Welcome on board: English for the BIA
Cet article a été rédigé par Valery, le formateur de Pôle Aéro dédié aux formations d’anglais aéronautique. Il est donc proposé en anglais 😉
Why It’s More Important Than You Think!
So, you’ve decided to take (passer) the Brevet d’Initiation Aéronautique (BIA)—congrats!
You’re one step closer to joining the world of aviation. But here’s the thing: if you thought you could avoid English 🇬🇧, think again!
From radio communications to aircraft manuals, aviation is basically an English-speaking club.
Whether you dream of flying airliners or fighter jets mastering English will make your journey (voyage) a whole lot easier (and way less stressful when you actually start talking to air traffic control).
Why English is Essential in Aviation – A Lesson from a French Pilot in Vegas
I remember a buddy (un ami) of mine, a seasoned (expérimenté) French private pilot with over 1,000 hours under his belt. Confident in his flying skills, he rented a Cessna 172 in San Diego and decided to take a trip to the neon-lit playground of Las Vegas McCarran International (KLAS).
Now, flying a small GA plane into a major commercial airport is already an experience, but doing it in a language you’re not entirely comfortable with? That’s a whole different game.
As he approached Vegas, things started getting… let’s say, “interesting.” The Approach controller gave him a simple instruction:
“N3386E, turn right heading 315 degrees, Stratosphere Tower in sight?”
Easy enough, right? Well, not if you’re sweating bullets trying to keep up with a rapid-fire (très rapide) ATC transmission. Instead of turning to 315 degrees, our French aviator took a scenic detour to 350 degrees.
Then came the dreaded (redouté) moment—he didn’t quite catch the question about the Stratosphere Tower either. The controller had to repeat the instruction multiple times, and my friend, now visibly annoyed (ennuyé)😰had no choice but to confess:
“N6E… I’m a French pilot!”🇫🇷
Now, to the controller’s credit, he didn’t lose his cool (ATC folks have nerves of steel, after all). He patiently repeated the message until our pilot finally got it right. Eventually, my friend landed safely at KLAS, taxied to the apron (aire de trafic) without further incident, and lived to tell the tale.
But let’s be honest—he wasn’t far from turning this into a real mess. A misheard heading, a misinterpreted instruction, and he could have ended up with an airprox or worse—a midair collision in one of the busiest airspaces in the U.S.
So What Went Wrong?
- Stress. Even the best pilots can get confused when things get fast-paced, and in a foreign (étrangère) language, that pressure doubles.
- Numbers & Phrasing. In the heat of the moment, mixing up 315 and 350 is easier than you think. That’s why clear pronunciation and a solid grasp of ATC phraseology are crucial.
- Situational Awareness. When ATC asked if he had the Stratosphere Tower in sight, he didn’t even realize they were referring to one of the most recognizable landmarks (point de repère) in Vegas!
The Takeaway?
If you’re planning to fly internationally—or even just in English-speaking airspace—you need to be comfortable with aviation English. Understanding instructions the first time around is not just about avoiding embarrassment; it’s about safety.
So, unless you want to hear “Is there an instructor onboard?” over the radio while a dozen airliners wait for you to figure things out (comprendre ce qui se passe), practice your English, learn the phraseology, and get comfortable with real-world ATC communication.
Your future self (and the controllers trying to keep the skies safe) will thank you. ✈️
In a nutshell (en somme), mastering aviation English isn’t just about talking to ATC—it’s about understanding the whole flight environment. Pilots need to be fluent in (ici, maîtriser) meteorology (because « scattered clouds » and « cumulonimbus » mean very different things for your flight plan), aircraft systems (so you don’t panic when ATC asks about your squawk code)(code transponder) and navigation, because mistaking a VOR for a VR headset (casque de Réalité Virtuelle) won’t end well.
The more you train your ear and expand your vocabulary, the smoother—and safer—your flights will be 👩✈️ 👨✈️
