CFC Flight Operations & Coordination 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a volcanic ash event, what is the primary coordination action for a flight communicator?
- File a PIREP only after landing
- Immediately advise all airborne flights in the affected area of the ash cloud location and coordinate route deviations (Correct answer)
- Wait for an official SIGMET before notifying crews
- Notify only flights within 50 nm of the volcano
Correct answer: Immediately advise all airborne flights in the affected area of the ash cloud location and coordinate route deviations
Volcanic ash poses extreme danger to jet engines; flight communicators must proactively warn all aircraft in affected airspace and facilitate immediate rerouting without waiting for formal documentation.
Question 2: What is a 'gate hold' procedure and why is it used?
- A hold pattern over the airport gate area
- Keeping aircraft at the gate to absorb en route or arrival delays, reducing airborne fuel burn (Correct answer)
- A maintenance hold before departure
- An extended taxi clearance restriction
Correct answer: Keeping aircraft at the gate to absorb en route or arrival delays, reducing airborne fuel burn
Gate hold procedures keep aircraft at the gate rather than taxiing or holding airborne, conserving fuel and reducing pilot workload during system delays.
Question 3: Which organization manages the National Airspace System Command Center (NASCC) in the US?
- NTSB
- FAA Air Traffic Organization (Correct answer)
- TSA
- DoD ATAC
Correct answer: FAA Air Traffic Organization
The FAA's Air Traffic Organization operates the Air Traffic Control System Command Center (ATCSCC), which manages national traffic flow.
Question 4: If an aircraft experiences a radio failure in IMC, what squawk code should the pilot set?
- 7500
- 7600 (Correct answer)
- 7700
- 7000
Correct answer: 7600
Squawk 7600 indicates radio failure (NORDO); 7500 is hijack and 7700 is general emergency.
Question 5: A flight communicator receives conflicting weather reports about icing conditions on an aircraft's route. What is the correct course of action?
- Use only the most recent report and discard older ones
- Provide the crew with all available information including source and time of each report so they can make an informed decision (Correct answer)
- Wait for a SIGMET before notifying the crew
- Notify only the dispatcher and let them decide
Correct answer: Provide the crew with all available information including source and time of each report so they can make an informed decision
All available icing reports, with timestamps and sources, should be passed to the crew so they have complete situational awareness for their decision-making.
Question 6: What is the purpose of a 'Letters of Agreement' (LOA) between ATC facilities?
- To legally bind airlines to on-time performance
- To define procedures, responsibilities, and coordination requirements between adjacent facilities to ensure seamless airspace management (Correct answer)
- To establish priority landing rights for commercial carriers
- To set minimum separation standards globally
Correct answer: To define procedures, responsibilities, and coordination requirements between adjacent facilities to ensure seamless airspace management
LOAs are formal agreements between adjacent ATC facilities that define how coordination, handoffs, and special procedures are handled to ensure safe and efficient airspace management.
Question 7: When a military NOTAM (NOTAM M) is filed, what airspace users are primarily affected?
- Only commercial airliners above FL180
- All civil and military users who may enter the described airspace or time period (Correct answer)
- Only IFR flights on jet routes
- Only flights within 10 nm of military installations
Correct answer: All civil and military users who may enter the described airspace or time period
Military NOTAMs describe airspace reservations, exercises, or restrictions that affect all users — civil and military — who could potentially operate in that airspace.
CFC Flight Operations & Coordination 4
During a volcanic ash event, what is the primary coordination action for a flight communicator?