Air Law Definitions

Question 1

Accident

Answer 1

Accident means an occurrence that is associated with the operation of an aircraft and takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and such time as all such persons have disembarked and the engine or any propellers or rotors come to rest, being an occurrence in which—

(1) a person is fatally or seriously injured as a result of— (i) being in the aircraft; or
(ii) direct contact with any part of the aircraft, including any part that has become detached from the aircraft; or

(iii) direct exposure to jet blast—
except when the injuries are self-inflicted or inflicted by other persons, or when the injuries are to stowaways hiding outside the areas normally available to passengers and crew; or !

(2) the aircraft sustains damage or structural failure that— (i) adversely affects the structural strength, performance, or flight characteristics of the aircraft; and

(ii) would normally require major repair or replacement of the affected component— except engine failure or damage that is limited to the engine, its cowlings, or accessories, or
damage limited to propellers, wing tips, antennas, tyres, brakes, fairings, small dents, or puncture holes in the aircraft skin; or !

(3) the aircraft is missing or is completely inaccessible:

Question 2

Act

Answer 2

Act means the Civil Aviation Act 1990:

Question 3

Aerobatic flight

Answer 3

Aerobatic flight means—
(1) an intentional manoeuvre in which the aircraft is in sustained inverted flight or is rolled from upright to inverted or from inverted to upright position; or

(2) manoeuvres such as rolls, loops, spins, upward vertical flight culminating in a stall turn, hammerhead or whip stall, or a combination of such manoeuvres:

Question 4

Aerodrome (AIP GEN)

Answer 4

Aerodrome: Any defined area of land or water intended or designed to be used either wholly or partially for the landing, departure, surface movement, and servicing of aircraft. This includes any buildings, installations and equipment on or adjacent to the area used in connection with the aerodrome or its administration.

Question 5

Aerodrome elevation (AIP GEN)

Answer 5

Aerodrome elevation: The elevation of the highest point of the landing area.

Question 6

Aerodrome operational area

Answer 6

(1) the movement area at an aerodrome and its associated strips and safety areas; and
(2) any ground installation or facility provided at an aerodrome for the safety of aircraft operations:

Question 7

Aerodrome traffic circuit

Answer 7

Aerodrome traffic circuit means the pattern flown by aircraft operating in the vicinity of an
aerodrome:

Question 8

Aeronautical information circular

Answer 8

Aeronautical Information Circular means a notice containing information that—

(1) does not qualify for the origination of a NOTAM or for inclusion in the AIPNZ; and
(2) relates to flight safety, air navigation, technical, administrative or legislative matters:

Question 9

AIP supplement

Answer 9

AIP Supplement means temporary changes to the information contained in the AIPNZ that are published by means of special pages:

Question 10

Air traffic control (ATC) service

Answer 10

Air traffic control service means a service provided for the purposes of—

(1) preventing collisions—
(i) between aircraft; and

(ii) between aircraft and obstructions on any manoeuvring area; and
(2) expediting and maintaining a safe and efficient flow of air traffic:

Question 11

Airworthiness certificate

Answer 11

Airworthiness certificate means—
(1) for a New Zealand registered aircraft, an airworthiness certificate issued by the Director under Part 21, Subpart H; and

(2) for a foreign registered aircraft, an airworthiness certificate issued by the competent authority of
the State of registry:

Question 12

Airworthy condition

Answer 12

Airworthy condition means the condition of an aircraft, including its components, fuel, and other
materials and substances essential to the manufacture and operation of the aircraft, that complies with all the requirements prescribed by the Civil Aviation Rules relating to design, manufacture, maintenance, modification, repair, and safety:

Question 13

Alerting service

Answer 13

Alerting service means an air traffic service provided to notify appropriate organisations regarding
aircraft in need of search and rescue aid, and to assist such organisations as required:

Question 14

Altitude

Answer 14

Altitude means the vertical distance of a level, a point, or an object considered as a point,
measured from mean sea level:

Question 15

Apron (AIP GEN)

Answer 15

Apron: A defined area on a land aerodrome intended to accommodate aircraft for purposes of loading or unloading passengers or cargo, refuelling, parking, or maintenance.

