles/hour tailwind. He didn't do a single radio call and I didn't spot him early just because I didn't expect someone might be so stupid to take off with a wind and not talking on the radio at all ( luck of experience on my side I guess). He scared a s*** out of me and that was what I announced on the CTAF adding a couple extra words to describe him, his actions and what I would do in case we meet on the ground.
Click to expand...

Maybe he didn't have a radio? Because he didn't need a radio?
 
"Back in the day" flying was a gentleman's sport and we all treated others with dignity and respect. Using inappropriate language over the radio wasn't tolerated and would make the user stand out like a sore thumb.

Today we have "air rage" and some that think ghetto language is cool to use over the frequency.

Few months ago I was out flying and entering the traffic pattern at an uncontrolled airport. An airplane cuts me off in the pattern ahead of me and when I make it known to them he used some very colorful language to explain why he felt the need to do that.

No problem, I just follow him in to the airport and taxi behind to the FBO. Needless to say his next half hour or so was very uncomfortable to say the least.

You just never know who may be in the pattern with you. :wink2:
 
John Baker said:
So, your approaching a Delta airport, VFR. You announce who you are, "Cessna 123GH." Where you are, "I'm over the f***ing lake, at about four thousand f***ing feet." What you want to do, " I wanta land at your f***ing airport, full f***ing stop.

Who do you suppose you will hear from first, the FCC, or the FAA? :D

John
Click to expand...
FAA.
Tower: Stay clear of Class Delta ... forever.
 
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Artiom said:
I was landing on uncontrolled field, made all my radio calls 5 miles, entering downwind, base and final and when I turned final I saw the plane taking off towards me with 10 miles/hour tailwind.
Click to expand...
It is fairly common and legal during crop dusting season to see just what you describe. It's one reason why it's a good idea to take a good look-see.
 
Henning said:
It'll be a race for the FAA to pull your medical ...
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On what grounds, Dr. Henning? Does this event by itself constitute an "established medical history or clinical diagnosis of ... A personality disorder that is severe enough to have repeatedly manifested itself by overt acts"? Or is there another section of Part 67 which you would say covers it?
 
Henning said:
They'll pull the medical at least due to it being a neurological condition.
Click to expand...
Neurological condition? Which of the following would this instance demonstrate?
Sec. 67.309

Neurologic.

Neurologic standards for a third-class airman medical certificate are:

(a) No established medical history or clinical diagnosis of any of the following:
(1) Epilepsy;
(2) A disturbance of consciousness without satisfactory medical explanation of the cause; or
(3) A transient loss of control of nervous system function(s) without satisfactory medical explanation of the cause.
(b) No other seizure disorder, disturbance of consciousness, or neurologic condition that the Federal Air Surgeon, based on the case history and appropriate, qualified medical judgment relating to the condition involved, finds—
(1) Makes the person unable to safely perform the duties or exercise the privileges of the airman certificate applied for or held; or (2) May reasonably be expected, for the maximum duration of the airman medical certificate applied for or held, to make the person unable to perform those duties or exercise those privileges.
Click to expand...
Or is it that you think use of profanity constitutes a "neurological condition"? If so, which one?
 
So to what penalty? If I swear on the radio, and the FCC is notified, a few things to note:

1. What can they use as proof that I am who they think (for example, if I, in N123GA calls and says "Center, American 1289 would like to request that Denver Approach f***s himself," will the FCC go after me, in N123GA or the pilot in AA1289)?

2. What penalty can be imposed by the FCC for such transgressions?

3. What penalty can be imposed by the FAA once the FCC is done with me?
 
jnmeade said:
It is fairly common and legal during crop dusting season to see just what you describe. It's one reason why it's a good idea to take a good look-see.
Click to expand...

Granted. However this C-172 clearly wasn't a crop duster. Also it was occupied with a CFI giving dual.

Not exactly what I would call setting a good example with a student pilot on-board. :rolleyes2:
 
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