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Not actually true; French pilots and ATC use feet too (whichever language you're speaking). French influence on aviation has been strong since the beginning (h
by meredydd 9y ago
Not actually true; French pilots and ATC use feet too (whichever language you're speaking).
French influence on aviation has been strong since the beginning (hence all the French words - aileron, fuselage, décalage, etc), but the unit of height/altitude is one where the Americans set the standard.
(Source: I fly an American-designed, French-built aeroplane to/through France semi-regularly.)
- clamprecht 9y agoIt's true about French influence. Even the weather observation reports used worldwide, METARS, use abbreviations like "BR" for fog, because the French word for fog is "brouillard".