Question 16

ATC clearance

Answer 16

ATC clearance means authorisation for an aircraft to proceed under conditions specified by an air traffic control unit:

Question 17

ATC instruction

Answer 17

ATC instruction means a directive issued by ATC for the purpose of requiring a pilot to take a specific action:

Question 18

Aviation event

Answer 18

Aviation event means an event to be conducted below the minimum safe heights prescribed
under Part 91 that is—

(1) an air show or practice for an air show; or
(2) an air race or practice for an air race; or
(3) an aerobatic competition; or
(4) aerobatic training or practice:

Question 19

AWIB service

Answer 19

AWIB Service means an automatic broadcast of aerodrome and weather information provided specifically for the facilitation of aviation, and for the avoidance of doubt, an AWIB service is not an air traffic service:

Question 20

Basic weather report

Answer 20

Basic weather report means a verbal comment, in support of aviation, describing any of the
following current weather conditions observed at a particular place or airspace:
(1) wind direction and strength:
(2) mean sea level air pressure: !
(3) air temperature:
(4) weather conditions and cloud cover:

Question 21

Ceiling;

Answer 21

Ceiling means the height above ground or water of the base of the lowest layer of cloud below 20 000 feet covering more than half the sky:

Question 22

Controlled flight

Answer 22

Controlled flight means any flight that is subject to an ATC clearance:

Question 23

Cost sharing flight

Answer 23

Cost sharing flight means any flight that is performed solely for the carriage of persons where—

(1) the flight is not advertised to the public; and
(2) the crew members receive no payment or other reward for their services; and

(3) the persons carried by the aircraft, including the crew members, share equally in the cost of the
flight; and

(4) no payment or other reward is required of a person on the flight other than that specified in
subparagraph (3)—
and, for the avoidance of doubt, a cost sharing flight is not an operation for hire or reward:

Question 24

Cross-country flight

Answer 24

Cross-country flight means a flight which extends more than 25 nautical miles in a straight line
distance from the centre of the aerodrome of departure:

Question 25

Dangerous goods

Answer 25

Dangerous goods means articles or substances that are capable of posing risk to health, safety,
property, or the environment and—
(a) are listed in, or classified in accordance with, the ICAO’s Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air; or
(b) have properties that would result in the articles or substances being classified as dangerous goods under the ICAO’s Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air:

Question 26

Day

Answer 26

Day means the hours between—
(1) the beginning of morning civil twilight, which is when the centre of the rising sun’s disc is 6 degrees below the horizon; and

(2) the end of evening civil twilight, which is when the centre of the setting sun’s disc is 6 degrees below the horizon:

Question 27

Dual flight time

Answer 27

Dual flight time means flight time during which a person is receiving flight instruction from an
appropriately licensed and rated pilot on board a dual control aircraft:

Question 28

Emergency locator transmitter

Answer 28

Emergency locator transmitter means an equipment that broadcasts a distinctive signal on a
designated radio frequency to facilitate a search and rescue operation

Question 29

Final reserve fuel

Answer 29

Final reserve fuel means the minimum quantity of fuel required to provide a margin to secure the
safe completion of a flight in the event of any unplanned manoeuvring in the vicinity of the
destination or alternate or a suitable aerodrome, as the case may be, and in ordinary
circumstances remains on board until completion of the landing:

Question 30

Fit and proper person

Answer 30

Fit and proper person means a person who satisfies the fit and proper person test specified in the
Act:

Question 31

Flight information service

Answer 31

Flight information service means an air traffic service provided for the purpose of giving advice
and information intended for the safe and efficient conduct of flights:

Question 32

Flight manual

Answer 32

Flight manual means a manual, associated with the certificate of airworthiness, containing limitations within which the aircraft may be considered airworthy, and instructions and information necessary to the flight crew members for the safe operation of the aircraft:

Question 33

Flight plan

Answer 33

Flight plan means specified information that is required under the rules to be provided to an ATS
unit or to a flight following service regarding an intended flight, or portion of a flight, of an aircraft:

Question 34

Flight time

Answer 34

Flight time means the total time from the moment an aircraft first moves for the purpose of flight until the moment it comes to rest at the end of the flight including all associated push back, taxiing and subsequent holding time:

Question 35

Height

Answer 35

Height means the vertical distance of a level, a point, or an object considered as a point, measured from a specified datum and includes the vertical dimension of an object:

