icao english proficiency

[errebi]

Hello, does anyone know if I need to take ICAO level 4 test before my PPL training in USA? I'm a foreign student..

[BackPacker]

I would assume that the LPE test is included in the package deal, just like everything else. Normally as part of the FRTOL test. What does the school say about this?

[errebi]

they say that I can't flight without icao4..is it a general rule or a school's rule?

[BackPacker]

You can't fly as Pilot In Command and legally use the radio without LPE four. But you can fly as a student. I believe even solo.

[HLJHLJ]

Do they have a FRTOL test in USA? :confused:

[flyingfemme]

No.
English proficiency is "checked" by anybody who conducts an examination or flight review under the FARs. It has always been the case that no pilot is granted a US certificate unless they can speak, read, write and understand English - this predates the ICAO requirement and is embodied in the FARs.
There is no separate radio licence exam, it is implicit in the checkride. Anybody with a US certificate may apply for a radio licence (and must have one for flight outside the USA).
Buried deep in the FARs is a provision for suspension of your licence at a later date if your English is deemed to have fallen below the required standard. This can be as a result of a report filed by any instructor or flight medical examiner. Apparently the doctor who does your medical renewal is also supposed to check your language skills.
It would be wise to consult the school issuing your training visa/paperwork since they may have a requirement for foreign students.

[patowalker]

You might want to call
Plane English Aviation English Solutions (http://www.planeenglish.com/Plane%20English%20Info.html)

[BackPacker]

Do they have a FRTOL test in USA?

Flyingfemme is right in the sense that there is no separate FRTOL test for an FAA PPL. And there is indeed no separate LPE test - your English is tested during the initial exam, and implicitly tested with every BFR, which gives you an automatic ICAO LPE level 4. As the BFR is every two years, and the LPE level 4 expires after three years, this works a treat if you stay within the FAA system all the way and not try to mix FAA with non-FAA certificates. (At least, this is what I understand about how the FAA implemented the ICAO LPE requirements on top of what they were already doing wrt. English proficiency.)

However, the OP is from Italy so I'm assuming he's going to one of the schools that do JAA training. In which case he will need to do the UK CAA FRTOL test, which - I think - includes the LPE assessment by default. At the very least I would expect the school to have incorporated an LPE assessment as part of the PPL package deal.

Note that that LPE assessment may actually be more complicated than just getting a number at the end of the FRTOL test. I'm not sure but I think FRTOL examiners (assuming they're a six themselves) are allowed to hand out sixes to candidates if the candidates are clearly fluent. But if the candidate is not clearly fluent, the examiner might not be allowed to hand out another number (one through five) since they're not qualified to make that assessment. In which case the candidate should be referred to a proper language testing facility where the full LPE test needs to be done. Obviously the school should have made arrangements for this, but it might be so that that additional test is not included in the package price.

That's why I said that the OP needed to contact the school, to get the details. Because I suspect, based on the number of errors in his two posts above, that he might not qualify for a level six.