En-route, Departure and Arrival Communications
This domain tests departure, en-route and arrival communications: how clearances and instructions about levels, headings, speeds and routes are issued and read back, how position reports are made, when the altimeter is set to the standard, and how an approach clearance hands over to the tower. In Hong Kong the transition altitude is 9,000 ft and the transition level is notified by ATC, so altimetry discipline is examinable.
Departure and climb
- 'CLIMB TO 5,000 FT, QNH 1013' sets an altitude; 'CLIMB FL 240' sets a level. Read both back.
- 'MAINTAIN 5,000 FT' means keep it; 'REPORT REACHING 3,000 FT' means make a call; 'REPORT PASSING 6,000 FT' means tell me when through.
- SID restrictions are cancelled only by ATC: 'CLIMB FL 180, CANCEL SID LEVEL RESTRICTION'.
- 'PROCEED DIRECT ALPHA' clears the track; a heading instruction is a separate clearance.
Speed control and route
Speeds are given in knots IAS, or Mach at high level: 'MAINTAIN 250 KNOTS', 'REDUCE 210 KNOTS', 'RESUME NORMAL SPEED', 'COMPLY WITH SPEED RESTRICTIONS'. Read back the figure. A route clearance is read back in full - route, level and squawk - because the SSR code is part of the same clearance.
Position reports
A standard report gives callsign, position, time, level, next position and ETA. In the Hong Kong FIR, VFR flights report at published VRPs and boundary points, and every assigned squawk is read back.
Worked example
Approach: 'B-HKA, descend to 4,000 ft, QNH 1011, report passing 6,000 ft.' Read back: 'Descend to 4,000 ft, QNH 1011, report passing 6,000 ft, B-HKA.' Then, passing 6,000 ft: 'B-HKA, passing 6,000 ft.' Do not descend until the instruction is received or the clearance includes 'WHEN READY', and do not offer 'reaching' when the instruction asked for 'passing'.
Traps
Reading back 'climb FL 240' when the clearance was 'climb FL 240 when passing 10,000 ft'; descending before clearance; omitting the reaching/passing call; setting the standard altimeter late or early around the transition; not reading back a speed or squawk; treating CLEARED FOR THE APPROACH as CLEARED TO LAND, which it is not.