Rules of the Air, Right-of-Way and Collision Avoidance
Rules of the air, right-of-way and collision avoidance are core airmanship and law. The exam tests who gives way in converging, head-on, overtaking and landing situations, and the principle that right-of-way never removes the duty to avoid a collision.
Right-of-way rules
- Converging: the aircraft on the right has the right of way; the other gives way.
- Head-on: both aircraft turn right.
- Overtaking: the overtaking aircraft keeps clear and passes to the right.
- Landing: an aircraft on final approach has the right of way over aircraft on the ground or in flight.
- Lower aircraft: the lower aircraft has the right of way over a higher aircraft, except when landing.
- Power-driven aircraft give way to gliders, balloons and airships.
- An aircraft in distress has priority over all others.
Collision avoidance
See-and-avoid is the primary defence. Use radio calls, lights, transponder and TCAS where fitted. Do not pass over, under or in front of a give-way aircraft unless clear. Right-of-way rules do not relieve any pilot from the duty to avoid a collision.
Worked example
Two aircraft converge at the same altitude. A sees B on its right. A must give way. If they are head-on, both turn right. If A is overtaking B, A keeps clear and passes to the right.
Traps
- Treating right of way as a licence to ignore collision avoidance.
- Saying a landing aircraft always has right of way over an aircraft in distress.
- Reversing the glider/power-driven give-way rule.
- Overtaking on the left.
- Assuming the lower aircraft always gives way.