Air Law and Procedures: Rules, Airspace and Documents
What the examiner expects
Air law questions test precise knowledge of the rules that govern where, when and how a balloon may fly. You must know the documents carried on board (certificate of registration, certificate of airworthiness or permit, crew licences, insurance, and the journey log where required), the privileges and validity periods of the pilot licence, and the medical certificate class appropriate to the operation. Know the rules for right of way: balloons give way to all other aircraft, and between balloons the lower one has right of way except when overtaking or landing. Learn cloud-clearance and visibility minima for controlled and uncontrolled airspace, and the meaning of special VFR.
Airspace and notification
Be able to classify airspace (controlled areas and zones, restricted and prohibited areas, danger areas, and transponder mandatory zones) and to explain the difference between a clearance and information. Candidates confuse "requesting" with "obtaining" a clearance. Know when a flight plan or notification is required, how to report entering or leaving controlled airspace, and the light and marking rules for a night flight. Definitions - "ceiling", "flight visibility", "congested area", "aerial work" - are examined verbatim, so learn them exactly.
Traps and a rule of thumb
Common traps: mixing statute miles with nautical metres, assuming a clearance covers a whole flight, forgetting that a balloon cannot comply with instructions requiring manoeuvring it cannot perform, and overlooking that landing in a prohibited area is not excused by weather. A useful rule of thumb: before launch, run the "four C's" - Certificate (documents on board), Clearance (airspace and frequency), Currency (licence and medical), Conditions (met minima). If any one fails, do not launch.
Worked example
A pilot plans a dawn flight near a controlled zone with a cloud base of 1,200 ft and visibility 5 km. The clearance requires remaining clear of cloud and in sight of the surface; with the balloon drifting toward the zone at 10 kt and 40 minutes of fuel margin, the pilot must decide before the boundary. The correct answer is to plan a route that stays outside the zone, because the balloon cannot guarantee it will remain clear of cloud while manoeuvring.