Does VFR Operation Require A High Level Of Language Proficiency?

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in
ups.com:

On Oct 9, 12:00 pm, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
Larry Dighera wrote
innews




On Tue, 09 Oct 2007 18:10:09 -0000, "Robert M. Gary"
wrote in
.com:

On Oct 9, 4:41 am, Larry Dighera wrote:
Does VFR Operation Require A High Level Of Language Proficiency?
It looks like some in Europe would think it might:

IAOPA WINS LANGUAGE REPRIEVE
(http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...974-full.html#
1963
25)
The International Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has
successfully lobbied the International Civil Aviation
Organization
(ICAO) to delay by three years implementation of onerous language
proficiency rules it says would severely limit VFR flight in
much of Europe. Under the ICAO proposal, all pilots would
require to demonstrate a high level of proficiency in either
English or the language of the country in which they are
flying. In an interview with AVweb at AOPA Expo in Hartford,
IAOPA General Secretary John Sheehan said the rule makes
sense for IFR operations but not for recreational flyers.
"For VFR people it doesn't make any sense," Sheehan said. "I
don't think [VFR] requires a high level of [language]
proficiency."

Given the US's provision for NORDO VFR operations, that has
probably been in the regulations since their inception, one can
only conclude that VFR operation doesn't even require any
communication at all.

Most pilots would consider NORDO to be an emergency operation.

ATC controller, Mr. McNicoll does it all the time, as does Mr.
Ford. I doubt they would concur.

All public use airports need communication.

At controlled fields, light signals are quite effective for
communications, and they require no language ability.

Flying into an airport (even a very small one) without talking
could certainly be considered careless or reckless.

For some folks, flight of any kind might qualify as careless and
reckless, but the fact is, that the CFRs permit aircraft without
electrical systems (and hence radios) to operate at public use
airports, and it routinely occurs.

I haven't the time right now to research the NTSB database, but it
would be enlightening to know how the percentage of NORADO flights
that result in being the cause of or contribute to incidents and
accidents.

Don't get me wrong. If I were flying an aircraft certified without
an electrical system, you can bet I'd have a handheld radio. But
that's just me. I'm a cautious sort; I'd have a backup handheld
too.

If you're that reliant on ATC do you carry matches so you can set
your seats on fire for smoke signals?

That's got to be the most sophomoric logic fallacy I've ever heard.


Um, yeah, that was obviously an attempt at logic.
IIRC my philosophy correctly, the Shophists were big on just that sort
of reasoning.






Bertie