Air Law and ATC Procedures
What the exam tests
This domain checks whether you can apply the Japanese Civil Aeronautics Act (航空法), its implementing regulations (CAR), ICAO Annex 2 rules of the air, and AIP Japan/NOTAM material to routine and abnormal flight. Expect flight-plan filing, clearance readback, position reporting, altimetry, airspace classification and SSR procedures.
Core rules
- A clearance is not an instruction to do something unsafe; if unable to comply, advise ATC immediately.
- Read back runway, altitude, heading, speed, frequency and SSR code clearances.
- In controlled airspace, ATC provides separation between IFR flights; VFR flights normally receive traffic information, not separation.
- Set QNH below the transition altitude and standard pressure 1013.2 hPa above the transition level; the change is made at the published transition altitude/level, not at a fixed height.
- AIP Japan and NOTAM amend published procedures; an ATC clearance may differ from the filed route.
Worked example
Clearance: “JA123, cleared to Tokyo via the KZE transition, climb FL180, squawk 4567.” Reasoning: the clearance limit is Tokyo, route via KZE, altitude FL180, code 4567. Read back all four elements, including the word “cleared”, because a readback that omits “cleared” can be mistaken for a request. If FL180 is above the transition level, set 1013.2 hPa when passing the transition altitude; do not wait for ATC to remind you.
Traps
Treating “standby” as a clearance; reading back only the squawk; using QFE when QNH is required; assuming VFR always gets separation; missing a NOTAM that closes a taxiway.