GEN - Special Flights Flashcards
What do the following Royal Flight callsigns designate:
- KRF (Kittyhawk)
- KRH (Sparrowhawk)
- RRF (Kitty)
- TQF (Rainbow)
- LPD (Leopard)
Kittyhawk: Royal/VIP fixed wing flights by RAF units
Sparrowhawk: Royal/VIP fixed wing flights by civil chartered aircraft
Kitty: Positioning flights by RAF units
Rainbow: Royal/VIP flights by The Queen’s Helicopter flight
Leopard: Royal helicopter flight where HRH the Duke of York is acting as aircraft captain
(The suffix ‘R’ will be added to Kittyhawk, Sparrowhawk and Rainbow to indicate Royal Flight status)
When is the creation of a trajectory for a special flight applicable/not applicable?
If the GS considers that the flight will be in AC airspace for a considerable length of time, and where the use of a custom route blocker may be restrictive on AC sectors, the GS shall contact FPRS, and request that flight data is input into NAS. The flight plan shall contain the approximate route of the aircraft, with departure/destination airfields input as ‘ZZZZ’. The planner shall manually pair the special flight with the flight plan, to enable the generation of iFACTS trajectories.
If the penetration of LAC airspace is considered to be only brief, the GS shall consult with the sector team, who shall create a custom route blocker for the expected route of the special flight if required.
What are the controller’s actions if an RTF call is received from an aircraft using the callsign “DOUGHNUT”?
Inform the OS (via the GS) as soon as possible. These aircraft are afforded Cat A status.
What does the codeword ‘Operation Greenfinch/Cockaigne” refer to?
The codeword used to indicate all stages of flights conducted under the Open Skies Treaty.
What does the codeword ‘Operation Sparrowhawk’ refer to?
The codeword used when the procedures for Open Skies flights are being practised.
Which are the nominated Point of Entry (POE) airfields for Open Skies Observation Teams (OT)?
Heathrow and Brize Norton
What are the two Open Skies Airfields (OSA) from which observation flights will commence?
Brize Norton and Leuchars
What SSR code will be used by Observation Flights?
7007
Describe the composition of an Open Skies flight callsign.
- OSY - the designator for Open Skies aircraft
- A 2 digit number designating the state concerned
(- An optional digit identifying individual state aircraft when more than one flight is taking place simultaneously) - A single letter indicating the type of flight: F for observation; D for demonstration; T for transit flight
Which aspects of Open Skies flights are afforded NDS and which are afforded no priority status?
NDS:
- Observation flights
No priority status:
- Scheduled flights carrying the OT to/from Heathrow
- Positioning/transiting flights operating between POEs and OSAs
- Flights carrying the OT returning to their country of origin
- Transit flights overflying the UK
Whenever possible, how should an Open Skies aircraft be transferred between controllers (especially transfers between civil and military controllers)?
Radar handover. After transferring control it should be confirmed that the receiving agency has established contact.
Where an air display has been authorised to penetrate/take place within the ATS route structure, what separation minima are controllers to apply between IFR traffic within the ATS route structure and the vertical/lateral limits of the display area?
Vertical:
- 1,000ft minimum vertical separation, unless aircraft within the display area are involved in aerobatics/high energy manoeuvres (any element of display with mean speed of 250kts or greater), in which case 2,000ft is to be provided
Lateral:
- 5nm radar separation is to be applied between the edge of the notified display area and sector traffic operating at/below the notified upper limit of the display area
