Q1162. What aviation rules govern flight control and satellite system operation manuals?

Answered by the NYC Visa & Translation certified translation team

Flight control and satellite system manuals sit under aviation and space regulation — CAAT for Thai aviation, and the emerging Thai space framework for satellites — and the translation practice is shaped by English's role as aviation's working language. The aviation rule first: ICAO standards make English the international aviation language, and aircraft manufacturers' manuals (the flight manual, the maintenance manual, the wiring diagrams) are issued in English as the authoritative version — for Thai operators, the manuals are used in English by licensed personnel, and translation is commissioned only for specific purposes: regulatory filings where CAAT requires Thai summaries, training materials for Thai-speaking staff, and legal proceedings where the court needs Thai. The translation rules where translation is done: the flight manual's limitations section is airworthiness text — translated word-for-word with every numeric limit exact; the procedures (normal, abnormal, emergency) are step-ordered text where the sequence is safety-critical; and the manual's revision status must be identified (manuals are revision-controlled, and a translated superseded revision is dangerous). For satellite systems: the operation manuals, the frequency and orbital filings (ITU coordination documents), and the licensing documents follow the owning authority's framework — the technical parameters (frequencies, orbital slots, power levels) are transcribed exactly. Practice points: use translators with aviation or aerospace backgrounds; maintain the translation under the same revision control as the source manual; and confirm with the regulator or the operator's compliance team which documents actually require translation before commissioning.