PEP, Part 3: Flying in a Foreign Language By LT Randall A. Perkins IV, USN
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n “PEP, Parts 1 and 2,” I spoke to the background of the Personnel Exchange Program (PEP), covered the initial requirements for a PEP tour, and introduced the AS-365 Dauphin. In PEP Part 3, we will begin to discuss what it is like to fly and operate in a foreign language. In U.S. Naval Aviation, when a pilot is overwhelmed in the cockpit due to the combination of flying, radio calls, emergency procedures, and/or the mission at hand, we call this a “helmet fire." Often the pilot is being tested, trained, or simply has too much on their plate at that specific moment in time. French Naval Aviation has the same idea, referred to colloquially as "tempête sous un crâne" which literally means “storm in a skull.” Imagine, for a second: you’re a pilot experiencing a case of “helmet fire” and we decide to pour JP-8 on that “helmet fire.” Imagine all of the information that’s burning through your brain being presented to you in French. Now, you’ve got a good initial idea of what piloting in a foreign language can be like.
English as the Language of the Sky The rules that establish “English as the language of the sky” for the United States are contained in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, Title 14 CFR. The publication states that, to hold an FAA certificate as a pilot, engineer, air traffic controller, or UAV remote operator, the applicant must be able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language. The minimum required level of English proficiency, per the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), is referred to as Language Proficiency Operational Level 4. ICAO opted to standardize the language of aviation largely in response to a number of accidents which cited individuals’ lack of English proficiency as a contributing factor. Rules and regulations concerning this standard have developed over time–from ICAO’s inception in 1944, to its March 2003 acceptance of the amendment that established “Level 4” as the minimum acceptable level of English proficiency for those performing flight-related duties. Though English has long been used as the primary language of aviation, a concerted So far, I have spent approximately eight months operating emphasis has been placed on proficiency with the language in a foreign language, day in and day out. From morning only since the beginning of the 21sr Century. squadron meetings to group lunches, from basic radio calls to IFR approaches, and from small talk with French Admirals So where does English come into play within France? to ordering a morning baguette. Living in a foreign language, As France falls under the regulations of the European and more so flying in a foreign language, is just as romantic Aviation Safety Association (EASA), and furthermore, the as one might think. But it’s also equally as challenging and DGAC (French Civil Aviation Authority), each French Naval frustrating as you could ever guess. Pilot must pass an exam, titled the FLC55, that tests English language proficiency. Pilots continue their practice of English during their initial flight training. Imagine learning how to fly while simultaneously being required to make radio calls in a foreign language! English is such a large part of French aviation that, inside the building of the French Helicopter Squadron (the 35F), there even exists an English classroom where French aviation maintainers can build their knowledge of the language and eventually pass an English technical aviation exam. AS-365 Dauphin F post-landing for public static display at “Les Invalides” military museum near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.
Rotor Review #155 Winter '22
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