Originally Posted by Jim B.

couple of examples.




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A Pan Am 727, waiting for start clearance in Munich, overheard the following:

Lufthansa: (In German) "Ground, what is our start clearance time?"
Ground: (In English) "If you want an answer, you must speak in English"
Lufthansa: (In English) "I am a German, flying a German airplane, in Germany.
Why must I speak English?"
Unknown voice from another plane: (In beautiful British accent) "Because you lost the bloody war!"
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The German air controllers at Frankfurt are renowned as a short tempered lot.
They expect one to know one's gate parking position, and also how to get there without any assistance from them. So it was with some amusement that we (A Pan Am 747) listened to the following exchange between Frankfurt ground control and a
British Airways 747, call sign Speedbird 206:

Speedbird 206: "Frankfurt, Speedbird 206 clear of active runway"
Ground: "Speedbird 206, taxi to Alpha One-Seven"
The BA 747 pulled on to the main taxiway and slowed to a stop.

Ground: "Speedbird, do you not know where you are going?"
Speedbird 206: "Stand by, Ground. I'm looking up our gate location now."
Ground: (with quite arrogant impatience) "Speedbird 206, have you not been to Frankfurt before?"
Speedbird 206: (cooly) "Yes, twice, in 1944 - but it was dark. And I didn't land"