Seven Zero Niner

Well, I know this is pretty old now but I've never really found an irrefutable answer.

Film: Aliens. Character: Ferro.

The drop ship is approaching the base and I get her earlier dialogue of "We're in the pipe, 5 by 5" but what in the name of C3PO's oil bath does "Coming around for a seven-zero-niner" actually mean?

Some kind of coordinates? A flight manoeuvre? Nothing really, it just sounded good?

Cheers.

a reply to: MrCrow


Caw Caw Caw.. (Crow for Hello...)

I have ZERO idea but thought I'd add the link for the scene in question.. Perhaps We can 'spitball' and this will provide a visual which should make it easier...

I present: www.youtube.com... (If someone could make it work? I'm a computer neophyte , heck I can't even add pics to My profile/wall.. And now My Star Quotient will take a hit.. hahahahaha)

Eight Twenty Sixer...

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Have a day! They're all "Good" some are just better than others...

namaste

a reply to:

I guess she was using procedure communication which is like condensed information used in radio communication.

procedure words

In the pipe five by five might mean the flight pattern is all clear.

originally posted by: MrCrow
The drop ship is approaching the base and I get her earlier dialogue of "We're in the pipe, 5 by 5" but what in the name of C3PO's oil bath does "Coming around for a seven-zero-niner" actually mean?

It means coming around (lining up) for a landing without tower clearance, i.e. to a landing without ground personnel.

a reply to: DupontDeux

Excellent! Thank you! A mystery that's been in my brain for years: solved.

In the pipe would mean on the flight path (on bearing, on glideslope). 5x5 is typically used to describe communications, a 1-5 scale for clarity and a 1-5 scale for volume.

The 709er. Yeah. What he said.