How to Talk Like a Pilot

If you need a crash course (no pun intended) in chatting it up like a pilot, you will need a little confidence, a little knowledge of aviation and the ability to convey information in a clear, concise manner. Look at these steps and before you know it, you can play the role of a pilot and convince those around you of your new profession.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• General knowledge of aviation
• Confidence

1. Reflect confidence in what you say. No one wants a pilot who is unsure of him or herself.

2. Know what you are talking about. Use everyday language when talking to passengers rather than throwing out too much technical jargon. Words like "victor airway" or "center release times" leave most people with questions. Occasionally, use of the phonetic alphabet, such as Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta.

3. Talk about the weather. Do not offer, "It's a nice day, isn't it." Pilots say, "If you will look off to your left, you will see a cumulonimbus cloud. These clouds range from being small and somewhat docile, to being the beginning stages of a thunderstorm."

4. Make your audience feel comfortable. Flying can be an uncomfortable experience, so you should make the passenger feel at ease. Rather than saying "turbulence," say "It's a bit bumpy." Do not say, "Stay seated to avoid potential injury during turbulence." Say "For your safety, keep those seat belts comfortably fastened around your waist, just in case there are any unexpected bumps." Avoid words like "turbulence" or "severe" since these word may cause panic.

5. Keep your humor in check. Light comments like "We have some of the best flight attendants in the industry, unfortunately none of them are on this flight." are acceptable. However, trying to be too funny may offend someone since your audience could be anyone from any background.

6. Answer questions that you do not know the answer to with a light-hearted comment rather than making up an answer. Something along the lines of "A good magician never reveals his secrets, so I can't either." will work.