Block 3 Study Deck Flashcards
Glossary > Minimum IFR Altitude
The lowest IFR altitude established for use in a specific airspace. Depending on the airspace concerned, the minimum IFR altitude may be a…
Minimum obstacle clearance altitude (MOCA), a minimum enroute altitude (MEA), a minimum sector altitude (MSA), a minimum vectoring altitude (MVA), a safe altitude 100 NM, a terminal arrival area (TAA), an area minimum altitude (AMA), a transition altitude, or a missed approach altitude. The minimum IFR altitude provides obstacle clearance, but may or may not be within controlled airspace.
Glossary > Minimum Obstacle Clearance Altitude (MOCA)
The altitude above sea level between specified fixes on airways or air routes…
That meets the IFR obstacle clearance requirements for the route segment in question.
This altitude is published on aeronautical charts.
Glossary > Minimum Enroute Altitude (MEA)
The altitude above sea level between specified fixes on airways or air routes that…
Assures acceptable navigational signal coverage and that meets the IFR obstacle clearance requirements.
This altitude is published on aeronautical charts.
Glossary > Minimum Sector Altitude (MSA)
The lowest altitude that will provide a minimum clearance of…
1000ft under conditions of standard temperature and pressure above all objects located in an area contained within a sector of a circle with a 25 NM radius centred on a radio aid to navigation or a specified point.
(US: Minimum Safe Altitude)
Glossary > Minimum Vectoring Altitude (MVA)
The lowest altitude for…
Vectoring aircraft by ATC that meets obstacle clearance and radio coverage requirements in the airspace specified.
The Missed Approach Altitude is…
The altitude to which the aircraft must climb if it does not land after an IFR approach. It is found on the CAP chart.
Safe Altitude 100 NM
Does not have a formal definition - it is an altitude, usually found on CAP charts, that is flight checked and approved for use within 100 miles of the geographical centre of the aerodrome on the CAP charts and meets obstruction clearance requirements.
Transition Altitude
In most cases, for IFR, it is an altitude specifically shown for an aircraft that is changing from enroute to approach.
MATS ACC > Altitude > Minimum Altitudes
Do not approve or assign any altitude that is below the…
Minimum IFR altitude. Inform the pilot if a requested altitude is below the minimum IFR altitude.
MATS ACC > Minimum Altitudes
If a pilot requests it, you may approve an altitude that is below the MEA, but is at or above the MOCA, for any of the following reasons:
- Flight Safety
- Flight checked of a NAVAID
- A MEDEVAC flight
- GNSS navigation
MATS ACC > Traversing Airways and Routes
When an aircraft is traversing an airways, you may clear that aircraft to…
An altitude that is below the MEA, but is at or another another applicable minimum IFR altitude.
(Aircraft are considered to traverse an airways when the airspace protected for the track of the aircraft infringes on the airspace to be protected for the airway. An aircraft cleared “via direct” on a track that is coincident with an airways is considered to traverse the airway).
MATS ACC > MEA Higher or Lower Beyond the Next Fix
If the MEA is higher beyond the next fix…
Clear the aircraft to climb in sufficient time to enable it to cross the fix at or above the MEA established beyond the fix.
MATS ACC > MEA Higher or Lower Beyond the Next Fix
If the pilot requests an altitude that is lower than the MEA for the leg flown, but the altitude requested is at or above the MEA beyond the next fix…
Do not clear the aircraft to descend below the MEA for the leg flown until after the aircraft passes the fix.
MATS ACC > Altimeter Setting Region
If an aircraft will proceed from the Standard Pressure Region to the Altimeter Setting Region…
Issue the current altimeter setting before the transition occurs.
MATS > Altitude > Lowest Usable Flight Level
Do not assign any flight level lower…
Than the lowest usable flight level indicated in table:
Alt Setting / Usable Altitude
29.92 and higher / FL180
29.91 - 28.92 / FL190
28.91 - 27.92 / FL200
27.91 and lower / FL210
If a change in altimeter settings requires an increase or permits a decrease in the lowest usable flight level, coordinate with adjacent sectors or units as required.
MATS > Weather Information > Altimeter Setting Information
Issue the altimeter settings as follows:
- Identify the setting by the name of the station to which it applies, unless:
— The setting applies to the station at which the unit is located
— There is no possibility of misunderstanding - If the setting is 28.99 or lower, or 31.00 or higher, state the setting twice.
- If the setting is higher than 31.00, issue the actual altimeter settings and confirm the pilot has set the aircraft altimeter to 31.00.
- If the setting is obtained from a weather report that is one hour old or more, include the time of the report.
- If the setting changes by +/- 0.02 inches or more, issue a revised altimeter setting.
- If a pilot asks which type of setting is provided, identify the setting at QNH (height above sea level)
If no local or remote altimeter is available for a location, inform the pilot when issuing landing information.
MATS > Altitude Readout Limitations
Use altitude readouts of aircraft under the jurisdiction of another controller to determine aircraft altitudes only if either of the following applies:
- The other controller has confirmed the aircraft’s altitude.
- On handoff, the transferring controller does not inform you that an aircraft’s altitude readout is invalid or not validated.
Do not use altitude readouts when the site altimeter setting for the geographic region concerned is below 26.00 or above 33.00
MATS > Maintaining Vertical Separation > Assigning Altitudes
You may assign an altitude only after another aircraft previously at that altitude, or climbing or descending through that altitude…
Has reported or is observed doing one of the following:
- Vacating is passing the altitude you want to assign.
- Vacating or passing an altitude separated by the appropriate minimum from the altitude you want to assign, and on of the following applies:
— Severe turbulence exists
— The aircraft previously at the altitude you want to assign has been issued a cruise climb
(If required for separation, include the phraseology REPORT LEAVING or REPORT REACHING)
(The climb or descent rate of both aircraft must be considered when an aircraft’s altitude readout may be cleared to the altitude that has been vacated).
GLOSSARY > CRUISE CLIMB
A cruising technique resulting in a net increase in altitude as the aircraft mass decreases.
A clearance or instruction to carry out a cruise climb allows the pilot the option of climbing at any given rate, as well as the option of leveling off at any intermediate altitude.
GLOSSARY > STANDARD TERMINAL ARRIVAL (STAR)
An IFR ATC arrival procedure published…
In the CAP for use by aircraft with the appropriate navigation capabilities and coded in many GNSS and FMS databases.
GLOSSARY - TRANSITION
Definition 1: The general term that describes the change from one phase of flight or flight conditions to another, e.g. transition from enroute to the approach or transition from instrument flight to visual flight.
Definition 2: A published procedure used to connect the base standard instrument departure (SID) to one or more enroute airways or to connect one or more enroute airways to the basic standard terminal arrival (STAR). More than one transition may be published in the associated SID or STAR or RNAV approach.
MATS > ATS Surveillance > Vectoring
Allow aircraft operating on SIDS, STARs, and RNAV…
Routes to conduct their own navigation to the extent possible.
MATS > Arrivals > STAR
Allow the aircraft to…
Conduct its own navigation to the extent possible.
MATS > STAR > Managing Aircraft Operation on a STAR
Vectoring an aircraft off a STAR the re-establishing it on the same STAR
If you vector an aircraft off a STAR, instruct the pilot to rejoin the STAR using one of the following:
- Direct to a waypoint
- Intercept between two waypoints
Rerouting an aircraft to another STAR or STAR termination
If necessary, issue appropriate joining instructions to reroute the aircraft to another STAR or STAR transition, and instruct the pilot to rejoin the STAR.
