ATPL Air Law Questions

Which transponder code should a pilot select to indicate a general emergency?

• 7700
• 7600
• 7500
• 2000

Explanation: 7700 is the universal transponder code for a general emergency. 7600 signals a radio communication failure, 7500 signals unlawful interference (hijack), and 2000 is the general conspicuity code used when entering radar airspace from an area where no discrete code was assigned.

Air Law - Emergency & Conspicuity Transponder Codes

What does a 'Special VFR' clearance generally permit?

• VFR flight within a control zone when the weather is below the normal VMC minima, at the discretion of air traffic control
• Flight under IFR without a filed flight plan
• VFR flight above FL195 without restriction
• Flight without a functioning transponder in controlled airspace

Explanation: A Special VFR clearance lets a flight operate within a control zone under conditions that don't quite meet the normal VMC criteria, issued by air traffic control at their discretion when traffic and conditions allow, generally subject to additional restrictions such as remaining clear of cloud and in sight of the surface.

Air Law - Special VFR

When air traffic control instructs an aircraft to 'line up and wait', what is the aircraft generally expected to do?

• Taxi onto the runway and hold in position, without beginning the take-off roll until a further take-off clearance is issued
• Begin the take-off roll immediately upon reaching the runway
• Remain on the taxiway and not enter the runway at all
• Enter the runway and immediately backtrack to the opposite threshold

Explanation: 'Line up and wait' authorises the aircraft to taxi onto the departure runway and hold there, but not to commence take-off - an explicit, separate take-off clearance is still required before the roll begins, which is an important distinction for runway safety.

Air Law - ATC Phraseology & Instructions

When an air traffic controller instructs a pilot to 'squawk ident', what is the pilot generally expected to do?

• Press the transponder's IDENT function, causing the aircraft's return to be highlighted distinctly on the controller's radar display
• Change to a completely new discrete transponder code
• Switch the transponder off entirely
• Broadcast an emergency distress call

Explanation: Pressing IDENT briefly causes the aircraft's return to be specially highlighted on the controller's radar display, helping the controller positively identify which return corresponds to that aircraft - it does not change the assigned code or broadcast a distress signal.

Air Law - Transponder Operation & Phraseology

Clocks and other timing equipment used by air traffic services must be checked so as to be able to indicate time within:

• Plus or minus 30 seconds of UTC
• Plus or minus 10 seconds of UTC
• Plus or minus 15 seconds of UTC
• Plus or minus 1 minute of UTC

Explanation: ATS timing equipment accuracy is checked to within 30 seconds of UTC, a tolerance considered adequate for air traffic purposes such as timed clearances, holding, and separation based on estimated times, without requiring atomic-clock-level precision at every facility.

Air Law - ATS Timing Accuracy

If visual contact with the runway is lost during a circling approach, the appropriate action is generally to:

• Initiate a missed approach
• Descend to Decision Height, and only then initiate a missed approach if there is still no contact
• Return directly to the final approach fix
• Land on the instrument runway instead of the intended runway

Explanation: Losing visual contact during a circling approach removes the basis on which the pilot was continuing visually, so the correct response is to initiate a missed approach immediately rather than continue and hope contact is regained, or attempt to land on a different runway than the one being visually manoeuvred toward.

Air Law - Circling Approach, Lost Visual Contact

For AIP purposes, a temporary change is generally considered to be of 'long duration' - and therefore published as an AIP Supplement - when it is expected to last:

• 3 months or longer
• 1 year or longer
• 6 months or longer
• 2 months or longer

Explanation: AIP Supplements are used for temporary changes expected to last a substantial period - generally defined as 3 months or more - as distinct from NOTAMs, which are used for shorter-duration or more urgent temporary information.

Air Law - AIP Supplements, Long Duration Definition

Air Traffic Services units generally consist of:

• Air Traffic Control units, Flight Information Centres, and Air Traffic Services Reporting Offices
• Air Traffic Control units and Flight Information Centres only
• Air Traffic Services Reporting Offices and Air Traffic Control units only
• Flight Information Centres and Air Traffic Services Reporting Offices only

Explanation: The full set of ATS units includes Air Traffic Control units (providing control service), Flight Information Centres (providing flight information and alerting service), and Air Traffic Services Reporting Offices (handling flight plan/reporting administration) - all three together make up 'ATS units' as a category.

Air Law - ATS Units Defined