Standby Is Not a Clearance
A private pilot in a Cessna 172 plans a VFR flight from Yao Airport (RJOY) to Tokushima Airport (RJOS) at 4,500 ft. The route enters the Kansai Terminal Control Area, whose base is 3,000 ft. Ten nautical miles before the boundary, the pilot calls Kansai Approach: 'Kansai Approach, Cessna 172, Yao to Tokushima, 4,500, request TMA entry.' The controller replies, 'Cessna 172, Kansai Approach, standby.' The pilot acknowledges and continues. Two minutes later, still without further clearance, the aircraft crosses the TMA boundary. The pilot reasons that 'standby' means the controller is aware and will call if there is a conflict. Inside the TMA, the radio fails; the pilot continues VFR to Tokushima and lands. A JCAA inspector later reviews the occurrence. The aircraft has a Mode C transponder and VHF radio; the pilot holds a valid PPL and current medical certificate. Weather is VMC, visibility 20 km, wind 180/10.
1. Was 'standby' a clearance to enter the Kansai TMA? What should the pilot have done before crossing the boundary?
Read the worked answer
No. Under JCAA/ICAO phraseology, standby means the controller has received the call and will respond; it is not an instruction and confers no clearance. A VFR flight in controlled airspace requires an explicit ATC clearance before entry. The pilot should have remained outside the TMA, either at or below 3,000 ft or orbiting clear of the boundary, and repeated the request or diverted. Entering because the controller 'knew' the aircraft was there is not a defence. A valid clearance would have been, for example, 'Cessna 172, cleared into Kansai TMA, maintain 4,500 ft, squawk 1200', which the pilot must read back.
2. After the radio failure inside the TMA, what should the pilot have done, and does the failure excuse the earlier entry?
Read the worked answer
The radio failure does not excuse the earlier entry. Lost-communication procedure for VFR is to continue in VMC, set the transponder to 7600 if able, remain clear of controlled airspace where possible, land at the nearest suitable aerodrome, and report to ATC by telephone. If already inside the TMA, the pilot should leave by the shortest route while avoiding traffic, not press on to destination as if cleared. The inspector will treat the uncleared entry and the lost-comm separately; the failure may explain why the pilot could not receive a clearance later, but it cannot retroactively authorize the boundary crossing.
3. If the controller had issued 'Cleared into Kansai TMA, maintain 4,500 ft, squawk 1200,' what readback is required and why?
Read the worked answer
Read back the clearance limit, altitude, and transponder code: 'Cleared into Kansai TMA, maintain 4,500 ft, squawk 1200, Cessna 172.' A readback is a safety check that the pilot heard and accepted the same clearance the controller issued; a wrong readback lets ATC catch the error before the aircraft enters. If the pilot cannot comply with any part, the correct response is 'unable' and a request for an alternative, not a false readback.