The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has assigned levels to various degrees of Aviation English fluency.

There are 6 levels of language proficiency for air traffic communication:

  1. Pre-elementary
  2. Elementary
  3. Pre-operational
  4. Operational (minimum required proficiency)
  5. Extended
  6. Expert

To operate an aircraft,  one must achieve a minimum level of 4.

The Critical Boundary of Level 4:

  • Slight issues with word definitions, being able to paraphrase, contain the appropriate pace of delivery, non-distraction fillers, and being able to check and request clarification

Many people believe in order to begin flight training it is necessary to learn Aviation English only. However,  this is not the case as your communication with the instructors will be conducted in the basic English Language, as will your exams be administered as such. The training and communication will include aviation terminology throughout the entire program. For this reason, one needs to have a certain level of proficiency in the English Language to ensure effective communication.

Our recommendation to our students is to start learning English prior to the start of any flight training program. This will ensure the student is better prepared, making the program that much easier for both the student and the instructor.