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Sunday 8th November 2009
Brainteasers
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Mar. 23, 2009

Brainteasers
Interactive Quiz #141:
Through The System

While you navigate the National Airspace System (NAS), air traffic controllers apply a slug of rules to keep it all flowing. The more you know about how the system works, the smoother you'll sound.

INSTRUCTIONS: Answer the questions as best you can, then click on the "Score my quiz answers" button to see your score and read the explanations. If you don't like your score the first time around, you can change some of your answers and resubmit. To get the most out of this quiz, we suggest you keep trying until you get a perfect score.

NOTE: When more than one answer is true, only the most complete, correct answer will be scored as correct. The answers are assumed to apply within the United States unless otherwise noted.

1. The (_____) is the minimum vertical clearance required between the aircraft and ground obstructions over a specific point in an instrument procedure. (Fill in the blank with the appropriate acronym.)
a. RCO
b. ROC
c. RCA
d. RNP
2. In Class D airspace, Clearance Delivery duties might be combined with Ground Control. But in Class C and B, Clearance Delivery has a dedicated frequency. Talk ain't cheap here. It comes fast and in a specific format. Which answer below fits that format?
a. Clearance limit, altitude, route, frequency, transponder code
b. Route, altitude, frequency, transponder code, clearance limit
c. Clearance limit, route, altitude, transponder code, frequency
d. Clearance limit, route, altitude, frequency, transponder code
3. According to the Pilot/Controller Glossary, what do air traffic controllers call "An imaginary point used within ATC as a basis for vectoring aircraft to the final approach course"? (No, they don't just say it to their imaginary friends.)
a. Approach gate
b. Initial approach fix
c. Arrival gate
d. Vector limit
4. Air traffic controllers expect great things of all pilots. If ATC says, "Climb and maintain 5000," you are expected to climb at an optimum rate to (_____) feet below the assigned altitude.
a. 300
b. 500
c. 1000
d. 1500
5. When a controller issues an instruction to a pilot, such as a radar vector or altitude assignment, without using the word "immediately," the controller expects the pilot to execute the provisions ... (Complete the sentence.)
a. After acknowledging the instructions
b. Upon receipt of the instructions
c. After reading back the instructions
d. After saying "Roger, wilco."
6. Scenario: Strapped inside your Turbo RV-8 Rocket, with oxygen tubes plugged up your nostrils, you're cruising along VFR at 17,500 feet MSL. Local altimeter settings have been falling. You're receiving VFR flight following, and your Center controller issues the new altimeter setting: 29.40. What is the lowest altitude (Flight Level) that IFR traffic above you can use?
a. FL180
b. FL185
c. FL190
d. FL170
7. MVA means "minimum vectoring altitude," but you knew that. This is the lowest altitude at which the radar controller is allowed to vector aircraft. MVAs for a local area will always be higher than local MEAs or MOCAs depicted on IFR charts.
a. True
b. False
8. Speaking of MOCA: What is it?
a. Minimum Obstruction Cruise Altitude, the lowest published altitude in effect between fixes on VOR airways, off-airway routes, or route segments that meets obstacle-clearance requirements for the entire route segment. This altitude also assures acceptable navigational-signal coverage only within 20 nm of a VOR.
b. Maximum Obstruction Clearance Altitude, the highest published altitude in effect between fixes on VOR airways, off-airway routes, or route segments that meets obstacle-clearance requirements for the entire route segment. This altitude also assures acceptable navigational-signal coverage only within 25 nm of a VOR.
c. Minimum Obstacle Clearance Attitude, the lowest published altitude in effect between fixes on VOR airways, off-airway routes, or route segments that meets obstacle-clearance requirements for the entire route segment. This altitude also assures acceptable navigational-signal coverage only within 22 nm of a VOR.
d. Minimum Obstruction Clearance Altitude, the lowest published altitude in effect between fixes on VOR airways, off-airway routes, or route segments that meets obstacle-clearance requirements for the entire route segment. This altitude also assures acceptable navigational-signal coverage only within 22 nm of a VOR.
9. Imagine you're on the FBO ramp at an airport inside Class E surface airspace. The weather stinks -- ceiling 200 overcast, visibility 1/4-mile in fog -- and other dripping nastiness that keeps your VFR Cessna 170 grounded. You considered calling Center for a SVFR (Special VFR) clearance out of the airspace, but you want to live so you abandoned that notion. Suddenly, a helicopter appears out of the fog and lands. After tactfully questioning the pilot you discover that the 'copter operated SVFR. What minimums are required for helicopter SVFR (day)?
a. 100-foot overcast, 1/8-mile visibility
b. 200-foot overcast, 1/4-mile visibility
c. Clear of clouds, 1/4-mile visibility
d. Clear of clouds
10. When you contact a radar air traffic controller, you set your altimeter to the local setting, issued by ATC, and tell the controller your altitude. The controller may use your altitude readout on the radar screen for separation purposes provided the readout differs by less than how many feet from what you reported?
a. 100
b. 200
c. 300
d. 500