The Rules of the Air (Law) Flashcards
What do VMC and IMC stand for?
Visual Meteorological Conditions and Instrument Meteorological Conditions. The conditions in which it is legal and acceptable to fly by VFR and IFR respectively.
Who on board a plane has the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that it complies with the laws of the air?
The pilot in command.
What must be done with regard to the rules of the air in emergency situations?
They must still be followed unless doing so creates or adds to any kind of danger to people or property.
Which aircraft are bound by the rules of the air?
Any craft bearing the nationality and registration marks of any ICAO contracting state, unless a local law or regulation supersedes the rules of the air.
What are cruising levels and when must they be used?
Cruising levels are flight levels assigned to any aircraft above the transition altitude.
How are cruising levels arranged/organised?
They are dealt with according to the SCCL system, which stands for Semi-Circular Cruising Level system. Any flight with a track between 0 and 179 degrees will have a flight level with an odd second digit. Any flight with a track between 180 and 359 will have a flight level with an even second digit. All IFR flights will have a 0 as the final digit, all VFR flights will have a 5 as the final digit.
What do recreational parachuting, spraying or dropping things from aircraft, towing signs or light aircraft and aerobatic flights all have in common?
The rules of the air basically just say “follow local laws” for all of these. The only one worth remembering is recreational parachuting. Parachuting from a plane in an emergency is another matter.
What are the rules for formation flying?
Can only be done with the pre-approval of ATC, and also with the pilots involved. One pilot must be designated formation leader. They communicate with ATC on behalf of the whole squadron. They act as one aircraft from ATC’s perspective, and handle internal seperation themselves. All craft must be within 0.5NM laterally and 100ft vertically of the flight leader.
Which aircraft always get right of way?
Aircraft with impaired or inherently limited maneuverability; balloons, gliders, airships, and any powered heavier than air craft with damage or malfunctions limiting their maneuverability.
If two aircraft are flying straight at each other, what should they do?
Both of them should turn right.
If two aircraft are on converging paths, who should act and how?
The aircraft on the left of the two should alter course to avoid convergence.
How do aircraft overtake one another?
The overtaking aircraft must approach the other within 70 degrees of either side of the rearmost point of the plane (anywhere the rear, white nav light is visible). From there, it must alter course to the right and go around the other craft, rejoining its course only when it has created a safe lateral separation from the other craft.
Who has right of way when landing?
Any aircraft in an emergency takes priority. Then, aircraft on final approach always has priority. Finally, whoever is lowest gets priority.
How does movement priority on the ground work?
The hierarchy goes Whatever Tower says > Emergency Services Vehicles > Aircraft > Vehicles Towing Aircraft > All Other Vehicles.
Which lights to aircraft have to display at night, and in what circumstances?
All aircraft shall display anti-collision lights while in flight.
All aircraft except balloons shall have nav lights. The front 2 have an arc 110 degrees from front to their respective side, the rear one has a 140 degree arc, centered on the rear. The left light is red, the right light is green, the rear light is white.
All aircraft which are moving should have lights indicating the extremities of their structure.
All aircraft taking off and landing shall have a landing light.
All aircraft with a running engine should have an engines running light.
