ATSA Reading Comprehension Skills 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A regulation excerpt states: 'No person may operate an aircraft in controlled airspace under IFR unless that person has filed an IFR flight plan and received an appropriate ATC clearance.' A pilot is flying IFR in Class E airspace without having filed a flight plan. What has the pilot violated?
- Only an advisory rule, since Class E is uncontrolled
- A mandatory regulation requiring both a filed plan and ATC clearance for IFR in controlled airspace (Correct answer)
- Only the clearance requirement, since Class E flight plans are optional
- No regulation, as IFR flight plans are only required in Class B airspace
Correct answer: A mandatory regulation requiring both a filed plan and ATC clearance for IFR in controlled airspace
Class E is controlled airspace, and the regulation explicitly requires both a filed IFR flight plan and an ATC clearance to operate IFR within it.
Question 2: A training manual passage reads: 'When issuing a speed adjustment, controllers should consider that jet aircraft require more distance to decelerate than propeller-driven aircraft.' A controller needs to sequence a jet and a turboprop to the same fix. What does this passage suggest about timing?
- Issue the deceleration instruction to the turboprop first
- Issue the deceleration instruction to the jet earlier than to the turboprop (Correct answer)
- Decelerate both aircraft at the same time for uniform spacing
- Speed adjustments should not be used when sequencing mixed traffic
Correct answer: Issue the deceleration instruction to the jet earlier than to the turboprop
Because jets require more distance to decelerate, the passage implies the jet needs more lead time, so its speed adjustment should be issued earlier.
Question 3: A facility directive states: 'Coordination between sectors must be completed prior to the transfer of communication, unless an emergency exists.' A controller hands off a flight without coordinating first due to heavy workload but no emergency. What does the directive indicate about this action?
- It is acceptable because heavy workload is equivalent to an emergency
- It violates the directive, as the exception applies only to actual emergencies (Correct answer)
- It is permitted because the directive only applies to IFR traffic
- It is acceptable if the receiving controller verbally agrees after the fact
Correct answer: It violates the directive, as the exception applies only to actual emergencies
The directive's only exception is an actual emergency; heavy workload does not qualify, making the handoff without prior coordination a violation of the directive.
Question 4: A passage reads: 'Altitude filters on radar displays can be used to declutter the scope by suppressing returns from aircraft outside a selected altitude band.' A controller sets a filter to show only aircraft between 6,000 and 18,000 feet. An aircraft at 5,500 feet enters the sector. What happens to its return?
- It appears with a special alert symbol to warn the controller
- It is suppressed and will not appear on the display (Correct answer)
- It appears normally because it is near the filter boundary
- It triggers an automatic altitude deviation warning
Correct answer: It is suppressed and will not appear on the display
The passage states filters suppress returns outside the selected band; 5,500 feet is below the 6,000-foot lower limit, so the return will be suppressed.
Question 5: An LOA between two facilities reads: 'Eastbound traffic crossing the boundary above FL240 must be at FL260 or above and on a published airway.' An aircraft is eastbound, crossing at FL250, on a direct routing not on a published airway. How many LOA conditions does this flight violate?
- Zero — FL250 is above FL240
- One — the direct routing violates the airway requirement
- Two — both the altitude and the routing violate the LOA (Correct answer)
- The LOA does not apply because the aircraft is above FL240
Correct answer: Two — both the altitude and the routing violate the LOA
The LOA requires eastbound crossings above FL240 to be at FL260 or above AND on a published airway; FL250 fails the altitude requirement and a direct routing fails the airway requirement.
Question 6: A passage about read-backs states: 'Pilots are expected to read back all runway crossing and hold short instructions in full. Controllers must listen to the read-back and correct any errors.' A pilot reads back a hold short instruction incorrectly. What is the controller's responsibility?
- Acknowledge the read-back and continue with other traffic
- Immediately correct the pilot's incorrect read-back (Correct answer)
- Re-issue the instruction only if the pilot asks for clarification
- File an incident report and then correct the pilot
Correct answer: Immediately correct the pilot's incorrect read-back
The passage explicitly requires controllers to correct any errors in read-backs, making immediate correction a defined responsibility.
Question 7: A manual section reads: 'Separation minima are reduced in radar environment to 3 miles laterally or 1,000 feet vertically below FL180, and 5 miles laterally or 1,000 feet vertically at and above FL180.' Two aircraft are at FL200 with 4 miles of lateral separation and 0 feet of vertical separation. Are they separated?
- Yes, because 4 miles meets the below FL180 standard of 3 miles
- No, because at FL200 the lateral minimum is 5 miles (Correct answer)
- Yes, because vertical separation of any amount is acceptable above FL180
- No, because vertical separation must always be at least 2,000 feet above FL180
Correct answer: No, because at FL200 the lateral minimum is 5 miles
At FL200 (at and above FL180), the lateral minimum is 5 miles; the aircraft are only 4 miles apart with no vertical separation, so they are not separated.
ATSA Reading Comprehension Skills 3
A regulation excerpt states: 'No person may operate an aircraft in controlled airspace under IFR unless that person has filed an IFR flight plan and received an appropriate ATC clearance.' A pilot is flying IFR in Class E airspace without having filed a flight plan.
What has the pilot violated?