It’s all a bit funny really RE: CDG and the language issue. It is generally accepted that pilots like to know what is going on around them because it adds another layer of safety, and so this counteracts the argument that ATC should be giving accurate instructions. There have been plenty of cases whereby ATC instructions have been wrong, mis-heard, or just not audible, take the Tenerife disaster for a start. Having to deal with two languages only increases the workload for the Air Traffic Controllers, and therefore increases the chances of incidents.

Interstingly Air France wanted their pilots to use English at CDG because they felt it was better for safety on the airfield, but it was the threat of a pilots strike that made the company back down and give-in to their employees. I think its a shame that in the name of safety the French pilots cannot use a standard language. If its only pride, then they would do well to remember that in shipping the primary language used is French, so they have one up on us there.

You just need to look at the Streamline incident at CDG to see the benefits of awareness!!!!!! One pilot killed, put down to ATC error, and rightfully so because conflicting commands had been given, but the Streamline pilots were nto aware of the instruction given the french pilots because it was doen in French!!