Non-English ICAO language proficiency

[Squawk7777]

The current Spanish and French ATC threads and the resultant discussions about dual-language ATC has triggered an interesting question: Can you obtain an ICAO proficiency in the non-English aviation language of your non-English speaking country? I was further intrigued by this because my last TRE has two language ICAO levels in his license, one in English, the other in a Scandinavian language. Usefulness put aside for a moment, can you obtain a foreign aviation language ICAO proficiency?

Example: Holder of a UK ATPL who likes to fly for fun in Spain. Person is current, maybe bilingual in Spanish, has obtained a Spanish R/T to conduct transmissions in Spanish. Can he get through testing by the Spanish DGAC an ICAO proficiency in aviation Spanish? Could then one aviation authority (this example: Spain) issue an ICAO language proficiency level that gets put onto a license (let's assume the CAA would do this) of another JAA member state?

Any ideas?

[Big Pistons Forever]

In Canada pilots have to be proficent in at least one of Canada's two official languages, English or French, or both (however if they only speak French they cannot fly outside of Quebec). The language proficency section of the
Canadian pilot license will say En, Fr. or En/Fr. I looked at adding French to mine but the examiner will charge at least 100 dollars, plus you have to pay the application fee to Transport Canada, so I decided it wasn't worth it.

[Squawk7777]

Big Pistons Forever, do you know if Transport Canada has ICAO level 4 to 6 for French or is it like the FAA where it just says English proficient (meaning dubious level 4)?

[604guy]

however if they only speak French they cannot fly outside of Quebec)

They can cross the river to our national capitol and receive bilingual ATC there as well. :}

[Big Pistons Forever]

however if they only speak French they cannot fly outside of Quebec)

They can cross the river to our national capitol and receive bilingual ATC there as well. :}


Everybody knows Ottawa is a suburb of Gatineau........

Sqwak7777

AFAIK ICAO level 4 is the standard for either language on Canadian licenses

[411A]

or is it like the FAA where it just says English proficient (meaning dubious level 4)?

'Levels' are of absolutely no concern to the FAA, because, it quite clearly states in the applicable 14CFR regulations that...no English language, no license.
Read and understand...quite simple, really.:rolleyes:

[411A]

Yet curiously enough the FAA allows for someone who does not meet the language requirements to hold an FAA A&P Mechanic Certificate endorsed with the statement "Valid Only Outside The United States".
Quite logical really...mechanics don't fly airplanes, pilots do.:rolleyes:

[411A]

yet the FAA will issue that person with the licence just so long as he doesn't use it in the US.....


Just like you, eh?:rolleyes:
Yes, we understand........:}

[ft]

I've never seen a maintenance manual or any service document in anything other than English

All that tells you is that you haven't looked hard enough. I've seen them. Heck, I've even been writing them... and then translating them to S1000D undecipherable English for the linguistically challenged! :p

[411A]

this is the main reason why EASA and many other NAA's refuse to recognise the A&P (Apply and Pass).

I expect the FAA really don't care what EASA and many other NAA's think about the subject, as there are far more aircraft maintained in the USA than any other country (by at least a factor of six)...it simply doesn't make a difference.
EASA is so bound up in red tape and mumbo-jumbo that I'm quite surprised any airplane gets maintained properly.
The same can be said for pilot licensing in EASA-land, expensive and backward in their thinking.
The USFAA is far more practical...and when I apply for a type rating on my ATPL, it is free of charge from the FAA, after the practical rating checkflight.