Ibra wrote:
You get FLP6
Yes, the point is: how? 
Funny, I’m not a French national but did my PPL (then IR SEP, IR MEP etc…) all in France and got level 6 French though I am not a French citizen…
LFHNflightstudent wrote:
Funny, I’m not a French national but did my PPL (then IR SEP, IR MEP etc…) all in France and got level 6 French though I am not a French citizen…
These things are most likely up to the mood of the public officer processing the licence on that day. Or probably they just didn’t notice.
Yes, the point is: how?
Random sampling: quelqu’un sympa sera en charge cette fois
If and when you can, go to a DSAC office and explain the problem to them in French.
They are able to issue you another licence and change the details on Sigibel. It shouldn’t cost you anything. But Ibra is correct some officers read the regulations less pragmatically than others or just having a bad day.
gallois wrote:
If and when you can, go to a DSAC office and explain the problem to them in French.
They are able to issue you another licence and change the details on Sigibel. It shouldn’t cost you anything. But Ibra is correct some officers read the regulations less pragmatically than others or just having a bad day.
Sure but I wonder if it’s worth the effort. After all, I can still fly when the FLP expires.
Only you can answer whether it is worth the effort. It has only once arisen for me and that was a long time ago and I think it was a general letter sent out from a DGAC officer in Bordeaux reminding pilots that they needed at least FLP level 4 to fly in France. I don’t know about the DGAC officer but the ruling if ever it really existed was never heard of again.
Seba wrote:
Not sure who the “radio & skill-test examiners” would be in this case. The people signing my theoretical and practical exam cannot judge my language proficiency, there is literally no section for it in the grading grid.
The FCL.055 people can only judge my English (even though they are French).
With that logic you should not even got a level 4 in French, since giving you any level means they evaluated the said level one way or another… And since they probably heard you communicate in French during the practical exam, I would say that should suffice to give assess your level. Unless you did the briefing and debrief and all internal discussion during the flight in another language than French?
WingsWaterAndWheels wrote:
With that logic you should not even got a level 4 in French, since giving you any level means they evaluated the said level one way or another… And since they probably heard you communicate in French during the practical exam, I would say that should suffice to give assess your level. Unless you did the briefing and debrief and all internal discussion during the flight in another language than French?
No, there is literally no French proficiency assessment during the French PPL test, but they do know that all the evaluations have been done in French (which is why French proficiency is mentioned on my licence at all).
As I said before, I was specifically told by a DGAC officer that they give level 4 to foreigners regardless of their actual level.
Besides, I just know that my level is definitely above 4, and I was specifically told by the FE after the checkride that my radio comm was “flawless”.
I don’t like to brag but I think it’s just another reason to believe that level 4 has nothing to do with my actual proficiency.
Seba wrote:
As I said before, I was specifically told by a DGAC officer that they give level 4 to foreigners regardless of their actual level.Besides, I just know that my level is definitely above 4, and I was specifically told by the FE after the checkride that my radio comm was “flawless”.
I don’t like to brag but I think it’s just another reason to believe that level 4 has nothing to do with my actual proficiency.
TBH I think your instructor presenting you to the exam should have said something. I love France and wouldn’t move away from here for any reason, but there are still things that drive me up the wall. This LP is one of them, until recently you couldn’t get a Level 6 unless you did your exam with the DGAC directly (effectively going up to Paris) for a test. That has changed now. Your level 4 is so random, if you pass the test for a PPL (mingling with the rest of the PPL crowd, low level and in the circuit) you should have just gotten your proficiency. I know of exactly 1 other person (from Northern Ireland) who got a level 4, but he was really struggling with French. He worked on it and got a Level 5 (valid a bit longer) at a later stage. The club instructor (and Aeroclub President) sorted that for him. He was obviously an examiner and it happened at the PPL renewal after 2 years…
