CPL Air Law & Operational Procedures flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Chicago Convention Article 1

Each State has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory, which is the foundation of all bilateral air service agreements and overflight permissions.

ICAO Annex 2

Contains the Rules of the Air: right-of-way, cruising levels, lights, signals, and interception procedures; it applies over the high seas without exception and national rules must conform to it.

Fifth freedom of the air

The right of an airline of one State to carry traffic between two foreign States on a route that begins or ends in its home State; it must be specifically granted in a bilateral agreement.

Article 38 difference filing

A State that cannot comply with an ICAO Standard must notify ICAO of the difference; Recommended Practices do not require notification, and the difference is published in the State's AIP.

CPL minimum flight time

ICAO Annex 1 requires at least 200 hours total flight time for the integrated and modular CPL, including 100 hours as PIC and 10 hours instrument flight time, plus cross-country and night experience.

Class 1 medical validity

Required for CPL and ATPL holders; validity is typically 12 months, reducing to 6 months from age 40 and to 6 months from age 60 in many States, and may be shortened after illness.

Recent experience requirement

To carry passengers, a pilot must have completed at least three take-offs and landings in the preceding 90 days in the relevant type or class, with night take-offs and landings for night passenger carriage.

CPL privileges

A CPL holder may act as PIC or co-pilot in non-commercial air transport and as PIC in single-pilot commercial air transport where the State permits, and may be remunerated for flying.

Converging right-of-way rule

When two aircraft of the same category converge at roughly the same altitude, the aircraft on the right has the right-of-way and the other must give way.

Semicircular cruising levels

Magnetic tracks 000-179 degrees use odd thousands and 180-359 degrees use even thousands; RVSM reduces the interval to 1000 ft between FL 290 and FL 410.

Steady red light to aircraft in flight

A steady red light signal directed at an aircraft in flight means give way and continue circling; it does not mean land or stop.

Navigation light colours

Red on the left wingtip, green on the right wingtip, and white at the tail; seeing red and green together indicates an aircraft approaching head-on.

Flight duty period start

The FDP begins when a crew member reports for duty, including reporting before the flight, and ends at engines-off after the final flight or at the end of duty.

Window of circadian low

The period roughly 02:00-06:00 body clock when alertness is lowest; duties encroaching on it require reduced FDP limits or earlier report times to control fatigue.

Minimum rest after duty

Rest must provide at least eight hours of sleep opportunity in suitable accommodation, and must increase with time zone displacement, number of sectors, and the length of the preceding duty.

Fatigue risk management system

A data-driven, State-approved alternative to prescriptive FTL limits that identifies, monitors, and mitigates fatigue hazards; it requires a safety case and ongoing performance monitoring.

Operational control

The operator's authority and responsibility for initiating, conducting, and terminating a flight, including dispatch, fuel, weather, performance, and flight watch before and during the flight.

Minimum equipment list

An approved list allowing dispatch with specified equipment inoperative, subject to stated rectification intervals and operational conditions; items not listed must be serviceable before flight.

Final reserve fuel

Fuel required to hold for 30 minutes at 1500 ft above the alternate aerodrome at holding speed; it is protected and may not be planned for use in normal operations.

PIC emergency authority

The PIC may deviate from the rules of the air to the extent necessary to meet an emergency, and must report the deviation to the authority when required.

Certificate of Airworthiness

Issued by the State of Registry confirming the aircraft meets the applicable type design and is maintained per an approved programme; it remains valid only while maintenance and directives are complied with.

Documents carried on board

Certificate of Registration, Certificate of Airworthiness, crew licences, journey logbook, radio station licence, and where required the operations manual, MEL, and noise certificate.

Aircraft nationality marks

Allocated by the State of Registry under Annex 7 and displayed with the registration mark; an aircraft may not be validly registered in more than one State at the same time.

V1 decision speed

The speed at which a failure is recognised and the take-off must be continued; below V1 the take-off is rejected and the aircraft stopped within the runway or overrun.

MAYDAY versus PAN-PAN

MAYDAY declares distress, a grave and imminent danger requiring immediate assistance; PAN-PAN declares urgency, a condition concerning safety but not requiring immediate assistance.

Emergency descent procedure

On depressurisation, don oxygen masks, establish communication, descend to the lowest safe altitude or 10,000 ft, and turn away from terrain and known traffic.

Read-back requirement

Clearances and instructions affecting safety - route, altitude, heading, speed, frequency, squawk, runway, and conditional clearances - must be read back in full to the controller.

Lost communication squawk

Set transponder to 7600, fly the last acknowledged clearance and route, and follow the published lost-communication procedure; 7700 is emergency and 7500 unlawful interference.

Class D airspace

IFR flights are separated from each other; VFR flights receive traffic information about IFR and other VFR traffic but are not separated from them; an ATC clearance is required.

Class G airspace

Uncontrolled airspace where no ATC clearance or separation is provided; flight information and alerting service may be available, and see-and-avoid applies under VMC minima.

Annex 13 accident definition

An occurrence in which a person is fatally or seriously injured, the aircraft sustains damage or structural failure, or the aircraft is missing or inaccessible; investigation aims at prevention only.

SMS four components

Safety policy and objectives, safety risk management, safety assurance, and safety promotion; operators, maintenance organisations, and ATS providers must implement an SMS.