Rules of the Air — Page 111, Lesson 176

Let’s pick this up right where the rules start to get practical. I want to walk you through two things here: flying near an aerodrome, and when you must file a flight plan. First, flight in the vicinity of an aerodrome. This is rule 6.29. The note up front is important: the pilot of an aeroplane is to plan the route to be flown, and at all times you must be aware when the aircraft is being flown in the vicinity of an aerodrome. So this isn’t just about being inside the Aerodrome Traffic Zone — the rule applies whether or not you’re within that zone. The Aerodrome Traffic Zone is a defined area around the aerodrome, and the rule deliberately covers you even outside it, as long as you’re in the vicinity. Now, if you’re operating on or in the vicinity of an aerodrome, you have four obligations. First, observe other aerodrome traffic for the purpose of avoiding collisions. That’s your primary job — see and be seen. Second, conform with, or avoid, the pattern of traffic formed by other aircraft in operation. So you either fit into the circuit that’s already flowing, or you deliberately stay out of it. Third, make all turns to the left when approaching for landing and after taking off, unless otherwise instructed. That’s the standard left-hand circuit — and the note in parentheses reminds you that a right-hand circuit is the exception, only when you’re told to do it. Fourth, land and take off into wind, unless safety, the runway configuration, or air traffic considerations determine that a different direction is preferable. So into wind is the default, but you can deviate for safety, for how the runway is laid out, or because air traffic control says so. There’s a figure here — Figure 6.11 — that shows this circuit pattern, so you can see the left-hand turns visually. Now the second part, flight plans, rule 6.30. A flight plan is to be submitted prior to operating in five situations. Let me take them one at a time. First, any flight or portion thereof to be provided with an air traffic service — that’s a controlled flight. So if you’re getting ATC service, you file. Second, any IFR flight within advisory airspace. IFR is instrument flight rules, and advisory airspace is where you get an advisory service rather than full control — but you still file. Third, any flight within or into designated areas, or along designated routes, when so required by the appropriate ATS authority to facilitate the provision of flight information, the alerting and search and rescue services. So the ATS authority — the air traffic services authority — can designate areas or routes where filing is mandatory so they can give you flight information and, critically, so they can alert search and rescue if you go missing. Fourth, any flight within or into designated areas, or along designated routes, when so required by the appropriate ATS authority to facilitate co-ordination with appropriate military units — that’s the ADIZ, the Air Defence Identification Zone — or with air traffic service units in adjacent states, in order to avoid the possible need for interception for the purpose of identification. So this is about letting military or neighbouring states know who you are, so they don’t have to scramble to identify you. And fifth, any flight across international borders — and note the emphasis: not just FIR boundaries. FIR is a Flight Information Region, which is an airspace boundary, but an international border is a state boundary. So crossing a national border triggers the flight plan requirement, even if you’re not crossing an FIR boundary. So to tie it together: near an aerodrome, you’re watching traffic, fitting into or avoiding the circuit, turning left unless told otherwise, and landing and taking off into wind unless there’s a reason not to. And before you go, you file a flight plan whenever you’re controlled, IFR in advisory airspace, in a designated area or route for flight information or military co-ordination, or crossing an international border.