CPL Air Law cheat sheet

Chicago Convention (1944) Article 1: every State has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory, including territorial waters.

Article 5 (non-scheduled flights) and Article 6 (scheduled air services require special permission) govern the right to fly into or over another State.

The five freedoms of the air are commercial/transit privileges granted by treaty, not automatic rights; only the first two (overfly, technical stop) are exchanged multilaterally under the International Air Services Transit Agreement.

Annexes to the Chicago Convention are Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs); a Standard is binding unless a State files a difference with ICAO, a Recommended Practice is not binding.

Warsaw Convention (1929) and Montreal Convention (1999) govern carrier liability for passenger death/injury, baggage and cargo; Montreal uses a two-tier strict liability system with a ~128,821 SDR limit for passenger death or injury (2019 revision).

Tokyo Convention (1963) gives the aircraft commander authority over offences and acts jeopardising safety aboard; the 2014 Montreal Protocol extends jurisdiction to unruly passengers.

Rome Convention (1952) covers third-party surface damage caused by foreign aircraft; the 2009 General Risks Convention and Unlawful Interference Compensation Convention modernised this framework.

Article 12 of the Chicago Convention requires each State to keep its flight rules uniform with those established under the Convention, i.e. ICAO Annex 2.

A CPL requires a minimum age of 18, a Class 1 medical, and knowledge, experience and skill requirements set by the State issuing the licence (ICAO Annex 1 minimum: 200 hours total flight time).

ICAO Annex 1 CPL experience minimum: 200 hours total, of which up to 100 hours may be in an approved simulator, including 100 hours PIC and 20 hours cross-country.

Ratings are class (e.g. single-engine land), type (e.g. multi-crew aircraft) or instrument; a rating is endorsed on or attached to the licence and defines the privileges.

Instrument rating privileges require the holder to meet recency: typically 3 instrument approaches, holding and intercepting/tracking within the preceding 6 months under IFR.

A licence is valid only with a current medical certificate of the correct class; privileges lapse if the medical expires, even if the licence itself is unexpired.

Night rating or night privileges require specified dual night instruction and solo night take-offs and landings before carrying passengers at night.

Instructor and examiner privileges are separate ratings requiring additional experience and a skill test; they do not flow automatically from a CPL.

Licences issued by one State may be validated or converted by another State under bilateral agreements or ICAO Annex 1 Article 39 endorsement limitations.

Right-of-way: converging aircraft of the same category give way to the one on the right; power-driven aircraft give way to balloons, gliders and airships; all give way to aircraft towing or refuelling.

An aircraft overtaking another must pass on the right and keep clear; the overtaken aircraft has right-of-way.

Head-on approach: both aircraft alter heading to the right.

Landing aircraft have right-of-way over aircraft on the ground or in the traffic pattern; lower aircraft on final approach has right-of-way but may not cut in front of a higher aircraft on final.

VMC minima in Class C-E airspace above 3,050 m (10,000 ft) AMSL: 8 km flight visibility, 1,500 m horizontal and 300 m vertical distance from cloud.

Below 900 m (3,000 ft) AMSL in Class C-E: 5 km flight visibility, 1,500 m horizontal and 300 m vertical cloud clearance.

Aircraft may not fly in IMC unless the pilot and aircraft are qualified for IFR; special VFR may be authorised by ATC within controlled airspace.

Minimum safe altitude: 300 m (1,000 ft) above the highest obstacle within 600 m radius in congested areas, or 150 m (500 ft) elsewhere.

ICAO airspace classes A-G: Class A is IFR only; B allows IFR and VFR with separation for all; C separates IFR from IFR and VFR from IFR but not VFR from VFR; D separates IFR only; E separates IFR only and allows VFR; F and G are uncontrolled.

Class G has no ATC separation service; pilots are responsible for their own separation and must use a common frequency where practicable.

A clearance is an authorisation to proceed under specified conditions; it does not relieve the pilot of responsibility for terrain clearance or compliance with the rules of the air except where explicitly stated.

Position reporting: compulsory reporting points must be reported with time, altitude, position and next position with ETA; ATC may require additional reports.

Squawk codes: 7500 unlawful interference, 7600 radio failure, 7700 general emergency; these are international standard codes.

Radio failure in IMC: follow the last acknowledged clearance, or if none, the route and altitudes in the flight plan and commence descent at the ETA or last known ETA.

Altimetry: transition altitude is where aircraft change from QNH to standard pressure 1013.25 hPa; transition level is the lowest usable flight level above the transition altitude.

Readback requirements: clearances, runway assignments, altimeter settings, headings, altitudes and frequencies must be read back to ATC.

Minimum equipment list (MEL): an aircraft may be dispatched with specified equipment inoperative only if the MEL permits it and the required operational or maintenance procedures are complied with.

Fuel planning: VFR flights must carry fuel for the flight plus a reserve of at least 30 minutes at holding speed at 1,500 ft above the destination; IFR requires a contingency plus alternate fuel.

Aircraft must carry documents: certificate of registration, certificate of airworthiness, crew licences, journey log, and where required, radio station licence and passenger manifest.

Emergency equipment: fire extinguishers, first aid kits, survival equipment for overwater or remote operations, and life jackets for each occupant when operating over water beyond gliding distance.

