[Vocabulary] Wait a minute. The plane is towing.

[englishhobby]

How would a native speaker understand (interpret) the phrase said by pilot (in a plane): 'Wait a minute. The plane is towing'.

 

[SoothingDave]

The plane is being towed.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I'd want to know what it's towing!

 

[SoothingDave]

Precisely. At some airports the planes are brought to/from the gates by ground crew using ground vehicles.

 

[GoesStation]

How would a native speaker understand (interpret) the phrase said by pilot (in a plane): 'Wait a minute. The plane is towing'.

I would think "No it isn't. The plane is being towed. I wonder what our pilot's first language is?"

 

[jutfrank]

Could this be a case where it's so obvious what is towing what that the pilot has begun to use the active voice to describe what is actually a passive action, just because it's easier to say? I'm just guessing.

 

[Rover_KE]

I'm wondering under what circumstances a pilot would say this, and to whom.

Presumably the pilot would know that his meaning would be clear to whoever was listing to his message.

 

[englishhobby]

A pilot whom I talked with (obviously, English is not his first language) explained it to me that just before landing the plane 'tows' a little which means it kind of moves back just for a second or so and the passengers are not allowed to get up at this moment yet. He is learning English and wants to speak with his passengers in proper English and he asked me to help him find a suitable phrase. I told him that the passengers might not understand the word 'tow' (the pilots' slang). May be he should just say something like 'Stay in your seats please. The plane is still landing'.
:?:

 

[GoesStation]

Passengers should remain seated with their seatbelts fastened until the airplane stops at the gate, long after it has landed. The pilot should not be communicating with passengers while he's landing -- if he does, he's risking their lives by distracting himself.

I think your friend has misunderstood a word. Pilots don't use the word towing to mean anything like that.

 

[jutfrank]

...just before landing the plane 'tows' a little which means it kind of moves back just for a second or so and the passengers are not allowed to get up at this moment yet.

Moves back? What kind of passengers would try to get up out of their seat just before landing?!

 

[GoesStation]

There are parts of the world where airline passengers are notorious for getting up and starting to unload the overheads while the plane is still moving -- sometimes even when it's on short final.

 

[SoothingDave]

There are usually flight attendants who give standard lectures at various points in the flight.

"We are beginning our final approach to blah blah. Please fasten your seatbelts, stow all carryon items and return your seatbacks and tray tables to their full upright and locked positions. Remain seated until the plane has come to a complete stop* at the gate and the captain gives the two-bell signal. Thank you for flying blah blah airlines."

(*The late comedian George Carlin noted in his routine about airplane announcements that when they partially stop, he partially gets up.)

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

A pilot whom I talked with (obviously, English is not his first language) explained it to me that just before landing the plane 'tows' a little which means it kind of moves back just for a second or so and the passengers are not allowed to get up at this moment yet. He is learning English and wants to speak with his passengers in proper English and he asked me to help him find a suitable phrase. I told him that the passengers might not understand the word 'tow' (the pilots' slang). May be he should just say something like 'Stay in your seats please. The plane is still landing'.
:?:

Aha! I have now attained a state of perfect getting-it-ness!

You're absolutely right. Using pilot slang will confuse his passengers. Your advice to him was excellent.

 

[GoesStation]

Airplanes may yaw just before touchdown in a crosswind landing as the pilot applies rudder to line up with the runway's centerline. This isn't slang, but it's technical jargon which most passengers wouldn't understand.

 

[englishhobby]

Could this be a case where it's so obvious what is towing what that the pilot has begun to use the active voice to describe what is actually a passive action, just because it's easier to say? I'm just guessing.

No, it's just because the pilot is only starting to learn English (he is one of my new "pupils" whom I am tutoring).

 

[englishhobby]

.just before landing the plane 'tows' a little which means it kind of moves back just for a second or so and the passengers are not allowed to get up at this moment yet.

Moves back? What kind of passengers would try to get up out of their seat just before landing?!

Sorry, I was wrong about the plane moving back on its own. I asked the pilot for more explanation. Now I understand that the plane is being towed as some people suggested in this thread. And some passengers might want to get up, because the plane has already landed, but it needs to be towed (moved back) by special vehicles. Thanks to all!

 

[englishhobby]

Apart from englishhobby's pilot friend, who is not a native speaker, nobody has come up with any sign of anybody using this term. I have searched the internet and found nothing. I have piloted aircraft (admittedly only small ones) and have never heard of a plane 'towng' or (!) moving back for a second just before landing.

Yes, you're right :-D The pilot is just a beginner in learning English and now I know what he meant - the plane is being towed after landing by special vehicles (he explained it to me again and better this time).

 

[englishhobby]

There are usually flight attendants who give standard lectures at various points in the flight.

"We are beginning our final approach to blah blah. Please fasten your seatbelts, stow all carryon items and return your seatbacks and tray tables to their full upright and locked positions. Remain seated until the plane has come to a complete stop* at the gate and the captain gives the two-bell signal. Thank you for flying blah blah airlines."

(*The late comedian George Carlin noted in his routine about airplane announcements that when they partially stop, he partially gets up.)

Thank you for this announcement. :up: That's exactly what I need (!) and that's what I meant when I advised my friend pilot not to use any special terms (like "tow", even if it is grammatically correct like 'the plane is being towed). Next time when I meet him, I'll teach him to say somethng like this. :-D

 

[englishhobby]

Passengers should remain seated with their seatbelts fastened until the airplane stops at the gate, long after it has landed. The pilot should not be communicating with passengers while he's landing -- if he does, he's risking their lives by distracting himself.

I think your friend has misunderstood a word. Pilots don't use the word towing to mean anything like that.

You are right. But it was me who misunderstood the pilot a little. He needs to ask the passengers to remain seated AFTER the plane has laned, because some special vehicles tow it to its place on the field. And I agree with many comments here that the word 'tow' as a special term should not be used by the pilot. Instead he should give instructions to passengers using common language like "Remain seated until the plane has come to a complete stop' (the plane actually has stopped, but it will be towed a little on the ground).