AIM: Chapter 4 Flashcards
What is the primary function of ARTCCs?
Provide air traffic service to IFR aircraft in controlled airspace during the en route phase.
What are the functions of airport control towers?
Manage safe, orderly, and expeditious airport traffic.
Provide separation for IFR aircraft in terminal areas (if delegated).
What services do FSSs provide?
Pilot briefings
Flight plan processing
En route flight advisories
Search and rescue assistance
ATC clearance relay
NOTAM dissemination
Weather broadcasting
When must an IFR aircraft switch to an advisory frequency when landing at a non-towered airport?
When direct communication with ATC is no longer required.
What is CTAF used for?
Carrying out advisory practices at non-towered airports.
Can be UNICOM, MULTICOM, FSS, or tower frequency.
What are UNICOM and MULTICOM used for?
UNICOM: Nongovernment radio at airports without a control tower.
MULTICOM (122.9 MHz): Used when no UNICOM, tower, or FSS is available.
What are the three ways pilots can communicate their position at a non-towered airport?
Contact FSS (Alaska only).
Use UNICOM if available.
Self-announce on MULTICOM 122.9.
What are the two types of advisory services provided by FSS?
Local Airport Advisory (LAA) – Only in Alaska, when an FSS is on the airport.
Remote Airport Information Service (RAIS) – Special events at non-towered airports.
What information does ATIS include?
- Airport/facility name
- Phonetic letter code
- Time of the latest weather sequence (UTC)
- Weather information consisting of:
- Wind direction and velocity
- Visibility
- Obstructions to vision
- Present weather consisting of: sky condition, temperature, dew point, altimeter, a density altitude advisory when appropriate, and other pertinent remarks included in the official weather observation
- Instrument approach and runway in use.
The ceiling/sky condition, visibility, and obstructions to vision may be omitted from the ATIS broadcast if…
The ceiling is above 5,000 feet and the visibility is more than 5 miles.
What are the basic radar services for VFR aircraft?
Safety alerts
Traffic advisories
Limited radar vectoring (if workload permits)
Sequencing (if procedures exist)
What is Operation Rain Check?
An ATC program to familiarize pilots with air traffic control functions and benefits.
What information does approach control provide to arriving VFR aircraft?
Wind
Runway in use
Altimeter setting
Traffic advisories (workload permitting)
Why are ATC radio and phone calls monitored and recorded?
Accident investigation
Training
Technical evaluation
Search and rescue
When should pilots use self-announce procedures?
At non-towered airports when no FSS or UNICOM is available.
What should pilots report when communicating with UNICOM?
Aircraft type & ID
Position & altitude
Intention (landing, departing, etc.)
Wind & runway request
What is the FAA’s recommendation for VFR straight-in approaches?
Discouraged due to midair collision risk; must self-announce at 8–10 miles.
What should pilots do within 10 miles of a non-towered airport?
Monitor CTAF
Communicate their position and intentions
Follow standard traffic patterns
When should pilots make CTAF announcements during a practice approach?
Departing final approach fix
Established on final approach segment
Upon completion/termination of the approach
Executing a missed approach
What does radar traffic information service provide?
Advisories on nearby traffic that may pose a conflict.
When does ATC issue a safety alert?
When an aircraft is in unsafe proximity to terrain, obstructions, or another aircraft.
What separation services are provided in TRSA airspace?
Separation between IFR and participating VFR aircraft
500 ft vertical separation or visual separation
Radar sequencing and traffic advisories
What radar services are provided in Class B and Class C airspace?
Class B: ATC separation for all aircraft, sequencing for arrivals.
Class C: Separation of IFR & VFR, sequencing for arrivals.
What is the TEC program?
Provides short-haul IFR routing through terminal areas at/below 10,000 ft for non-turbojet aircraft.
What are the emergency transponder codes?
7500 – Hijacking
7600 – Radio failure
7700 – Emergency
What is the standard VFR transponder code?
1200
Where must an aircraft have ADS-B Out or a Mode C transponder?
Class A, B, C airspace
Above Class B & C airspace
Above 10,000 ft MSL (except below 2,500 AGL)
Within 30 NM of Class B primary airport
What services can VFR pilots request from ATC radar?
Vectors for navigation
Traffic advisories
Safety alerts
Designated UNICOM/MULTICOM Frequencies
Airports without an operating control tower.
122.700
122.725
122.800
122.975
123.000
123.050
123.075
Designated UNICOM/MULTICOM Frequencies
(MULTICOM FREQUENCY) Activities of a temporary, seasonal, emergency nature or search and rescue, as well as, airports with no tower, FSS, or UNICOM.
122.900
Designated UNICOM/MULTICOM Frequencies
(MULTICOM FREQUENCY) Forestry management and fire suppression, fish and game management and protection, and environmental monitoring and protection.
122.925
Designated UNICOM/MULTICOM Frequencies
Airports with a control tower or FSS on airport.
122.950
Other Frequency Usage Designated by FCC
Air-to-air communication (private fixed wing aircraft).
122.750
Other Frequency Usage Designated by FCC
Helicopter air−to−air communications; air traffic control operations.
123.025
Other Frequency Usage Designated by FCC
Aviation instruction, Glider, Hot Air Balloon (not to be used for advisory service).
123.300
123.500
Other Frequency Usage Designated by FCC
Assignment to flight test land and aircraft stations (not for air−to−air communication except for those aircraft operating in an oceanic FIR).
123.400 ‘1
123.450 ‘2
- This frequency is available only to itinerant stations that have a requirement to be periodically transferred to various locations.
- Mobile station operations on these frequencies are limited to an area within 320 km (200 mi) of an associated flight test land station.
