To this end, mandatory testing of English proficiency was introduced during 2008. Existing pilots were given an interim language proficiency rating to facilitate the transition, but all new pilots have to be tested before new licences or ratings will be issued.

Several training organisations have been accredited to administer these tests. At SFT, we initially worked with Cranfield Aviation Training. However, from mid-2009 we will issue our own certificates, hopefully shortening the turnaround time and reducing the cost. Once you have passed the test, we will issue the necessary certificates, ready for submission to CAA.

An examination team consists of a linguist and an aviation expert. Our in-house linguist holds a BA Honours degree in language from the University of Pretoria and other language diplomas and certificates from Northwest University and Unisa. Our aviation experts are senior instructors with international flight experience. The test consists of an informal interview between the candidate and the examiners. The examiners use a standardised rating scale to determine the outcome. All interviews are recorded and archived for at least five years.

Candidates are tested on half a dozen skills, including fluency, pronounciation and comprehension. Each parameter is assessed on a scale of 1 to 6, with 1 being completely inept and 6 being expert. The result of the entire test is determined by the lowest score achieved for any single skill. For example, someone with perfect comprehension but very muffled pronounciation may achieve a 6 for all the skills but pronounciation, yet get rated at level 4 for the entire test because of this inadequacy.

A test takes around an hour, including paperwork and the processing of the results. Certificates should be available within 10 days of the test.

Candidates rated at Level 6 (Expert) are approved for life. Those rated at Level 5 have to be re-tested after no more than six years. Those at Level 4 must be re-tested after three years. Level 3 or below results in a failure of the test, with dire implications for one's status as pilot.

In practice, almost all native English speakers achieve Level 6, while fluent second-language speakers with good diction and pace generally achieve either Level 5 or Level 6.

Our linguist, Salome Coertze, has recently completed a post-graduate qualification in teaching English to speakers of other languages. She is available to help rectify shortcomings that surface during testing, or to improve someone's standard before testing.

Our testing team resides in the Pretoria area, and can conduct testing sessions at your premises. We will even consider requests from further afield, provided that there is sufficient interest to warrant a session.

Full details of the requirements and techniques for English testing can be found in AICs 30.16 and 30.20. There are mechanisms to obtain credit for other English qualifications, but those mechanisms involve an ad hoc application process through CAA. For someone with an adequate command of English, it is probably easier to do the test once and obtain a lifetime exemption from further testing.

Enquiries should be directed to Salome at 082 394 3602. See the "Contact Us" page for email details.