Oxygen requirements: supplemental oxygen for crew above 10,000 ft cabin pressure altitude, and for passengers when cabin altitude exceeds 15,000 ft.

Altimeter setting and transponder: aircraft must have an operable transponder with Mode C in controlled airspace unless exempted.

Performance: take-off and landing distances must be within the available runway, considering obstacles, slope, wind and temperature, with a required margin over the actual distance.

Weight and balance: the aircraft must be loaded within the certified maximum take-off and landing weights and the centre of gravity envelope for the entire flight.

Flight time limitations (FTL) restrict daily flight time, duty period, cumulative hours in 7/28/90/365-day periods, and require minimum rest periods.

A duty period includes all time from reporting for duty to the end of duty, including pre-flight, flight, ground and post-flight tasks.

Rest must be sufficient to allow the crew member to be adequately rested; minimum rest is usually at least 10-12 hours before the next duty period, and must include a local night where possible.

Fatigue risk management systems (FRMS) may be approved as an alternative to prescriptive FTL, using data-driven mitigation.

Crew members must not perform duties while under the influence of alcohol, drugs or medication that impairs performance; many States set a blood alcohol limit of 0.02% or lower for flight crew.

A pilot must not act as a crew member if suffering from fatigue, illness or injury that could impair safe operation, and must self-declare unfitness.

Command authority: the pilot-in-command has final authority over the aircraft and may deviate from rules in an emergency to the extent necessary for safety.

Crew member medical certificates must be valid for the entire duty period; a certificate expiring during flight must be renewed before further flight.

A certificate of airworthiness (C of A) is issued when the aircraft complies with the applicable airworthiness requirements; it remains valid only if maintenance is performed per the approved maintenance programme.

Airworthiness Directives (ADs) are mandatory; compliance is required within the stated time and must be recorded.

Maintenance releases: an aircraft may not be released to service after maintenance unless certified by an appropriately authorised person (licensed engineer or approved organisation).

Continuing airworthiness includes scheduled maintenance, defect reporting, component life limits, and compliance with the maintenance programme approved by the State of Registry.

Aircraft must carry a certificate of registration and certificate of airworthiness on board, or equivalent documents where permitted.

Modifications and repairs require approved data; unapproved modifications can invalidate the C of A.

Pre-flight inspection: the pilot-in-command is responsible for ensuring the aircraft is airworthy before flight and that defects are recorded and rectified.

Maintenance records must be retained for the period specified by the State, typically covering the aircraft's service life or a defined number of years.

Runway markings: threshold markings are piano keys; touchdown zone markings indicate distance; aiming point markings are the large white blocks.

Runway holding position markings consist of two solid and two dashed yellow lines; aircraft must stop before the solid lines unless cleared.

Aerodrome lighting: runway edge lights white, threshold lights green, runway end lights red, taxiway edge lights blue, taxiway centreline green.

Wind direction indicators: a wind sock or wind tee indicates surface wind; a tetrahedron indicates landing direction.

Apron safety: no smoking, no open flames, and engine start and shutdown procedures must follow the aerodrome manual and local instructions.

Marshalling signals are standardised under ICAO Annex 2 Appendix 1; a marshaller's raised arms indicate stop, and arms extended horizontally indicate proceed.

Bird and wildlife hazard management requires reporting strikes and following local dispersal procedures; aerodrome operators conduct regular inspections.

Emergency response: aerodromes must have an emergency plan, rescue and firefighting category appropriate to the largest aircraft using the aerodrome, and a designated emergency access route.

ICAO Annex 13 defines an accident as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft in which a person is fatally or seriously injured, the aircraft sustains damage or structural failure, or the aircraft is missing or inaccessible.

An incident is an occurrence, other than an accident, associated with the operation of an aircraft that affects or could affect the safety of operations.

The sole objective of an investigation is the prevention of accidents and incidents; it is not to apportion blame or liability.

The State of Occurrence is responsible for instituting an investigation; the State of Registry, State of the Operator, State of Design and State of Manufacture may participate as accredited representatives.

The investigator-in-charge has authority over the investigation and may take custody of the wreckage, records and evidence.

Safety recommendations are issued to prevent recurrence and are addressed to States, operators or manufacturers; they are not enforcement actions.

Occurrence reporting: crew members must report accidents and serious incidents to the appropriate authority as soon as practicable, and operators must maintain a safety management system.

Privileged safety data: some States protect safety data and CVR/FDR recordings from use in disciplinary or judicial proceedings to encourage reporting.

The State of Registry has jurisdiction over aircraft on its register, including enforcement of its regulations wherever the aircraft may be.

The State of the Operator may exercise jurisdiction over operators established in its territory, including for foreign-registered aircraft they operate.

Enforcement action can include licence suspension or revocation, fines, and prosecution; the standard of proof and appeal rights are set by national law.

A pilot must comply with the laws of the State overflown; the State of Registry may also act on violations occurring abroad.

Regulations typically require reporting of reportable occurrences, and failure to report can itself be an offence.

Inspections and audits: authorities may inspect aircraft, records and crew documents without prior notice; refusal to cooperate can lead to enforcement.

Licence validity depends on continued compliance with medical, recency and currency requirements; lapse can result in suspension of privileges.

Penalties for operating without a valid licence, certificate of airworthiness or in violation of airspace rules may include criminal liability.