Why English matters for China’s military pilots in Hong Kong
Speaking English is essential for communicating with air traffic control, driving pilots to memorise words and listen to recordings as part of their daily routine
Practising English is part of the daily routine of Hong Kong-based PLA pilots, as they need to be able to speak fluent English when they are on duty.
Zheng Jiazhong, a pilot with PLA’s Hong Kong garrison, said English is the working language for communicating with city aviation control when on board, according to a report on People.cn, the website of People’s Daily.
Zheng and other pilots strive to improve their English by memorising words and listening to tapes.
On June 1, Zheng captained a manoeuvre conducted over the New Territories.
Since Hong Kong has heavy air traffic, pilots need to stay in contact with the civil aviation department’s control tower to give reports related to flights.
Simon Li Tin-Chui, director-general of the Hong Kong civil aviation department, was quoted by People’s Daily as saying that the pilots in Zheng’s group have built good communication with civil aviation and praised their professionalism.