Turns out I should have asked, because when taking the test I found out that I could have taken the VFR one and used it with an IR.
So what’s the difference between them? Just what set of rules were used during the test, and it makes no difference once the test is over?
Do you know a country that performs IFR radio communication in its local language even though it’s not an ICAO language?
Sure, Italy is full of Italian-language ATC.
BTW, there is no distinction between “VFR ATC” and “IFR ATC” languages in countries like France or Italy.
Spain is full of Spanish-language ATC, too.
Martin wrote:
You can hear French for example in … Switzerland.
Well some french crews tend to use french when operating into and out of Geneva, but it’s not the norm. Swiss radar is english only (AIP ENR 2.1), only some Geneva Control Area frequencies are dual language En/Fr, and some Zurich Control Area frequencies are dual language En/Ge. Also see AIP ENR 6.1.1 radio facility index, which lists available languages.
The so called “ICAO languages” are only the working languages of ICAO into which documents and treaties are translated. They have no bearing to radiotelephony. The only language that is mentioned specially in the ICAO texts is English. So Suaheli and French have the same status with regards to R/T.
