New Zealand and international flight operations
New Zealand and international flight operations
This domain tests the paperwork and procedures surrounding the navigation: flight notification, FIR boundaries, time and customs.
Flight plans and SARTIME. In NZ, VFR flight plans are not universally mandatory, but SARTIME or a flight plan is required in many circumstances and is good practice. File with the ATS unit or via the approved system; cancel on arrival. FIRs relevant to NZ include Auckland Oceanic, Nadi and Brisbane.
Time. Use UTC for flight plans and position reports. NZ standard time is UTC+12, NZ daylight time UTC+13. Crossing the International Date Line eastbound you repeat a day; westbound you lose a day.
International. Departure and arrival at an international aerodrome requires customs, immigration and biosecurity clearance; check AIP AD for hours and requirements. Oceanic flights use ADS-C and CPDLC where equipped. Carry a 406 MHz ELT or PLB, and know 121.5 for emergencies.
Worked example. Depart Auckland at 2200 UTC on 10 January, flight time 8 h to Rarotonga (UTC−10). Arrival UTC = 0600 on 11 January. Rarotonga local time = 0600 − 10 = 2000 on 10 January. The date line crossing means the local arrival date is the same day you departed.
Traps. Filing in local time; forgetting the daylight-saving offset (UTC+13); assuming a VFR flight plan is an ATC clearance; and not checking that the destination is a designated international aerodrome of entry.