True, but is this a world wide trend? It doesn't really help if I know what I'm saying but the ATC in some foreign language speaking country or aircraft doesn't. Years back in Angola the guys were speaking english, portuguese and russian all at the same (probably hasn't changed) so an english proficiency exam wouldn't have been much good anyway.
What about foreign licenced pilots and aircraft coming in to SA? Surely they are more of a problem than guys who went through the system here?
I haven't yet met a pilot starting out who didn't go into some of our neighbouring countries and think the ATC was speaking a different language. Just the accents alone can make the words sound foreign. Maybe we should get elocution lessons too?
And I'm not against the idea of it altogether, its paying the big bucks to be told I'm proficient in my mother tongue that irks me.
In reality it should be incorporated into the General Radio Licence exam. If you don't have the radio licence you can't get the flying licence anyway.
