ADX Communication Procedures 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An aircraft dispatcher receives a crew message stating 'TECHNICAL DELAY - ENGINE ISSUE.' Under Part 121, what must the dispatcher do before the flight can legally depart?
- Issue a revised dispatch release once the issue is resolved and both PIC and dispatcher concur (Correct answer)
- Notify the FAA Flight Operations Inspector immediately
- Automatically cancel the flight and rebook passengers
- Transfer authority to the maintenance control center
Correct answer: Issue a revised dispatch release once the issue is resolved and both PIC and dispatcher concur
A revised dispatch release must be issued and jointly agreed upon by both the dispatcher and PIC before departure after any significant technical issue.
Question 2: Which ICAO phraseology should a dispatcher instruct a crew to use when reporting their position over an oceanic waypoint on HF radio?
- 'Position report' followed by aircraft ID, position, time, altitude, next waypoint, ETA next waypoint, and subsequent waypoint (Correct answer)
- 'Mayday mayday' followed by position and heading
- 'Traffic advisory' followed by aircraft callsign and coordinates
- 'SELCAL check' followed by the assigned SELCAL code
Correct answer: 'Position report' followed by aircraft ID, position, time, altitude, next waypoint, ETA next waypoint, and subsequent waypoint
Standard oceanic position reports include aircraft identification, position, time, altitude, next waypoint, ETA, and the waypoint after next.
Question 3: What is the purpose of the Operational Control Center (OCC) frequency in airline communications?
- It is the emergency-only frequency reserved for declaring Mayday
- It provides a dedicated channel for company operational communications between crews and dispatch (Correct answer)
- It is used exclusively for ATC clearances at congested airports
- It broadcasts automated weather updates to all company aircraft simultaneously
Correct answer: It provides a dedicated channel for company operational communications between crews and dispatch
The OCC frequency is a company-assigned VHF channel used for operational messages between flight crews and the dispatch/operations center.
Question 4: A dispatcher notes that an inbound aircraft is 45 minutes late and the crew's duty time will expire before the turnaround can be completed. What should the dispatcher communicate to the crew?
- Inform the crew of the duty time conflict and coordinate with crew scheduling to arrange relief or an extension (Correct answer)
- Advise the crew to expedite the turnaround without a full preflight
- Log the situation and let the captain decide independently
- Request an emergency slot from ATC to shorten ground time
Correct answer: Inform the crew of the duty time conflict and coordinate with crew scheduling to arrange relief or an extension
The dispatcher must communicate duty time constraints to the crew and coordinate with scheduling because crew rest rules are a regulatory safety requirement.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes a 'ACARS uplink' message?
- A message sent from the aircraft to the ground station
- A message sent from the ground station or dispatch to the aircraft (Correct answer)
- A weather broadcast transmitted via satellite to all aircraft in a region
- An ATC clearance delivered via data link
Correct answer: A message sent from the ground station or dispatch to the aircraft
An uplink is a message transmitted from a ground station (such as dispatch) to the aircraft, while a downlink travels from the aircraft to the ground.
Question 6: Under what circumstance is a dispatcher permitted to use a non-standard abbreviated phraseology in an ACARS message to a crew?
- Whenever it saves transmission time on busy frequencies
- When the crew and dispatcher have previously agreed on the specific abbreviations (Correct answer)
- Never; only ICAO-standard phraseology is permitted in all ACARS messages
- Only when the message is flagged as routine rather than urgent
Correct answer: When the crew and dispatcher have previously agreed on the specific abbreviations
Non-standard abbreviated terms may be used in ACARS messages only when both parties have a pre-established mutual understanding of the abbreviations.
Question 7: A flight crew reports via ACARS that they have encountered an unforecast area of icing at their filed altitude. What is the dispatcher's most appropriate response?
- Advise the crew to continue at the current altitude and monitor the situation
- Research current PIREPs and forecast data, then coordinate an altitude change or reroute with ATC and relay options to the crew (Correct answer)
- Contact the FAA and file a weather deviation report on the crew's behalf
- Declare an emergency and request priority handling from ATC
Correct answer: Research current PIREPs and forecast data, then coordinate an altitude change or reroute with ATC and relay options to the crew
The dispatcher should gather all available icing data and work with ATC and the crew to find a safe altitude or route, supporting the joint decision-making process.
ADX Communication Procedures 3
An aircraft dispatcher receives a crew message stating 'TECHNICAL DELAY - ENGINE ISSUE.' Under Part 121, what must the dispatcher do before the flight can legally depart?