It’s easy to have ELP6 and not know how to use the radio. Come to England 
chflyer wrote:
Yes, but radio technique is different than LP. There are lots of pilots with an L6 ELP, for example, but poor radio technique. It shouldn’t be that way, but one benefit of an IR is that one is pretty much forced to acquire proper radio technique…..
Well, both are trained and examined in the process of getting your PPL. So why there are people who posses a valid RT (let alone with LP6) and STILL have bad RT, is beyond me.
ch.ess wrote:
Look at the public outcry, when some EU-proposal got known to potentially limit driving licenses to (a) five years with retest (b) day only for beginners, (c) maximum weight/power for beginners.
That one was a very interesting press hype yet again. Apparently most of those “EU proposed” measures are the wet dream of ONE French green parlamentarian who proposed them only to got shouted down in comission and parliament, but still decided to make them known to a wider public. Or, quite possibly, someone else did for her in order to incense public outrage in order to generate pressure to rebuke them. In any case, they hopefully won’t be implemented and if so, legally challenged, as they are hugely discriminatory.
ch.ess wrote:
And, listening to many fellow pilots, I feel proper use of radio, ahem, shows quite some improvement potential, particularly on weekends with nice weather…
Yes, but radio technique is different than LP. There are lots of pilots with an L6 ELP, for example, but poor radio technique. It shouldn’t be that way, but one benefit of an IR is that one is pretty much forced to acquire proper radio technique….. not to say that all IFR pilots actually do use it, but far more do than VFR pilots.
You can get L4/5/6 in an online test.
At the cost of less than one hour’s flight.
How is this a nightmare ?
And, listening to many fellow pilots, I feel proper use of radio, ahem, shows quite some improvement potential, particularly on weekends with nice weather…
No doubt that some rules are silly. Want a comparison? Look at the public outcry, when some EU-proposal got known to potentially limit driving licenses to (a) five years with retest (b) day only for beginners, (c) maximum weight/power for beginners.
All things we (have to) accept when flying…
just look at the never-ending discussions here about the subject
We do never-ending discussions here on many topics simply because we have excess time.
Renewing your ELP is done once every 4 or 6 years, depending on your level (4/5). How is this such a big hassle and money sink?
But that’s not how it’s been implemented in Europe. The nightmare (cost and time) is not using it, rather getting it and keeping it for those without L6. The cost/benefit ratio is simply not there….. just look at the never-ending discussions here about the subject, applicability (or not) for flying into local-language-only airfields, etc, and the confusion between RT and LP.
chflyer wrote:
Europe picked up on it and made it a nightmare for pilots.
I really don’t understand big fuss about this topic. For me it’s pretty straightforward and easy to implement:
1. Local flying within your country – national regulation on acceptable communication languages
2. International flying – ELP
3. IFR flying – ELP
I can’t see any nightmare in this.
Silvaire wrote:
If you want to fly at busy airports and not make a fool of yourself, you learn to talk on the radio. Or alternately fly where little radio usage is required, some mostly Spanish speaking crop dusters I’ve run into come to mind. Pilots figure it out all by themselves without endless, tedious process that would discourage anybody from being a pilot.
A good summary of the difference in general between flying in the US and in Europe. To start, the US is one country and Europe is 27-30 depending on how you count it, with each country a different language and culture. It seems that the only way to find the common denominator in Europe is to complicate everything to the point of discouraging anyone not prepared to suffer the expense and effort of jumping through all the hoops.
ELP is such a good example. The US instigated the ELP with ICAO following the experience at international airports, and then made their implementation imminently pragmatic. Europe picked up on it and made it a nightmare for pilots.
The UK FRTOL is a national licence that is no longer issued to UK licence holders. Instead, the RT privileges are included in the licence. However, these privileges are not mandatory and licences can be issued without them. Some EASA Member States will accept an RT certificate/licence issued by other countries. IIRC, Austria accepts German RT licences. @Snoopy might comment.
One condition for taking the PPL skill test is that the communications exam paper has been passed. FCL.030.
The language proficiency endorsement is contingent on the use of the radiotelephone:
FCL.055 (a) General. Aeroplane […] pilots required to use the radio telephone shall not exercise the privileges of their licences and ratings unless they have a language proficiency endorsement on their licence in either English or the language used for radio communications involved in the flight. […]
Edit: FCL.050 → FCL.055
