216 Chapter Ten
each other remotely in voice-only mode and directly with their workmates
in the work place beyond radiotelephony exchanges.
The question is – What exactly does ‘radiotelephony discourse
analysis’ mean? What is its proper object of study? Like other professional
discourses, radiotelephony discourse is identified by its expert actors –
pilots and air traffic controllers. The departure point for the problem is the
flying rule for pilots: first – aviate, second – navigate and third –
communicate (Moor 2005). There is a high probability that the English
language used after the technical procedures have been completed, is
affected by factors emerging from the preceding technical actions.
The flight operation is standard and ritualized. The main flight phases
are as follows: start-up, push back, taxi to runway, line up, take off, climb,
en-route, descend, approach, landing, touch down and taxi to stand. Each
of the actions based on operational procedures requires language
interaction between a pilot and an air traffic controller. This interaction is
also standard and ritualized, and regulated by the prescribed rules (ICAO,
2010). It is expected that all participants of radiotelephony communication
in airspace all over the world follow the same rules prescribed by the
International Civil Aviation Organization (herewith – ICAO).
Normally, a pilot informs controllers of his/her intentions, asks for
permission to operate within indicated parameters and according to the
flight plan. An air traffic controller usually gives instructions for flight
safety, advises, proposes, informs. The main responsibility of a pilot is to
operate the airplane safely during all flight phases, both on the ground and
in the air; the main responsibility of an air traffic controller is to provide
flight safety from the ground (e.g., to avoid collision) for the airplanes
under operation.
Since communicative intentions are inherently linked to the activities
that are being undertaken by the radiotelephony interlocutors, it is evident
that those tasks which are peculiar to the jobs of a pilot and an air traffic
controller will give rise to a limited range of communicative functions
occurring, however, with a high degree of frequency. The communicative
functions of the radiotelephony interlocutors were studied and described
by Mell and Godmet (2002). They suggested the dominant functions in
air-to-ground exchanges between the participants of radiotelephony
communication. The functions have been grouped into four categories
corresponding to their role in carrying out air traffic control and piloting
tasks. These categories are as follows:
- Triggering actions
- Sharing information