ATC Airport Operations 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of an Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) broadcast?
- To provide current non-control airport information to reduce frequency congestion (Correct answer)
- To broadcast weather alerts and TFRs to en route aircraft
- To coordinate traffic flow between approach control and the tower
- To notify pilots of runway changes and NOTAM updates
Correct answer: To provide current non-control airport information to reduce frequency congestion
ATIS continuously broadcasts non-control information such as weather, active runways, and NOTAMs to reduce the frequency congestion on ATC frequencies.
Question 2: What is a 'hot spot' on an airport surface diagram?
- A location with a history of runway incursions or surface incidents (Correct answer)
- An area of the airport where aircraft must hold for clearance
- A section of the taxiway with increased surface temperature
- A designated area for aircraft engine run-up
Correct answer: A location with a history of runway incursions or surface incidents
Hot spots are areas on an airport movement area with a history of or potential for runway incursions or surface incidents, identified to enhance pilot and controller situational awareness.
Question 3: Which of the following best defines a runway incursion?
- Any unauthorized or improper presence of an aircraft, vehicle, or person on a runway (Correct answer)
- An aircraft landing on the wrong runway
- A vehicle crossing a runway without ATC clearance
- Two aircraft occupying the same runway at the same time
Correct answer: Any unauthorized or improper presence of an aircraft, vehicle, or person on a runway
The FAA defines a runway incursion as any occurrence at an aerodrome involving the incorrect presence of an aircraft, vehicle, or person on the protected area of a surface designated for landing and takeoff.
Question 4: What is the correct phraseology for instructing an aircraft to taxi onto the runway and await takeoff clearance?
- Line up and wait (Correct answer)
- Hold short, prepare for takeoff
- Taxi into position and hold
- Enter runway, standby for departure
Correct answer: Line up and wait
The FAA standardized the phraseology to 'line up and wait' in 2010, replacing the older 'position and hold' to align with international ICAO standards.
Question 5: What does a steady red signal from the control tower mean to an aircraft in flight?
- Give way to other aircraft and continue circling (Correct answer)
- Stop immediately
- Return to the airport immediately
- Cleared to land
Correct answer: Give way to other aircraft and continue circling
A steady red light signal to an aircraft in flight means give way to other aircraft and continue circling — the aircraft is not cleared to land.
Question 6: What is the purpose of an ILS critical area?
- To prevent vehicle and aircraft interference with ILS signals during low visibility operations (Correct answer)
- To designate the area where aircraft must be established on the localizer
- To mark the zone where aircraft must maintain precision approach altitudes
- To identify where ground equipment must park during instrument approaches
Correct answer: To prevent vehicle and aircraft interference with ILS signals during low visibility operations
ILS critical areas protect the ILS electronic signals from distortion caused by large aircraft or vehicles that could cause erroneous course or glide slope indications.
Question 7: What is a NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions)?
- A notice containing information essential to personnel concerned with flight operations not included in other publications (Correct answer)
- A mandatory advisory issued by the FAA for all commercial operations
- A weather advisory broadcast on ATIS frequencies
- An official clearance modification issued by ATC
Correct answer: A notice containing information essential to personnel concerned with flight operations not included in other publications
A NOTAM is a notice containing time-critical aeronautical information that may affect safety, including runway closures, outages of navigation aids, and airspace restrictions.
ATC Airport Operations 2
What is the primary purpose of an Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) broadcast?