CTO CTO Noise Abatement & Special Use Airspace Procedures 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An aircraft requests a runway that would result in a noise abatement conflict per the airport's established procedures. The controller should:
- Assign the noise abatement runway regardless of the pilot's preference
- Advise the pilot of the preferred noise abatement runway and accommodate the request if operationally feasible (Correct answer)
- Deny the request without explanation
- Contact the FAA Flight Standards District Office before responding
Correct answer: Advise the pilot of the preferred noise abatement runway and accommodate the request if operationally feasible
Controllers should advise pilots of preferred noise abatement runways and balance pilot requests with noise procedures when operations permit.
Question 2: A Warning Area is depicted offshore and extends from 3 nautical miles outward. This airspace designation means:
- It is prohibited to all civil aviation
- It contains activity that may be hazardous to non-participating aircraft, but is not prohibited (Correct answer)
- It requires ATC clearance to enter at all times
- It is reserved exclusively for supersonic flight testing
Correct answer: It contains activity that may be hazardous to non-participating aircraft, but is not prohibited
Warning Areas are similar to Restricted Areas but are located in international airspace where the FAA cannot prohibit flight; pilots are warned of potential hazards.
Question 3: An Alert Area on an aeronautical chart indicates:
- Airspace with a high volume of pilot training or unusual aerial activity (Correct answer)
- Airspace where flight is prohibited without a waiver
- Military airspace with gunnery exercises below 10,000 feet MSL
- A parachute jump area requiring a clearance
Correct answer: Airspace with a high volume of pilot training or unusual aerial activity
Alert Areas notify all pilots of areas with a high volume of student pilot activity or unusual aerial activity so that extra vigilance is exercised.
Question 4: Which authority must a tower controller contact to determine if a Restricted Area is 'hot' (active) or 'cold' (released)?
- The local FSDO
- The controlling agency listed on the aeronautical chart or in the Airport/Facility Directory (Correct answer)
- The National Weather Service
- The ARTCC traffic management unit only
Correct answer: The controlling agency listed on the aeronautical chart or in the Airport/Facility Directory
The controlling agency for each Restricted Area (listed on charts and in the AFD/Chart Supplement) manages activation status and can release it to ATC.
Question 5: A pilot requests a low-altitude noise abatement departure and the controller approves it. Who retains responsibility for obstacle clearance during this non-standard profile?
- The tower controller who approved the departure
- The pilot in command (Correct answer)
- The airline dispatcher who filed the flight plan
- Shared equally between the controller and pilot
Correct answer: The pilot in command
The pilot in command is always responsible for obstacle clearance when accepting a non-standard or noise abatement profile outside of published IFR procedures.
Question 6: National Security Areas (NSAs) are established to enhance security of sensitive ground facilities. Pilots are:
- Prohibited from flying through them at any altitude
- Requested to voluntarily avoid NSAs; flight is not prohibited but is discouraged (Correct answer)
- Required to obtain a special permit from TSA before transiting
- Permitted only if squawking 7777
Correct answer: Requested to voluntarily avoid NSAs; flight is not prohibited but is discouraged
NSAs are voluntary avoidance areas where pilots are requested not to fly, but flight is not prohibited by regulation; violations may result in intercept.
CTO CTO Noise Abatement & Special Use Airspace Procedures 2
An aircraft requests a runway that would result in a noise abatement conflict per the airport's established procedures.
The controller should: