Sep 2012Lesson 3.4

Air Law

Air Traffic Rules

Reference

From the Ground UpChapter 5.1:Air Traffic Rules and ProceduresPages 110 - 120

Introduction• Air traffic rules are required to keep

aircraft separated and safe, and to allow ATC to monitor them.

• Pilots must know and understand these rule in order to fly safely.

Outline• Flight Rules and Flight Plans• Cruising Altitudes & Speeds• VFR Weather Limits• Oxygen Requirements• Wake Turbulence

ATC Instructions• Clearance

– Authorization from ATC for aircraft to proceed within controlled airspace under specific conditions

– Pilot must ask for clarification if unsure of any meaning of any part of an ATC clearance

– Once you accept it, you are required to comply with an ATC clearance

– If you are VFR, you must read back the text of the clearance only if requested by ATC to do so

– If clearance unacceptable, pilot should contact ATC with intentions

• Instruction– Directive issued by ATC for air traffic control purposes– You are required to comply with and acknowledge receipt of an ATC

instruction provided the safety of the aircraft is not jeopardized

Flight Rules• Visual Flight Rules (VFR)

– Flight with reference to the ground

• Instrument Flight Rules (IFR)– Flight with reference to the aircraft’s

instruments

Flight Plans• VFR Flight Plans

– Required if going beyond 25 NM from departure aerodrome– Purpose is to inform people where you are going and when

you will get there– Should be filed with ATC or FIC (Flight Information Centre)– Must be closed within 1 hour after landing

• VFR Flight Itinerary– May be used instead of a flight plan– Purpose is to inform people where you are going and when

you will get there– Should be filed with a responsible person– Must be closed within 24 hours after landing

Flight Plans

Cruising Altitudes• Aircraft must fly at proper cruising altitudes• Below 18 000 ft, altitudes in thousands• At and above 18 000 ft, altitudes in flight

levels (FL 180)• Altitudes measured Above Sea Level (ASL)• VFR cruising altitudes begin at 3,000 ft Above

Ground Level (AGL)

Cruising Altitudes• Track of

180° - 359°

– VFREven thousands plus 500 ft(4500, 6500, 8500 etc)

– IFREven thousands(2000, 4000, 6000 etc)

• Track of000° - 179°

– VFROdd thousands plus 500 ft(3500, 5500, 7500 etc)

– IFROdd thousands(1000, 3000, 5000 etc)

90°270°

0°

180°

Cruising Speeds• Controlled Airspace below 10 000 feet is a

“speed limit area”, aircraft limited to 250 knots

• Within 10 NM of an airport and below 300 feet AGL, aircraft limited to 200 knots

• Limits don’t apply if they are below the safe operating speed of the aircraft

VFR Weather Limits

Airspace Flight Visibility Distance from Cloud

Controlled 3 SM Horizontally 1 SMVertically 500 ft

Uncontrolled above 1000 ft AGL

1 SM (day)3 SM (night)

Horizontally 2000 ftVertically 500 ft

Uncontrolled below 1000 ft AGL

2 SM (day)3 SM (night)

Clear of Cloud

Special VFR Limits• Special VFR may be requested by pilot if

weather falls below VFR standards in a control zone

Visibility Distance from Cloud

Aircraft other than Helicopters

1 SM Clear of Cloud

Helicopters ½ SM Clear of Cloud

Oxygen Requirements• From the Ground Up - Page 310

• Below 10 000 ft– Oxygen supply not required

• Between 10 000 ft and 13 000 ft– Oxygen supply required if flying more than 30 minutes at this altitude

• Above 13 000 ft– Oxygen supply required

• Hypoxia– Dangerous condition where pilot does not get enough oxygen– Creates sense of euphoria (false sense of “well being”)

Wake Turbulence• From the Ground Up – Pages 281 - 283

• Wake Turbulence is large, rotating, unstable air left behind an aircraft

• Worse with large, slow aircraft (created by high angle of attacks), and prominent on take-off and landing

• Can last up to 5 minutes; Aircraft must wait at least 2 minutes before taking-off/landing behind large aircraft

• Small aircraft should take-off before or land after rotation/landing point of large aircraft ahead

Next Lesson

4.1 – MeteorologyThe Atmosphere

From the Ground UpChapter 6.1:The AtmospherePages 123 - 124