English Proficiency Test Is a Big Deal

[gary wolf]

The ICAO language standard unfortunately does not apply to students. The requirement is to prove proficiency at the license level. I went through this with TC on Ottawa a few years ago when London had an influx of foreign students and the airspace became filled with student pilots who had little understanding of the language. A search of the cadors shows that there were many students who turned the wrong way on climb, took off without clearance, and committed many other infractions. They frequently gave stock answers in English but it was apparent that they were saying words that they had memorized without any understanding of the meaning.

TC was quite happy to sit back and let this situation continue because they meet the ICAO standard. The fact that London is a busy airport with many scheduled flights did not seem to be enough reason to make Transport deal with the situation. The Inspector with whom I spoke tried to pretend that it would be impossible for TC to set its own standard but I countered that in Canada we have the Ultralight and Rec Permits which are not ICAO recognized, yet TC is unwilling to set a domestic standard for language proficiency for students.

Gary Wolf

[airdude]

Wannna know the real issue here?

I had a bad experience last week involving a chineese student (barely speaking english) flying at altitudes that did not require him to talk on a unicom frenquency (since he couldn't speak english) but definitively put hiself between 2 paradrop aircraft and 18 jumpers under canopy or freefalling...

After a long chat with some friends at navcanada and the instructors responsible for that school's language issues, it came clear what the problem is.

The law and the proficiency standard are not the issue here. The real issue is the fact that TC gave the responsibility if the proficiency test to contractors which are most of the time, enployees of the flight schools or instructors in the same flight schools who depend on the foreign students business...

There is here, to my own eyes, a HUGE conflict of interest.

I am planning on pushing my investigation further and file a report to TC about it since I nearly lost 20 people during that incident.

--O--

Airdude

[mattas350]

Airdude brings up good points re: conflicts on interest, right now as it stands the language proficiency is required to be done as apart of licensing, so near the END of the students training program, how about making it a requirement to solo? so if the student is not English proficient then no solo, simple as that.

[zed]

Airdude... Please do pursue this... I never realized that because trainee pilots are flying under a permit, they have no requirement to pass language testing. It only becomes an issue for the actual licence issue.

I think this is one of those situations where the regulations are not in touch with industry. Or the industry has no interest to ensure that they are kept up to date considering foreign pilot training makes up a good portion of the training dollars for some of these schools.

Not good for anyone.

[Big Pistons Forever]

Airdude brings up good points re: conflicts on interest, right now as it stands the language proficiency is required to be done as apart of licensing, so near the END of the students training program, how about making it a requirement to solo? so if the student is not English proficient then no solo, simple as that.

It is a requirement to solo. Radio Communications is explicitly covered in the presolo Lesson plans and The lesson plan 10 (the last dual lesson before solo)preamble requires that the instructor determines that the student understands the procedures for runway changes, overshoots, and traffic spacing. It is clearly impossible for the student to say "properly react to a runway change" if they have not demonstrated an ability to understand ATC instructions. That being said there are definitely schools where instructors are pressured into soloing students that have such a low level of English comprehension that they are unsafe. But the buck stops at the instructor. If there is an accident TC and the insurance company are going to go after you.
Before every first solo, and for the subsequent early solo flights, I always do a quick review of circuit contingencies starting with me giving an ATC instruction. Obviously if they don't understand what I am saying they will be unable to correctly identify the necessary actions required for the situation and therefore I will not dispatch them.

Ultimately I see this issue like knowingly takeing off way over gross or busting minimums becasue the boss said you had to. If the student does not have adequate language skills to be safe you have to refuse to solo them.