Strong regional accents have long been a handicap in class-ridden Britain. Now pilots in communist China face ejection from the cockpit if their accents fail to pass muster.
Under new rules posted by the Civil Aviation Administration of China on Friday, pilots will have to pass a “level four” test of Mandarin Chinese, China’s official language. Those who speak with an accent that “often impedes” comprehension will not pass.
The CAAC communicated the requirement, which takes effect in January 2016, to pilots in a teleconference earlier this week.
“This is really bad news for anyone with a heavy accent,” one pilot said on his Weibo account, adding an emoticon with sweat pouring off its face.
China’s 56 ethnic groups speak more than 80 languages and dialects. Even native Mandarin speakers can have trouble communicating with each other depending on the strength of their accents, which can be mutually unintelligible.
One flight trainer illustrated the scope for linguistic confusion, especially when common English aviation terms enter the equation. Asked if there is a problem on board, a Chinese pilot might answer in the negative with the words mei you, or “there isn’t”. But someone speaking with a heavy Sichuan accent would pronounce mei you as “may day” – unwittingly parroting the universally recognised distress call.
Like their international counterparts, Chinese aviators have developed codes to avoid confusion stemming from homonyms or near-homonyms. They use the terms yao for one and guai for seven, which are otherwise pronounced yi and qi respectively and easily confused.
The new rule could affect all pilots, who must renew their licence every six years, and adds to a growing list of burdens for the profession.
This year Chinese pilots for flag carrier Air China issued an open letter complaining about the “longer rest, easier routes and higher pay” enjoyed by the airline’s growing number of expatriate hires. They added that the stress on local pilots could “eventually threaten flight safety”.
Chinese pilots must already contend with frequent and lengthy delays, as illustrated by the recent disruption caused by People’s Liberation Army exercises in eastern China, and the irate reactions these often provoke among passengers.
Aviation communication in China can also be affected by factors other than the country’s various accents and dialects. In early July, a China Eastern aircraft’s arrival at Wuhan, capital of central Hubei province, was delayed after an apparent radio blackout with air traffic control that lasted 12 minutes. The two air controllers on duty had fallen asleep.
