Funny thing on Guadeloupe
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2012
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From: Barbados
Funny thing on Guadeloupe
Hello all.
A funny thing is about to happen on Guadeloupe.
Yesterday evening I flew over from Canefield, Dominica to St Francois, Guadeloupe - an un-towered airport where Wood Aero are based who do my maintenance - went over to have my new wizzy 406 ELT installed in the Archer.
Overhead the island of Marie Gallante the Point a Pitre I was being worked by Pointe a Pitre approach when he suddenly piped up with "Do you speak French?", "no" says I "well" says he "from 10th October, all non-towered airports in Guadeloupe will be French language only".
I get what will be my last go on the CTAF, and land at St Francois. In chatting with Pierre, the Wood Aero guy, I say we will have to make some arrangements to get around the 10th October thing - he didn't know what I was talking about - half his customers are English speaking (there's even a German reg Partivavia on the aitfield), no one told him before or after it happened.
Today he asked around and it seems it is due to microlights - there are about a dozen of them on St Francois and, I counted, five modern two seat gyrocopters. Seems lots of problems with non-standard phrases and lack of radio disciplin - so simple solution ban English, stuff English being the language of international aviation.
So if anyone says microlight pilots aren't real pilots, it would seem that the authorities on Guadeloupe agree!
Only Guadeloupe though, does not apply on Martinique.
The solution of learning some pilot French will not work as the chit chat mixed in with the position reporting makes it impossible to determine the positions.
A real shame though as St Francois is a real gem; a sea sidetown, golf course next to the airfield, nice hotels, restaurants, beaches etc all walking distance from the airfield
Writing this from the BWA Chik - nice hotel - need to get the French language tapes out if I want to come back.
So anyone planning a flying holiday and thinking of all those lovely airports on Guadeloupe, if you don't speak French it's Pointe a Pitre only for you.
A funny thing is about to happen on Guadeloupe.
Yesterday evening I flew over from Canefield, Dominica to St Francois, Guadeloupe - an un-towered airport where Wood Aero are based who do my maintenance - went over to have my new wizzy 406 ELT installed in the Archer.
Overhead the island of Marie Gallante the Point a Pitre I was being worked by Pointe a Pitre approach when he suddenly piped up with "Do you speak French?", "no" says I "well" says he "from 10th October, all non-towered airports in Guadeloupe will be French language only".
I get what will be my last go on the CTAF, and land at St Francois. In chatting with Pierre, the Wood Aero guy, I say we will have to make some arrangements to get around the 10th October thing - he didn't know what I was talking about - half his customers are English speaking (there's even a German reg Partivavia on the aitfield), no one told him before or after it happened.
Today he asked around and it seems it is due to microlights - there are about a dozen of them on St Francois and, I counted, five modern two seat gyrocopters. Seems lots of problems with non-standard phrases and lack of radio disciplin - so simple solution ban English, stuff English being the language of international aviation.
So if anyone says microlight pilots aren't real pilots, it would seem that the authorities on Guadeloupe agree!
Only Guadeloupe though, does not apply on Martinique.
The solution of learning some pilot French will not work as the chit chat mixed in with the position reporting makes it impossible to determine the positions.
A real shame though as St Francois is a real gem; a sea sidetown, golf course next to the airfield, nice hotels, restaurants, beaches etc all walking distance from the airfield
Writing this from the BWA Chik - nice hotel - need to get the French language tapes out if I want to come back.
So anyone planning a flying holiday and thinking of all those lovely airports on Guadeloupe, if you don't speak French it's Pointe a Pitre only for you.
Joined: Jan 1999
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From: north of barlu
It’s a French thing, they think the whole world should speak French despite the evidence showing them that they are attempting to sweep water uphill.
The irony is That the decision to make English the language of aviation was taken at the 1944 ICAO Chicago convention, had the Spanish speaking nations turned up we would all be speaking Spanish in the air and the French would still have a chip on their shoulder.
The irony is That the decision to make English the language of aviation was taken at the 1944 ICAO Chicago convention, had the Spanish speaking nations turned up we would all be speaking Spanish in the air and the French would still have a chip on their shoulder.