Question 36

Incident

Answer 36

Incident means any occurrence, other than an accident, that is associated with the operation of an
aircraft and affects or could affect the safety of operation:

Question 37

Night

Answer 37

Night means the hours between—
(1) the end of evening civil twilight, which is when the centre of the setting sun’s disc is 6 degrees below the horizon; and

(2) the beginning of morning civil twilight, which is when the centre of the rising sun’s disc is 6 degrees below the horizon:

Question 38

NOTAM

Answer 38

NOTAM means a notice distributed by means of telecommunication containing information concerning the establishment, condition or change in any aeronautical facility, service, procedure or hazard, the timely knowledge of which is essential to personnel concerned with flight operations:

Question 39

Passenger

Answer 39

Passenger in relation to an aircraft, means any person carried by the aircraft, other than a crew
member:

Question 40

Personal locator beacon

Answer 40

Personal locator beacon means an equipment that broadcasts a distinctive signal on a
designated radio frequency to facilitate a search and rescue operation, is designed to be carried on
a person, and is manually activated:

Question 41

Pilot-in-command

Answer 41

Pilot-in-command, in relation to any aircraft, means the pilot responsible for the operation and
safety of the aircraft:

Question 42

Rating

Answer 42

Rating means an authorisation entered on, or associated with, a licence, certificate, or logbook,and forming part of it, stating special conditions, privileges, or limitations relating to the licence or certificate:

Question 43

SARTIME

Answer 43

SARTIME means the time nominated by a pilot for the initiation of alerting action:

Question 44

Simultaneous operations

Answer 44

Simultaneous operations — visual conditions: Operations using parallel runways where both may be in use at the time, in accordance with the following criteria (excluding provision for wake turbulence separation requirements):

(a) Uncontrolled aerodrome — simultaneous-independent operations, with displacement between parallel runway centrelines not less than 210 m.
(b) Controlled aerodrome — aerodrome control service on watch:
(i) simultaneous-independent operations: where ATC controls aircraft with displacement between parallel runway centrelines not less than 210 m (not less than 165 m edge-to-edge if grass runways); or
(ii) simultaneous-dependent operations: where ATC controls aircraft including sequencing or staggering operations (to avoid side-by-side parallel flight or side-by-side manoeuvring on a parallel runway); or
(iii) simultaneous-segregated operations: where ATC controls aircraft departures on one runway and aircraft arrivals on the parallel runway.

Question 45

Take-off weight

Answer 45

Take-off weight means the weight of the aeroplane at the commencement of the take-off run and includes everything and everyone carried in or on the aeroplane at the commencement of the takeoff run:

Question 46

Technical Instructions

Answer 46

Technical Instructions means ICAO Document 9284 Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air approved and published by decision of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation under Annex 18 of the Convention:

Question 47

Type

Answer 47

Type—
(1) in relation to the licensing of aviation personnel means all aircraft of the same basic design, including all modifications thereto except those modifications which result in a significant change in handling or flight characteristics; or

(2) in relation to the certification of aircraft, aircraft engines, or propellers, means those aircraft, aircraft engines or propellers which are similar in design:

Question 48

UNICOM Service

Answer 48

UNICOM Service means a ground radio communications service in the aeronautical mobile service providing local aerodrome information for the facilitation of aviation, and, for the avoidance of doubt, a UNICOM service is not an air traffic service:

Question 49

VFR flight

Answer 49

VFR flight means a flight conducted in accordance with the visual flight rules:

Question 50

Vicinity of an aerodrome

Answer 50

Vicinity of an aerodrome: An area around an aerodrome where aircraft carry out manoeuvres associated with entering, leaving, or operating within an aerodrome traffic circuit.

Question 51

Visibility

Answer 51

Visibility means the ability, as determined by atmospheric conditions and expressed in units of measurement, to see and identify prominent unlighted objects by day and prominent lighted objects by night:

Question 52

Visual meteorological conditions

Answer 52

Visual meteorological conditions means meteorological conditions expressed in terms of visibility, distance from cloud, and ceiling equal to or better than specified minima:

Question 53

Visual reference

Answer 53

Visual reference: Continuous reference to terrain (land or water).