Language proficiency check

A very important issue for a professional pilot who holds a title valid throughout Europe is knowledge of the English language.

ICAO

Pilots once took radiotelephony exams in English to be able to communicate via radio with control bodies and then they could fly anywhere without any problems. For some years now, in addition to this technical exam, every pilot must also pass an interview imposed by the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization), which is the world’s largest aeronautical organization and brings together all national authorities.

THE EXAM

The English exam you must take consists of an interview with an examiner for the transcription of this qualification on your license (both private and commercial) to be able to fly abroad and even just to fly in IFR. That’s right, to fly in instrument flight even within your own national borders you need to have this “qualification” on your license.

It is not simply an exam that concerns aeronautical telephony but consists of an interview where the examiner evaluates your “fluency”, “comprehension” and your English vocabulary.

These exams are normally carried out in flight schools with examiners who are certified by ENAC and each interview is then sent to a certified center that will confirm the grade proposed by the examiner.

The minimum grade is called “ICAO level 4” which must be renewed every 4 years, then there is level 5 to be renewed every 6 years and finally level 6 which is only issued to native speakers and never expires.

COURSES

To prepare, some schools organize specific courses with English teachers, or there are online tutorials with examples of interviews and topics on which it is necessary to prepare.

It is necessary to think about this final exam to determine the type of preparation to have and perhaps plan a study holiday before starting to attend the courses at the flight school.

The topic should not be underestimated, especially for airline pilots but also for helicopter pilots, who during their career could have interesting proposals from abroad.

If you have questions or curiosities fill out the info request form.