Joined: Jul 2010
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From: Ansião (PT)
had the Spanish speaking nations turned up we would all be speaking Spanish
just turn the radio off
Joined: Oct 2017
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From: Bressuire
I can only speak for France where a similar rule is in place at some uncontrolled, including non AFIS, aerodromes. The rule here is widely misunderstood by private pilots and flying clubs generally. The exemption simply allows that French is the standard at the aerodrome and not english (otherwise required by convention) so all calls should be made in French. You do not need to speak the french language but you should make all "standard" circuit calls in French.
So not too onerous other than to learn the standard position reports in french: overhead, downwind, baseleg, final, runway vacated etc.
The Chicago Convention took place on December 7th 1944. English as the recommended international language of aeronautical communications was decided much later in 1951.
So not too onerous other than to learn the standard position reports in french: overhead, downwind, baseleg, final, runway vacated etc.
The Chicago Convention took place on December 7th 1944. English as the recommended international language of aeronautical communications was decided much later in 1951.
Last edited by Fl1ingfrog; 7th October 2019 at 10:52.
Joined: Jul 2010
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From: Ansião (PT)
You do not need to speak the french language but you should make all "standard" circuit calls in French.
But yes, I know, among the few fields in France that announce "FR only" there are a very few that also announce "carriage of radio mandatory". "Carriage", mind you, not "switching on" even less "listening" and even even less "talking". A bit of an ambiguous situation, I would say. I have no idea of the situation in the Caribbean but I'd not be surprised if there, even more than in "France Métropolitaine", much or even everything would be left to pragmatism and the basic principles of "good airmanship". Which is luckily undefined in law, as far as I know.
Joined: Oct 2017
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From: Bressuire
The use of french only at small airfields throughout france has become widespread. For the french only speaker it is of great benefit at their local airfield. In many cases the airfields exist only for the benefit of the commune as a place of recreation. Most of these airfields do not charge landing fees or they are minimal. They have the right to make reasonable conditions of use, to enhance safety, as they see fit. For the occasional non french speaker visitor it only requires a little effort to comply.
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From: Ansião (PT)
" has become widespread" ... "of great benefit" .... " in many cases " .... "most of these airfields " .... "occasional non-French speaker" ...
All the typical soft speak, nothing tangible. Where is the yes/no answer to my question?
All the typical soft speak, nothing tangible. Where is the yes/no answer to my question?
If not calling out at all, what law/rule will be violated?
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,807
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From: Ansião (PT)
Ok, so I just fly into France OCAS, talk only Swahili on the radio, and pretend I am a wise woman? 
But really: this is only more soft-speak, more lack of tangible answers. Especially hard in France, with its bad reputation of enforcing rules harshly - ask those who were unfortunate (or "stupid", if you will) enough to stray near nuclear power plants.
Don't come and ask me why I prefer Germany (and the countries beyond, CZ, PL, SK, HU, ...) when flying abroad - as one soon must, if departing from a smallish country.
But really: this is only more soft-speak, more lack of tangible answers. Especially hard in France, with its bad reputation of enforcing rules harshly - ask those who were unfortunate (or "stupid", if you will) enough to stray near nuclear power plants.
Don't come and ask me why I prefer Germany (and the countries beyond, CZ, PL, SK, HU, ...) when flying abroad - as one soon must, if departing from a smallish country.
Joined: Apr 2019
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From: EDSP
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 419
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From: Barbados
I should say St Francois is an AOE.
Spent the weekend listening to the CTAF, one gyro I could follow, the others all larded their radio with chit chat about where they were going to have lunch so far as I could figure. The French thing would not be a problem if it was standard position reports.
This airport has a significant maintenance firm, so weird that they did not consult them or even inform them once they made the decision.
All the fault of microlights it seems
Spent the weekend listening to the CTAF, one gyro I could follow, the others all larded their radio with chit chat about where they were going to have lunch so far as I could figure. The French thing would not be a problem if it was standard position reports.
This airport has a significant maintenance firm, so weird that they did not consult them or even inform them once they made the decision.
All the fault of microlights it seems
