How to study with Fly High English
Fly High English is aviation English practice for pilots and air traffic controllers working toward — or keeping — ICAO Level 4 and above. New activities are published throughout the week, and every one is built around the ICAO language skills: pronunciation, structure, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension and interactions. How much you can open depends on your membership. This guide walks through each level — Pro first, then Plus, then Free — with what it unlocks and how to get the most from it. You can compare levels and join on the membership page.
At a glance
| Pro | Plus | Free | |
|---|---|---|---|
| News articles & grammar activities | Full library | Full library | One free each week |
| Listening & dictation | Full library | Full library | One free each month |
| Roleplay, picture descriptions, phraseology & operational English | Full library | Full library | Preview |
| Monthly digest, vocabulary, explainer & history | Full library | Full library | Preview |
| Complete searchable archive | Yes | Yes | — |
| Free ICAO Level Check | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AI speaking assessments | 12 a month | 2 to try | — |
| Monthly ICAO Level Test | Yes | — | — |
| Progress Briefings (bilingual) | Yes | — | — |
Pro
Pro gives you the whole site — everything in Plus and Free described below — plus a set of AI speaking-assessment tools that are unique to this level. If you are preparing for a real ICAO test, this is the level built for you. You can read exactly how the assessment works, and how it was calibrated against officially-rated pilots and controllers, on our methodology page.
- Monthly ICAO Level Test — a full spoken mock exam covering the ICAO task types (interview, picture description, listen-and-respond, an ATC roleplay and a listening section), scored into a single report. How to use it: sit it once a month under exam-like conditions to track your band and see which skill is holding you back.
- 12 speaking assessments a month — record your answer to a speaking activity (roleplay, narration, picture description) and get AI feedback scored against the ICAO skills. How to use it: spread them across the month, act on the feedback, then re-record the same activity to feel the improvement, and aim them at your weakest skill.
- A Progress Briefing every six assessments — a trend report across the five skills, written in English and in your own language. How to use it: read it to choose what to focus on next.
- An indicative band per skill, weakest-link diagnosis and targeted next steps, with the option to top up extra assessments or an extra test whenever you need them.
Getting the most from Pro: work through the week’s activities like a Plus member (below), then record and submit your speaking for assessment, act on the feedback, and use the monthly Level Test as your benchmark. (Indicative practice for ICAO Level 4 — not an official rating.)
Plus
Plus unlocks the full library — every activity in full, with all of the questions, model answers, transcripts and audio, plus the complete searchable archive. Here is what is published and how to study with it, grouped by skill.
Read
- Aviation News (twice a week) — a real aviation story written at a controlled level, from lower-intermediate to advanced, with a quick comprehension check and a key-vocabulary box. How to study: read once for the general idea, again for detail, do the check, then add new words to a vocabulary notebook.
- This Month in Aviation (monthly) — a short digest of six recent news items, each linking to the full article. Skim it to catch up and follow the links that interest you.
- Aviation Explained (monthly, advanced) — an evergreen background piece on a current aviation topic, with discussion questions. Read it, answer the questions aloud or in writing, then compare with the suggested answers.
- Defining Moments in Aviation (monthly) — a narrative retelling of a landmark event with a short sequencing task: excellent past-tense and story-telling practice.
Grammar & vocabulary
- Structure (twice a week) — one grammar point in a real aviation context, with an auto-checked exercise and a short “write your own true sentences” task. How to study: do the exercise, write your sentences, check them against the model answer, then redraft.
- Word on the Wing (monthly) — six genuine aviation terms drawn from recent news, with a gap-fill to practise them. Study the terms, do the gaps, then use the words in your own speaking and writing.
Listen
- Listening (narration) — a short spoken account of an incident, with comprehension questions and a full transcript. How to study: listen without the transcript first, write what you understood in your own words, then compare with the original.
- Listening (dictation) — listen and type the missing words into the gaps as you go, with per-gap replay and the answers revealed on the page. Ideal for training your ear for connected speech and for spelling.
A new listening activity is published early each week, alternating between narration and dictation.
Speak
- Roleplay (weekly) — you play the pilot in an ATC exchange, speaking your part aloud into timed gaps, then compare with the model pilot. Record yourself and review your reply against the ICAO skills. This is the flagship speaking practice.
- Picture Descriptions (fortnightly) — describe an aviation photo aloud, working from an overview to the details to what might be happening, then check yourself against a model spoken description.
- Standard Phraseology (weekly) — hear a routine ATC call and give the full, correct read-back; choose the right read-back, then compare with the model. It walks through one flight phase at a time and builds accurate, confident radio work.
- Operational English (fortnightly) — plain English away from the radio: a crew brief, a company call or a passenger announcement. Record your own version and review it against the model.
Plus also includes two speaking assessments to try, so you can sample the AI feedback that comes with Pro. Getting the most from Plus: aim for a little practice in each skill every week, use the record-yourself steps even when you are not submitting them, and keep a running vocabulary notebook.
Free
The Free level lets you sample the site and check your level — no card required.
- One full article and grammar activity every week — a complete Aviation News story and its Structure activity, free each week.
- One listening every month — a full narration or dictation, free once a month.
- A preview of everything else — the opening and some sample questions of every other activity, so you can see what Plus and Pro unlock.
- The free ICAO Level Check — a short diagnostic that gives you an indicative band. It is the best place to start.
- Free reference and study pages — the ICAO checklist, ATC phraseology and other study guides.
Getting the most from Free: take the Level Check first, then do each week’s free article, grammar activity and the monthly listening. When you are ready for daily practice across every skill, upgrade to Plus or Pro.