One of my flight instructors was also an air traffic controller, and he brought home this point that's stuck ever since: If a pilot really wants to be helpful and courteous and make the entire ATC system work better, the best thing he or she can do is use proper radio phraseology. And yes, that means phonetic numbers, too. Sure, you'll sound like a lisping Spaniard and feel self-conscious the first few thousand times you transmit the numbers "tree," "fife," and "niner" on the aircraft radio. No one will mistake your dweebish utterances for the laconic Chuck Yeager. Listeners might even feel sympathy for your perceived speech impediment.
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