RAC 3 Flashcards
What is coordination?
Coordination is the process of negotiation between two or more parties that results in an agreed course of action. To ensure a common understanding and continuity of an ATS service to aircraft concerned, coordination shall be carried out between affected sectors/units for all IFR and CVFR flights, with agreement being reached on:
- clearances/instructions
- estimate messages
- information estimate messages
- transfers of control
- revisions to sig. point or level contained in an estimate message
- approval requests
- advice or information to be issued to aircraft
How is coordination achieved?
Coordination may be achieved by:
- direct two-way negotiation and agreement for individual flights, either verbally or electronically
- agreements specified in LOA/LUO
- use of the Skyline X-NOTE function for specific coordination where:
- agreement will always be proffered and
- ATS Policy & Standards has approved X-NOTE for that coordination and
- the coordination process is documented in LUO/LOA between the two units
What is the phraseology for requesting an early release on an aircraft?
“MAY I ASSUME CONTROL OF (callsign)”
or
“REQUEST RELEASE (callsign)”
Are controllers required to readback the cruising level or level climbing or descending to stated by the pilot on first contact? What are the exeptions?
Yes, except when:
- new level instructions are issued in response to the first report, or
- the aircraft is making a visual or instrument approach with no level restrictions
Whose responsibility is it to ensure that an aircraft establishes communications with an ATS sector?
The accepting controller.
When may an ATC clearance be withheld?
- For traffic reasons, when ATC cannot accomodate 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 Group Manager ANS Delivery provided that:
- a clearance shall not be withheld unless the aircraft is on the ground and the clearance is for entry onto the manouevring area
- a normal ATC service shall be provided for any aircraft entering the manouevring area without an ATC clearance
When direct comms cannot be established, certain agencies are permitted to be used for relaying ATC clearances. Give 4 examples of a relaying agency.
- An operating position at the same unit
- Another ATS unit
- An air-ground station
- Another aircraft
What is the time criteria for passing an estimate between an oceanic sector and an area sector for arriving and departing flights?
20 minutes
Name four ways in which the “IFR route to be followed” can be described.
- standard route clearance + rwy in use at destination
- standard route clearance + rwy in use at a controlled aerodrome adjacent to the aerodrome of dep or dest
- standard route clearance + arrival procedure at destination
- arrival procedure at destination if it commences at or adjacent to departure aerodrome
- standard route clearance
- use of “VIA” followed by detailed description of route (using reporting points/ATS route)
- “via flight planned route” to describe the route as filed in the flight plan
What restrictions normally apply to the term “via flight planned route”?
Should be avoided if at all possible. Usually limited to:
- oceanic flights
- flights where route is described via lats and longs
- flights with long/complicated route field
Not to be used if RDR is in RMK field of the flight plan or a known/suspected discrepancy between the plan and what is known to the pilot.
What procedures shall apply where an aircraft wishes to fly IFR on an unevaluated route through airspace in which an ATC clearance is required?
- pilot requests direct routing or agrees to controller proposal
- pilot responsible for navigation unless being radar vectored
- separation provided where appropriate
- coordination undertaken either
- verbally
- by agreement in LUO/LOA
- when under radar control, track and distance of direct route is passed to the pilot when considered necessary
- when under radar control but own nav, controller to monitor and advise if deviation by more than 5NM
- direct routing for RNAV(GNSS) approach, the fix shall be no later that the point prior to the FAF or FAP
- direct routing for RNAV(RNP) approach, fix shall be no later than fix prior to FAF and not on a constant radius arc to a fix
- direct for an instrument approach the aircraft should intercept VPA or GP at appropriate altitude
- controller responsible for terrain
What do the level instructions in an ATC clearance to an IFR flight achieve?
Enable the flight to be conducted at or above:
- on an evaluated route, the MFA for the applicable route sector except:
- if GNSS approved, compliance with MFA/MRA/MEA not required, must be at or above SUA upper limit
- if under radar control, or will be under radar control on departure, the flight may be at or above radar terrain
- if expected to be established under radar control en-route, at or above 13,000ft or approved area MSA
- on an unevaluated route:
- at or above the levels indicated on the radar terrain map provided the aircraft is under radar control or will be under radar control on departure
- at or above 13,000ft or approved area MSA
What are the rules associated with non-standard levels?
- verbal approval obtained before entering subsequent sectors
- aircraft at standard levels given priority over aircraft at non-standard levels
- prefixed “NON-STANDARD” except departing oceanic flights that are cleared at a standard oceanic level
What is the phraseology to clear an aircraft to maintain a block level?
“MAINTAIN BLOCK (altitude/flight level) TO (altitude/flight level)”
When shall an information estimate message be passed?
When an aircraft will pass within a specified distance of an airspace boundary but no transfer of control/RTF will be made
