Definitions — Page 20, Lesson 27

Let’s start with the Expected Approach Time. This is the time at which ATC—Air Traffic Control—expects that an arriving aircraft, after a delay, will leave the holding point to complete its approach to landing. So picture an aircraft circling in a holding pattern, waiting for its turn. The Expected Approach Time is the moment ATC predicts that aircraft will leave that hold and begin its final approach. There’s an important note here: the actual time of leaving the holding point will depend on the approach clearance. So the EAT is an expectation, not a guarantee—the real departure from the hold hinges on when ATC actually clears the aircraft to proceed. Next, we have the Final approach and take-off area, abbreviated FATO, specifically for helicopters. This is a defined area over which the final phase of the approach manoeuvre to hover or landing is completed, and from which the take-off manoeuvre is commenced. So it’s the designated zone where a helicopter finishes its approach—whether that ends in a hover or a landing—and also where it starts its take-off. There’s a crucial qualifier: where the FATO is to be used by performance class 1 helicopters, it also includes the rejected take-off area available. Performance class 1 is a certification category for helicopters that allows a safe landing or continued flight if an engine fails during take-off. So for those helicopters, the FATO must include space for a rejected take-off—meaning an aborted take-off—so the helicopter can land back down safely if something goes wrong early in the climb. Now, the Filed Flight Plan. This is the flight plan as filed with an ATS unit—an Air Traffic Services unit—by the pilot or a designated representative, without any subsequent changes. So it’s the original plan as submitted, before any amendments. There’s a note: when the word “message” is used as a suffix to this term, it denotes the content and format of the filed flight plan data as transmitted. So “filed flight plan message” refers specifically to the data as it’s sent over the communication system, in its transmitted format. Next, the Flight Crew Member. This is a licensed crew member charged with duties essential to the operation of an aircraft during flight time. So it’s not just anyone on board—it’s a person who holds a licence and has responsibilities that are essential to actually operating the aircraft while it’s in flight. Then we have the Flight Information Service, abbreviated FIS. This is a service provided for the purpose of giving advice and information useful for the safe and efficient conduct of flights. So it’s an advisory service—it doesn’t issue clearances or control traffic, but it provides information and advice that helps pilots fly safely and efficiently. Now, the Flight Level, abbreviated FL. This is a surface of constant atmospheric pressure which is related to a specific pressure datum, 1013.2 hPa, and is separated from other such surfaces by specific pressure intervals. So a flight level is not an altitude measured from the ground—it’s a pressure surface. The reference datum is 1013.2 hectopascals, which is the standard atmospheric pressure at sea level. Flight levels are separated by specific pressure intervals, typically 500 feet in terms of pressure altitude. There’s a detailed note here about how a pressure altimeter behaves. A pressure type altimeter calibrated in accordance with the Standard Atmosphere: when set to QNH, the altimeter will indicate altitude—that’s height above mean sea level. When set to QFE, the altimeter will indicate height above the QFE reference datum—that’s height above a specific aerodrome or runway threshold. And when set at a pressure of 1013.2 hPa, it may be used to indicate flight levels. So the same instrument, with different pressure settings, gives you different readings: altitude with QNH, height with QFE, and flight level with the standard 1013.2 setting. There’s a second note that clarifies the terms “height” and “altitude” here indicate altimetric rather than geometric heights or altitudes. So these are readings from the altimeter based on pressure, not actual physical measurements from the ground. Next, the Flight Plan, abbreviated FPL. This is specified information provided to air traffic services units, relative to an intended flight or portion of a flight of an aircraft. So it’s the formal document—or the data—that you give to ATS before you fly, describing your intended route, altitude, speed, and other details. Note the distinction: the Flight Plan is the specified information itself, while the Filed Flight Plan we covered earlier is that plan as submitted without changes. Then we have two terms that both point to the same definition: Flight Procedures Trainer and Flight Simulator. Both are defined as “See Synthetic flight trainer.” So they’re both categories of synthetic flight training devices, and the full definition is given under that umbrella term. Next, the Flight Recording System. This means a system comprising either a flight data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder or both. So it’s the collective system that records flight data and cockpit audio—it could have one or the other, or both together. Now, Flight time – Aeroplanes. This is the total time from the moment an aircraft first moves for the purpose of taking off until the moment it finally comes to rest at the end of the flight. So it starts when the aircraft begins to move with the intention of taking off, and it ends when the aircraft stops moving at the end of the flight. There’s a note: flight time as here defined is synonymous with the term “block to block” time or “chock to chock” time in general usage, which is measured from the time an aircraft moves from the loading point until it stops at the unloading point. So “block to block” and “chock to chock” are the everyday terms for this same concept—from the moment you leave the gate or the loading point until you arrive at the destination gate or unloading point. There’s a second note specific to helicopters: whenever helicopter rotors are engaged, the time will be included in the flight time. So for helicopters, if the rotors are turning, that time counts toward flight time, even if the aircraft isn’t moving. Finally, we have Flight Time as Student Pilot-in-command. This is flight time during which the flight instructor will only observe the student acting as PIC—Pilot-in-command—and shall not influence or control the flight of the aircraft. So the student is the one actually flying, making the decisions, and the instructor is just watching, not touching the controls or directing the flight. This is a specific category of flight time that counts toward a student’s experience, and it’s defined by the instructor’s non-interference. Let me tie these together. These are all foundational definitions in air law—they give precise, legal meanings to terms you’ll use constantly in aviation. The key theme is precision: each term has a specific technical meaning, often with notes that clarify edge cases, like the difference between altitude, height, and flight level, or the helicopter-specific rules for FATO and flight time. These definitions are the building blocks for everything else in the regulations, so getting them exactly right matters.