Air Law and Aeronautical Regulations (ANAC / ICAO framework)
The regulatory stack
Brazilian civil aviation sits under the Código Brasileiro de Aeronáutica (Lei 7.565/1986) and the RBAC series issued by ANAC, which implement ICAO Annexes. Know which instrument governs what: RBAC 61 (licences and ratings), RBAC 91 (general operating and flight rules), RBAC 135 (commuter/on-demand), RBAC 121 (airline), RBAC 141 (flight schools). ICAO Annex 2 is the source of right-of-way, lights, and signals; Annex 1 covers personnel licensing.
Concepts examiners test
- Right of way: converging aircraft of the same category - the one on the right has right of way; head-on - both turn right; overtaking - the overtaken aircraft has right of way.
- VMC minima by airspace class and altitude, and the semi-circular (semicircular) cruising level rule based on magnetic track.
- Documents carried: registration, airworthiness certificate, crew licences, journey log, insurance, and the flight manual.
- Licence currency and validity, medical certificate classes and privileges, and the 90-day recency rule for carrying passengers.
Traps
Questions love to swap "shall" and "should", confuse airspace class privileges (clearance requirements, VMC minima), and blur ICAO Annex numbering. Another classic: mixing the semi-circular rule (track-based) with wind-based planning.
Worked example / rule of thumb
Semi-circular rule: magnetic track 000–179 → odd thousands (FL 010, 030, 050…); 180–359 → even thousands (FL 020, 040…). For IFR, add 500 ft. Rule of thumb: "East odd, West even" using magnetic track, not heading.
Always verify against the current RBAC/AIP - regulations change and the exam tests the current edition.