This would ensure that radio communications would be clearly understood, as a result they developed spelling
alphabets
For example, some letters - such as 'n' and 'm' and 'b' and 'd' - sound similar.
When communicating via a radio, static and interference can make it easy to confuse these letters, if you imagine
a flying airplane with lots of noise around you, it would be hard to concentrate on what's coming over the radio in
addition to paying attention to all the gauges on the plane.
So instead of saying individual letters to communicate words, pilots would use specific words that begin with thiose
letters - such as "November" and "Mike" and "Bravo" and "Delta" - to make their communications clear.
After World War II, various spelling alphabets in use at the time were combined. It made it easier for all the countries
in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) alliance to use one standard spelling alphabet.
On March 1, 1956, the International Civil Aviarion Organisation (ICAO) finalized the international radiotelephony
spelling alphabet (also known as the NATO spelling alphabet). The letters and their corresponding code words are:
A - Alfa
B- Bravo
C - Charlie
D - Delta
E - Echo
F - Foxtrot
G - Golf
H - Hotel
I - India
J - Juliett
K- Kilo
L - Lima
M-Mike
N - November
O - Oscar
P - Papa
Q - Quebec
R - Romeo
S - Sierra
T - Tango
U - Uniform
V - Victor
W- Whisky
X - X-Ray
Y - Yankee
Z - Zulu
Sometimes, variations are made to this standard alphabet. For example, 'Delta' is often related with a different word,
such as 'Data', ' Dixie' or 'Davis', at airports in the United States where there are many Delta Air Lines flights.
'Lima' is usually replaced by 'London' in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. In several languages spoken in those countries, 'Lima' means 'five'. This could definitely lead to confusion in radio transmissions!
Of course, over time, airplane engines have gotten quieter and technology has helped scientists and inventors to
improve communications tools greatly. Today pilots can probably hear much more clearly than they could in the past.
Even still modern pilots continue to use the NATO 'spelling alphabet' to communicate when they're in the air.
http://www.973-eht-namuh-973.com/Alchem ... 202063.htm