Air Law and ATC Procedures
Air Law and ATC Procedures tests the legal framework that governs international flight and the rules you apply in controlled airspace. Expect questions on ICAO annexes, EASA Part-FCL, SERA, altimetry, airspace classes and ATC clearances.
Regulatory layers
- The Chicago Convention (1944) created ICAO; its Annexes set standards. Annex 2 contains the Rules of the Air, Annex 14 aerodromes, Annex 17 security.
- In Europe, EASA Part-FCL governs licensing and SERA governs rules of the air and airspace classification.
- A clearance is an authorisation, not an instruction to break a rule: you must still apply SERA and your operator's procedures.
Altimetry and airspace
Below the transition altitude you fly with QNH; above the transition level you set standard pressure 1013.25 hPa. VMC minima are in SERA.6001 and depend on airspace class, altitude and visibility. Class C and D require ATC clearance; Class E and F do not for VFR in all cases, but class E still requires radio in many states.
Worked example
Aerodrome elevation 1,000 ft, QNH 1003 hPa, transition altitude 5,000 ft. On the ground the altimeter reads 1,000 ft. Climbing above the transition level you set 1013 hPa. The pressure difference is 10 hPa; at 30 ft/hPa the indicated altitude rises by about 300 ft, so the altimeter reads about 1,300 ft. Your true height above the aerodrome is unchanged.
Traps that cost marks
- Confusing QFE (height above aerodrome) with QNH (altitude above MSL).
- Forgetting that the transition layer is between TA and TL and is not available for level flight.
- Mixing ICAO Annex content with SERA content when a question asks which rule applies in Europe.