Interviewer: With me in the studio today I have Richard, who's a pilot, and Brynn, who's an air traffic controller, and they're going to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about flying and air travel. Hello to both of you. R & B: Hello. Interviewer: Right, we're going to start with you, Richard. The first question is what ____ are the most dangerous when flying a plane? Richard: Probably the most dangerous weather conditions are when the ____ changes direction very suddenly. Er ... this tends to happen during ____ and typhoons, and it 's especially dangerous during ____ and landing. But it's ____ unusual - I've been flying for 37 years now and I've only experienced this three or four times. Interviewer: What about turbulence? Is that dangerous? Richard: It can be very ____ and very uncomfortable, but it isn't dangerous. Even strong turbulence won't ____ the plane. Pilots always try to ____ turbulence, but it can sometimes occur without any warning, which is why we always advise passengers to wear their ____ all the time during the flight. Interviewer: Which is more dangerous, take-off or landing? Richard: Both take-off and landing can be dangerous. They're the most dangerous moments of a flight. Pilots talk about the '____' - the three minutes after take-off and the five minutes before landing. Most ____ happen in this period. But I would say that ____ is probably slightly more dangerous than landing. There is a critical moment just before take-off when the plane is accelerating, but it hasn't yet reached the speed to be able to fly. If the pilot has a problem with the plane at this point, he has very little time - maybe only a second - to abort the take-off. Interviewer: Are some airports more dangerous than others? Richard: Yes, some are, particularly airports with high mountains around them, and airports in countries with older or more basic ____. For some difficult airports like, let's say Kathmandu, they only allow very experienced pilots to land there. And for some of these airports pilots have to practise on a simulator first before they are given ____ to land a plane there. Interviewer: Thanks, Richard. Over to you, Brynn .. .What personal qualities do you think you need to be an air traffic controller? Brynn: I think ____ is number one. You need to be a self-confident person, you have to be sure of yourself and of the ____ you're making. Interviewer: Most people imagine that being an air traffic controller is very stressful. Do you agree? Brynn: Actually, on a daily basis, the job isn't as stressful as people think. Obviously it's true that stressful situations do arise, but when you're very busy, you just don't have time to get stressed. Interviewer: Why is it important for pilots and controllers to have good, clear English? Brynn: English is the official language of air traffic control. We communicate with pilots using very specific phrases, like ____, wind, cleared for take-off, turbulence, traffic ahead, to your left, to your right, things like that, and it's true that you could just learn these specific phrases. But then in an ____ you don't know what language you might need, it's much less predictable, which is why it's ____ for pilots and air traffic controllers to speak really good, clear English. Richard: If I could just interrupt here. In fact, there have been several air crashes which happened because the air traffic controller misunderstood something that the pilot had said in English or ____ because their pronunciation wasn't clear enough. Brynn: Yes, that's right . Interviewer: Finally, people ____ that most pilots and air traffic controllers are men. Would you say that was true? Brynn: Not in air traffic control - there are lots of women. It may not be 50/50, but there are plenty of us. Richard: It's true about pilots though. I mean there are some women pilots, but it's still quite a male dominated job I'd say. Interviewer: Why do you think that is? Richard: People say it's because men have a better ____. Brynn: Very funny. Interviewer: Richard, Brynn, thank you very much.

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