ATPL Air Law flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Chicago Convention Article 1

States have complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above their territory, including territorial waters and the airspace over the territorial sea.

Five Freedoms

Rights of international air services: overfly, technical stop, set down traffic, take on traffic, and carry traffic between two foreign States. Only the first two are Convention-granted.

Tokyo Convention 1963

Gives the State of registry jurisdiction over offences committed on board and allows the aircraft commander to restrain a person who threatens safety.

Montreal Convention liability limits

Carrier liability for death or injury is capped at 128,821 SDR, baggage at 1,288 SDR, delay at 5,346 SDR, and cargo at 22 SDR per kilogram.

Certificate of Airworthiness

Issued by the State of Registry under Annex 8, it certifies the individual aircraft meets the approved type design and is maintained per the approved programme.

Airworthiness directive

A mandatory instruction issued by the authority to correct an unsafe condition; non-compliance invalidates the certificate of airworthiness and renders flight unlawful.

Permit to Fly

A document issued for an aircraft that does not meet full airworthiness requirements, allowing flight subject to the restrictions stated on the permit.

Type certificate versus C of A

The type certificate approves the design of an aircraft type; the certificate of airworthiness approves the individual aircraft on the register.

Nationality mark

The letter or letters identifying the State of Registry, such as G- for the United Kingdom or N- for the United States, displayed with the registration mark.

Wing mark placement

For fixed-wing aircraft, marks are placed on the left half of the lower wing surface and the right half of the upper wing surface.

Certificate of registration

Issued by the State of Registry, it records the aircraft's nationality and registration marks and must be carried on board for inspection.

Registration mark uniqueness

The registration mark follows the nationality mark and must be unique within the State of Registry; the hyphen between them is part of the marking.

Class 1 medical

The medical certificate required for commercial pilots and ATPL holders; a valid medical is a condition of the licence privileges.

Pilot recency requirement

Before carrying passengers, a pilot must have completed three take-offs and landings in the preceding 90 days in the same type or class.

ATPL minimum requirements

Minimum age 21, a Class 1 medical, and at least 1,500 hours total flight time or an approved reduction, plus type and instrument ratings.

Licence rating

An endorsement on a licence, such as a type, class or instrument rating, that defines the privileges the holder may exercise.

Right-of-way converging

When two aircraft of the same category converge, the aircraft on the right has right of way; head-on, both turn right.

VFR minima above 3,050 m

In controlled airspace at and above 3,050 m AMSL, flight visibility must be 8 km with 1,500 m horizontal and 300 m vertical distance from cloud.

Minimum safe altitude

For IFR, 1,000 ft above the highest obstacle within 600 m, or 2,000 ft in mountainous terrain; VFR must remain clear of obstacles.

Overtaking right-of-way

An aircraft being overtaken has right of way; the overtaking aircraft must keep clear and alter heading to the right.

Class G airspace

Uncontrolled airspace where IFR and VFR flights are permitted, no clearance is required and no separation service is provided.

SSR emergency codes

7700 for emergency, 7600 for radio failure and 7500 for unlawful interference; these codes must be set when the corresponding condition occurs.

RVSM vertical separation

Reduced vertical separation minimum of 1,000 ft applies between FL290 and FL410; 2,000 ft is used outside that band.

ATC clearance

An authorisation to proceed under specified conditions; it does not relieve the pilot of responsibility for terrain clearance or collision avoidance.

NOTAM

A notice containing temporary or urgent information affecting flight safety, identified by location indicator, validity period and description, checked before flight.

AIRAC cycle

A fixed 28-day cycle on which AIP amendments and major aeronautical information changes take effect, with dates published in advance.

QNH versus QFE

QNH gives altitude above mean sea level when set on the subscale; QFE gives height above the aerodrome reference point.

Transition altitude and level

Below the transition altitude use QNH; above the transition level use standard pressure 1013.25 hPa; the transition layer lies between them.

Fuel final reserve

The fuel required to hold for 30 minutes at 1,500 ft above the alternate aerodrome for turbine aircraft, in addition to contingency and alternate fuel.

Documents carried on board

The certificate of registration, certificate of airworthiness, crew licences, journey log and, where required, the operations manual.

State of Registry jurisdiction

The State whose register contains the aircraft has jurisdiction over the aircraft and its crew, including licensing and airworthiness oversight.

Enforcement action

Measures taken by the civil aviation authority for breaches, including warnings, fines, suspension or revocation of licences, and criminal prosecution.