# To what extent do ATCs and airline pilots use their local language instead of English?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-do-atcs-and-airline-pilots-use-their-local-language-instead-of-english/843434>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 14, 2019, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-do-atcs-and-airline-pilots-use-their-local-language-instead-of-english/843434 "2019-11-14T18:11:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![ArslanWilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6de8d8/32.png) [@ArslanWilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArslanWilson)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2019, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-do-atcs-and-airline-pilots-use-their-local-language-instead-of-english/843434/21 "2019-11-15T17:07:06Z")

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> [@zimaane](#):
>
> What does PM stand for?
> 
> Sorry to keep asking questions, but I find this stuff fascinating.

No worries. As Wolfpup said below,

PF - Pilot Flying  
PM - Pilot Monitoring

> [@wolfpup](#):
>
> “Pilot Monitoring”. The other guy is the “Pilot Flying”.

And this is true. But just as an important distinction, this is _not_ one in the same as Capt vs First Officer

PM/PF legs generally swap without regard to who is the final authority at most companies.

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