Posted on 12/31/2009 11:18:57 AM PST by dawn53
A man who allegedly took a plane from a Brooksville airport was forced down by a military aircraft Wednesday afternoon.
According to Wendell Stephens, a supervisor at American Aviation in the Hernando County Airport, the owner and pilot of the plane was a French citizen who was licensed to fly the plane. A Federal Aviation Administration-certified instructor who flew with the man recommended that he not fly the plane because he could not communicate in English with anyone on the ground or in the air.
This was explained to the pilot through an interpreter, and the pilot became indignant and took off in the plane anyway, Stephens said.
(Excerpt) Read more at tampabay.com ...
The pilot should be thankful that he can fly in this country! Also, it is requirement that pilots speak English when in U.S. airspace.
Sometimes a non-English speaking French pilot is just a French pilot, right?
No name published.
Imagine - a Frenchman getting huffy! Who’da thunk?
Colonel, USAFR
I don’t think you can fly in this country when you don’t speak English. I’m thinking they can yank his license.
I wouldn’t want ATC on my case if they want me to get out of the way of a landing plane and I don’t know what the heck is going on.
Just imagine if this was a muslim pilot speaking Jihadi.
Why, wouldn’t that just be peachy keen?
This story makes no sense. A non-english speaker is taking flight lessons? Did he file a flight plan? No charges filed? What’s up?
I don’t think you can fly in this country when you don’t speak English. I’m thinking they can yank his license.
I wouldn’t want ATC on my case if they want me to get out of the way of a landing plane and I don’t know what the heck is going on.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Yet, it’s perfectly fine to drive a car in this country without the ability to speak english.
And as an extra bonus... They have no license to pull.
Exactly!
According the the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) the official language of flying is English. His licensing requirement is for him to understand and speak the basic commands of flight: Descend, Climb, Turn etc. If he can’t do that, yank his license, fine him and send him packing.
There are a lot of Muslim French citizens. Why not publish his name?
When reached for comment, Janet Napolitano said the system worked again!
Is to be requirement of the flying in airspace ICAO which is to be having English spoking ....
Exactly
Thank you, Borat.
There’s gotta be more to this story. The Article says he had just bought a Cessna 425 conquest. This is a million plus twin turbo prop corporate aircraft. Not exactly a beginner’s plane. Odd.
Is Boratta name to me you use -
I don’t think it is uncommon for a licensed pilot buying an new unfamiliar-to-them complex aircraft to go up with an instructor pilot to become familiar with it. Perhaps the Frenchman came to the US just to purchase that plane?
I’m just wondering why the military was called in since the guy had purchased the plane...do we call the military to force down every plane whose pilot might not speak English well.
ROFL
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