I don’t think (I hope!) I said ATC in those places doesn’t understand English provided purely standard phrases are used.
Spain is the closest IME of being right on the margin – as in e.g. “request climb FLxxx due icing” and they won’t understand “due icing” but would understand “due weather”.
There are many forms of English however, and the one spoken in Britain isn’t the most easily understood version.
I have never had any problem understanding Italian ATC neither they had problem understanding my English. The same applies to all other European conutries where I’ve flown but I’ve never been to Spain so this experience still waits for me to check Peter’s findings. It seems that across Europe people tend to speek something that is closer to American English rather that to British version especialy in terms of accent.
Going abroad is not very widespread among French for unknown reasons
Because they have a beautiful country with sunny beaches that attract all of N Europe?
But it is true that many prefer French speaking destinations. It is also a question of €€€
Should one not write down the squawk ?
Will I crash if I forget it or incorrectly remember it? I usually don’t write down anything in-flight, rather train my short term memory and ability to multitask.
But then this can be explained by the French not travelling much outside France for normal holiday reasons.
Back in the 60s, Germans didn’t speak anything but German and yet they were all over the beaches in Italy and Spain. The solution was simple: Italians/Spanish had to learn German (and serve German beer). There’s more to it than the language. Germans and Brits like to travel abroad, a holiday only becomes a holiday if a foreign country is involved. The French are perfectly fine within their own borders.
I still find it puzzling given that English is the 2nd language at school there, AFAIK. OTOH the average pilot age is a long past school age!
In my experience, the young generation speaks English well. Keep in mind that English is a Germanic language so it’s an order of magnitude easier to learn for Germans and especially Dutch. For French speakers, it’s not easy at all and the size of their country does not encourage outside orientation. My impression is that young French speak English equally well or better than young Italians.
Should one not write down the squawk ?
- we used to write down the squawk that came with the airways clearance on ground. Today the clearance often comes in by ACARS in already written format.
Inflight a new four digit squawk is fed in by pushbuttons on the transponder control panel before the controller has even stopped talking to you.
Much more comfortable and ergonomic than on some GA transponders where you need 30s to dial in a new code 
do people really think you read back with the callsign first?
1/2 of UK PPLs? On a weekend.
You mean it’s the language that keeps French pilots from flying to Bembridge for lunch?
I thought it was because the food there was so good they just had to try it, but they could not afford it
Joking aside, I think that
I have always felt sorry for the average French PPL because they are stuck in France due to their inability to communicate in English
is actually true. You can land at a sizeable French provincial airport, ILS, all the stuff (say Bergerac or Poitiers) and every one of say 20 people (mostly pilots or instructors) you bump into on the apron cannot (or won’t – one can’t tell) speak any English. I cannot speak a single word of French myself but just looking at people I know I would have thought that the % among UK pilots would be a lot higher; say 10-20%. But then this can be explained by the French not travelling much outside France for normal holiday reasons. I still find it puzzling given that English is the 2nd language at school there, AFAIK. OTOH the average pilot age is a long past school age!
but you will find many more British pilots flying in France than French pilots flying in the UK
You mean it’s the language that keeps French pilots from flying to Bembridge for lunch?
However, it’s generally true that French tend to stay in their own country, be it pilots or others. Rarely they visit foreign countries for holiday and if so preferably in a Club Med. Going abroad is not very widespread among French for unknown reasons. Other nations are different with virtually every pool chair in Southern Europe covered by German and British towels…
I am confused, do people really think you read back with the callsign first? Not me.
Frenchmen are pretty much the same when speaking to non-native French speakers.
Very true! However, they do not expect people to speak French wherever they go…
Interesting point on what the DGAC says. Good luck to them trying to force me to do this. I have a UK issued EASA license and was trained as a pilot in the UK, why should I even know the French phraseology?
