Co-ordination & Control

Question 1

Where practical and following a request from the pilot, aircraft involved in or positioning for what form of activities shall be granted priority?

Answer 1

• Ambulance or Mercy missions; and
• Search and Rescue; and
• Civil Defence or Police emergencies; and
• Carriage of Heads-of-state, Heads of government, or equivalent dignitaries

Question 2

When shall a verbal revision be passed to a Radar Sector?

Answer 2

When the system cannot meet revision time criterion. When there is a change of ETO at the transfer of control point.

Question 3

What phraseology is used by the TRANSFERRING CONTROLLER for an Approval Request?

Answer 3

“Approval Request (aircraft callsign, level) via (significant point)(any other relevant details)”

Question 4

Following an Approval Request, what phraseology is used by the ACCEPTING controller?

Answer 4

“(aircraft callsign) (level) APPROVED [conditions/restrictions]”, or
“(aircraft callsign) UNABLE TO APPROVE (alternative instructions/reasons)”

Question 5

During coordination it may be necessary to specify or confirm who is providing separation between flights. What phraseology is used in this situation?

Answer 5

“Your Separation (callsign of traffic from which separation is required)”, followed by
“My Separation (callsign of conflicting traffic)”

Question 6

What phraseology is used to request an early release of a particular flight?

Answer 6

“May I assume control of (callsign)” or

“Request release of (callsign)”

Question 7

Provided safety is not jeopardised, how shall traffic priorities be applied?

Answer 7

An aircraft known or believed to be in a state of emergency or impaired operation has priority over all other aircraft; and
An aircraft landing, or in the final stages of an approach to land, has priority over a departing aircraft; and
An aircraft landing /taking off has priority over taxiing aircraft.

Question 8

What Met information is required to be passed to aircraft?

Answer 8

• Sigmet (incl amended period of validity)
• Speci
• TAF amendment
• significant information received from other flights
• appropriate altimeter setting (aerodrome QNH or Zone Area QNH)
• take-off/landing reports when not on ATIS

Question 9

List the air traffic procedures that apply to flights departing from within the NZ FIR to operate in the Auckland Oceanic FIR?

Answer 9

• Any advice that an aircraft cannot meet the RNP or RVSM requirements shall be passed to the OAC
• Route clearances shall be issued at the last acknowledged RFL except at aerodromes where level requirements are specified in LUO/LOA
• An intermediate departure level shall NOT be inserted in the flight plan CFL field
• For aircraft requesting block levels, the CFL shall be the lower of the block levels. Any block level clearance shall be pre-coordinated with the OAC
• On acceptance of control of a flight and after AIDC coordination with OCS is complete, the last area sector shall seek approval for the CFL from the OAC. The OAC shall approve the level or coordinate another, ensuring that a conflict probe at the approved CFL has been made
• If approval of a CFL is NOT obtained, the area controller shall hold the aircraft in domestic airspace until a level is approved
• The last area sector shall ensure the aircraft is level at the approved CFL, or, for flights with block level clearances, within the OAC coordinated block of levels, prior to entering the Auckland Oceanic Airspace, unless coordinated otherwise.

Question 10

The use of the term “FLIGHT PLANNED ROUTE” should be limited to which flights?

Answer 10

• Oceanic flights
• Flights where the route is identified with latitudes and longitudes; or
• Flights with a long or complicated route field

Question 11

Are flights permitted to operate at cruising levels which do not correlate with track as prescribed in the Auckland Oceanic FIR Table of Cruising Levels? Are there any proviso’s?

Answer 11

Yes. Prior to the aircraft reaching the boundary of an ATS sector, verbal approval shall be obtained from the subsequent sector/unit.
Aircraft at standard flight levels should be afforded priority over aircraft using non-standard levels. When clearing a controlled flight at a non-standard level, the words “NON-STANDARD” shall prefix the level.

Question 12

What is the proviso when issuing an aircraft a clearance to operate within a block of levels?

Answer 12

Provided that other aircraft are not denied use of a level within the block.

Question 13

Following an early release of an aircraft, when is an accepting controller required to verbally coordinate with the previous controller?

Answer 13

• The accepting controller may turn the aircraft provided revised routing instructions will not infringe separation with aircraft known to be under the control of the transferring controller; or
• Deny the request and either carry out verbal coordination with the accepting controller or release the aircraft at the transfer of control point, as appropriate.

Question 14

Where should the RTF contact point be?

Answer 14

A time but may be a position or level if these can be related to a time by the accepting controller.

Question 15

When would you consider effecting a transfer of radio guard prior to an aircraft reaching the transfer of control point?

Answer 15

To enable the accepting controller to issue instructions which would become effective at the transfer of control point.

Question 16

What is the phraseology used to effect a transfer of radio guard?

Answer 16

“AT [OR PASSING] (time/position/level) CONTACT (unit or operating position) (frequency)”

Question 17

Who is responsible for ensuring an aircraft establishes radio contact with the next controller and what guidance is provided for making initial inquiries as to the whereabouts of the aircraft?

Answer 17

The accepting controller.
If the aircraft does not establish radio communication at the RTF contact point, efforts shall be made to establish communication. Initial inquiries as to the whereabouts of the aircraft shall be commenced no later than three minutes after the anticipated time of contact.

Question 18

When may a controller withhold an ATC clearance?

Answer 18

• For traffic reasons, when ATC cannot accommodate traffic additional to that already accepted due to traffic congestion, limitations of equipment, procedures, weather or environmental conditions, emergencies and other similar factors; OR
• When instructed by the Head of Service Delivery provided that:
• a clearance shall not be withheld unless the aircraft is on the ground and the clearance is for entry onto the manoeuvring area
• a normal ATC service shall be provided for any aircraft entering the manouevring area without an ATC clearance

Question 19

State the objectives of instructions contained in a clearance to an IFR flight

Answer 19

• Provide separation:
• where prescribed, between the aircraft concerned and other controlled flights; and
• from SUA and GAA as required by RAC 5; and
• Enable the flight to comply with the promulgated procedures for IFR flights published in the AIPNZ; and
• Conform with the terms for acceptance of control by the next controlling authority; and
• Conform, where possible, with the details requested in the flight plan and the air traffic management route requirements as specified in the AIPNZ; and
• Where the aircraft has flight planned for flight within controlled airspace, enable the aircraft to remain within controlled airspace, unless applying the criteria for direct routing on unevaluated routes.
• If a clearance would involve a significant delay, a pilot may be offered an alternative which would take the aircraft out of controlled airspace, provided that:
• the pilot is advised that the clearance will take the aircraft outside controlled airspace; and
• the pilot confirms acceptance.

Question 20

What phraseology is used when it is not possible to clear a flight via the flight planned route or cruising level?

Answer 20

“(route and/or level) NOT AVAILABLE DUE (reason) {ALTERNATIVE/S IS/ARE (route(s) and/or level(s) ADVISE}”

Question 21

State the clearance limit for an IFR flight?

Answer 21

The clearance limit shall be the aerodrome of first intended landing, a significant point or an airspace boundary.
Where a pilot intends to carry out an instrument approach at more than one aerodrome, the clearance limit shall be the aerodrome at which the first instrument approach is to be flown.
Where the pilot intends to operate in an operating area such as a MOA, the clearance limit shall be specified as the operating area or other suitable point.
When an aircraft intends to leave controlled airspace, or leave and re-enter the same or other controlled airspace on the same continuous route, the clearance limit shall be the aerodrome of first intended landing.