Procedure to obtain a BZF for EASA PPL holders (flying into German-only fields)

international pilots entering the US are more willing to learn/speak US local language

It’s because English is the international language of aviation. That’s why EuroGA is in English

Malibuflyer wrote:

It’s actually the very same restriction in the US

It’s different, you are mixing “language used”: to understand what others talk about and “language qualification”: to be add to your license, most US airfields don’t require any form of radio/language qualification (FAA does not even require FCC papers or ELP inside US), are you saying no need for BZF qualification if you can speak or understand German on the radio?

I have visited few airfields in Spain where we had a tough time understanding what the locals were talking about: they were speaking Catalan while Mrs was talking mostly Castilian, we just muddled through and it was fine but we did not have to carry any “qualification papers”, wife does not even have PPL, just UK FRTOL and some gliding papers, she speaks Spanish though !!

The problem with “local qualification on papers” is that no one knows how you should get one…how this BZF is managed by the majority of German pilots who operate on N-reg on FAA certificate in these airfields? do they ask FAA to add BZF?

So German pilot flying N-reg to these airfields needs FAA PPL and separate BZF2 from the telecom agency?

What a mess at least you can do the exam

To keep you motivated: France has “French IFR6” endorsement, so far no one has a clue where you can take that test? the lady in charge told me she has no idea herself and she doubt a UKCAA PPL needs one? but she can organize “English IFR6” and that would be accepted having said that you don’t need “French IFR6” to talk French on radio when departing or landing in “FR only” airfields under IFR !

However, you have to be careful if you ever get ramp checked en-route at 150kts in clouds while speaking French in N-reg or G-reg

How many such fields are there in Germany, and is this listed in the AIP?

Germany has about 550 aerodromes.

I would hazard a wild guess that about half of them are German-only. But then, as said, most of these are grass fields out in the boons, with mostly only summer weekend activity and thus not all too attractive for visitors from abroad. But some of them ARE attractive. Like Wyk, Nördlingen and Traben-Trabach.

Airborne_Again wrote:

It also happens that Sweden doesn’t have any “Swedish only” airfields.

Indeed. Are there any other countries besides France, Austria and Germany, where only local language is allowed? I don’t know any other examples, except for maybe (parts of) Russia or so. In Spain, Italy, Scandinavian or Slavic countries, English is always allowed. Sure, in a country like Italy, it might be quite helpful to understand Italian, but English is legally possible at all times. And at least for France, no French radiotelephony certificate is needed for foreign pilots. It’s just Germany (and maybe Austria?) that requires a radiotelephony certificate in local language for all pilots (foreign pilots included).

Seba wrote:

I might be wrong but I believe the language is only listed on the VAC which is not part of the free AIP (needs to be purchased from DFS).

Correct.

boscomantico wrote:

But then, as said, most of these are grass fields out in the boons, with mostly only summer weekend activity and thus not all too attractive for visitors from abroad.

Even some more “serious” GA-airfields in Germany are German-only. Some examples are Arnsberg-Menden (EDLA), Chemnitz (EDCJ, close to Czech border), Dahlheimer Binz (EDKV, close to Belgium border), Mendig (EDRE), Neuhausen ob Eck (EDSN, close to Switzerland), Osnabrück-Atterheide (EDWO, close to Dutch border), Porta Westfalica (EDVY), Schwenningen (EDTS), Sonnen (EDPS, close to Czech and Austrian border), Stadtlohn (EDLS, English PPR-only, directly next to Dutch border) etc. etc.

Grass airfields are indeed almost always German-only. Even when the airfield is directly next to the border, for example: Goch (EDLG), Kehl (EDSK), Rheinfelden (EDTR) or Schweighofen (EDRO).

However, I do know several Dutch pilots flying to those German-only airfields and just speak English on the radios. Most of the times, nothing will happen. Most “Flugleiters” try to speak English as well.