Peter wrote:
Does it really work that if you learn the stock phrases (“N123XY downwind” etc with “123” spoken in French also, presumably) and you fly to a FR-only airfield, the locals will realise you are a foreigner and keep out of your way accordingly?
This is how that approach works at Kennedy
Which is why I endorse:
Peter wrote:
My view is that learning a little bit of French is useless, because it merely invites somebody to talk back to you in French, quite likely conversational French.
This subject has been debated quite a lot and everyone are camping on their positions and we are getting nowhere. But it is entertaining to read new points of view from time to time.
The Kennedy video made me feel a lot better about some experiences in past years, notably the La Rochelle “next time you come to our city, bring a map” one 
My view is that learning a little bit of French is useless, because it merely invites somebody to talk back to you in French, quite likely conversational French. It may even be done to make a point about foreign languages not being welcome – as reported here previously when an airport switched to FR-only at a certain time and ATC refusing to speak English from that point on, which would have trapped a non French speaker there until the following day.
I would tend to disagree in as much that any additional information you can add to your repertoire can only help to make you a better pilot.
Yes, speaking only a little French may not be enough in all situations, but as Aviathor notes, if you rock up doing French radio calls with schoolboy pronunciation, it at least tells people you are there and to keep out of your way.
One thing not to be underestimated is comprehension. Once you have learned the basic radio calls and their various variants, being able to understand even 50% of what is being said will enhance your situational awareness immensely, this goes not only for uncontrolled fields but also for towered aerodromes where the controller and pilots are speaking both French and English.
Yesterday I visited the control tower at Bergerac (a friend from my club is a controller there). All the VFR traffic was using French on the radio.
Aside from the Flybe birdstrike which happened in front of my whilst on final (another story!) there was an Irish guy flying a Vans RV7 who actually called up in French. The response from my friend was “maybe English would be easier” (in English). He then proceeded to use English with him and French with everyone else.
At one point there were 4 or 5 in the circuit. Now although the controller is supposed to look after you, just knowing where other traffic is (by understanding their French calls) makes you much more comfortable.
an airport switched to FR-only at a certain time and ATC refusing to speak English from that point on, which would have trapped a non French speaker there until the following day.
This would not happen at a controlled airfield, i.e. with an actual air traffic controller. Many airfields revert to “FR only” outside tower hours though.
What probably happened is that the AFIS went off shift and was replaced with someone who didn’t have the English qualification.
Yesterday I visited the control tower at Bergerac (a friend from my club is a controller there). All the VFR traffic was using French on the radio.
That is normal in France; also most French IFR traffic uses French. However Bergerac has full ATC and using English is OK. I’ve been there.
I agree about having better situational awareness if understanding some French. I’ve had two clearances for right base (English) at the same time as another pilot got cleared left base (French). Both at LFAT, oddly enough, some years apart.
Whether knowing a few words of French would have helped, I don’t know, and probably not because it would be natural to assume ATC know what they are doing.
Nowadays I have TCAS and use it to avoid traffic regardless of clearances. Only the other day, got very close to some (then) invisible traffic which had earlier called out the wrong position, was 500ft too high, and was flying a B52 circuit outside the ATZ.
Peter wrote:
My view is that learning a little bit of French is useless, because it merely invites somebody to talk back to you in French, quite likely conversational French.
That’s why I limit my foreign languages in aviation (besides English) only to simple greeting and I know how to say it in Italian, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Polish … I miss Czeck and Slovak somehow (I know only “Ahoj”) but I guess Peter can help
Not much these days… 1969 was a long time ago
Martin wrote:
So French licences don’t have field XII Radiotelephony privileges with a list of languages?
Actually they added the languages not too long ago – but just based on the FCL exams! There is no radiotelephony test, it is part of the PPL exam. I wrote about the entries in my licence in this post last year.
Can somebody suggest me a good place in Europe (or maybe even online) to get the ICAO English proficiency level?
I have no personal experience (yet), but from what I’ve heard, https://ilpt.net is said to deliver good value for the money.
When I’m due for the re-examination I will use their service and see which level I can get.
Apparently, they don’t let you choose beforehand, but use standard questions and simply grade you according to your performance.
CharlieRomeo wrote:
I have no personal experience (yet), but from what I’ve heard, https://ilpt.net is said to deliver good value for the money.
Can confirm that; Did in the summer my ELP with them. You can take the online test whenever you have time as they just record you via your webcam. I did it somewhere in the late evening, you show your ID card / passport into the camera, and then go through the sections. There’s conversation, e.g. explain your job, what you like about flying, etc., some NOTAM- and ATIS-related questions, and a section where they let you play a flight with the relevant ATC communication. Most things you can listen to twice, i.e. one repetition (“say again”), but there was AFAIK no question-based or overall time limit. You can take notes, keep a notepad and pencil close by.
