Air Law Quiz
This is a series of test questions on Air Law.
#1. In flight radio weather reports can be obtained from …
VOLMET (derived from the French words vol for flight and météo for weather) is a continuous radio broadcast that provides real-time meteorological information to aircraft in flight.
It is designed to give pilots up-to-date weather data for major aerodromes over a wide geographical area, helping them make informed decisions about descent, approach, and potential diversions
Please see page 14 of the Skyway Code LINK
#2. When following a prominent landmark, pilots should keep the landmark what side of the aircraft?
When following a prominent line of landmarks—such as a road, railway, canal, or coastline—pilots in the UK should keep the landmark on their left-hand side.
This effectively means you fly to the right of the feature.
Why the Left Side?
This is known as the “Right-Hand Traffic Rule.” Much like driving on the left side of the road ensures that oncoming traffic passes you on your right, this aviation rule ensures that:
Separation: If another aircraft is following the same landmark from the opposite direction, both pilots will be flying on their respective right-hand sides of the feature, keeping them safely separated.
Visibility: Since the pilot in command usually sits in the left-hand seat (as is standard in most light aircraft and microlights), keeping the landmark to the left provides the best possible view of the reference point you are following.
See page 79 of Brian Cosgrove 8th Edition
#3. What is a NOTAM?
NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen) in the UK are official alerts issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to inform pilots and airspace users about temporary hazards, changes to facilities, services, or procedures that are essential for safe flight operations, covering activities from air displays and drone flights to construction projects
See Page 88 of Brian Cosgrove 8th Edition
NOTAMS LINK
#4. Prior to performing any unusual manoeuvres, a pilot should perform checks, using the mnemonic:
A HASELL check is a vital pre-manoeuvre safety checklist used by pilots before performing “unusual” or “stalling” manoeuvres (like stalls, steep turns, or advanced handling).
It ensures that the aircraft is in the right place, you have enough height to recover, and that everything inside is safe.
The HASELL Acronym
H — Height: Do you have enough height to recover? For an NPPL microlight pilot, the standard practice is to be at a height where you will have completed the recovery by at least 3,000 feet AGL.
A — Airframe: Is the plane configured correctly?Check your flaps (usually UP for stalls), fuel pump (if fitted), and that the brakes are OFF.
S — Security: Are you and any passengers (like Karin or the boys) strapped in tight? Are there any loose objects (like a camera or a tablet) that could fly around the cockpit?
E — Engine: Check your “T’s and P’s” (Temperatures and Pressures) are in the green.
L — Location: Are you clear of:
A — Active airfields
B — Built-up areas
C — Cloud and Controlled airspace
D — Danger areas10
L — Lookout: Perform a “clearing turn” (at least one 180 degree turns or two 90 degree turns) to make sure there is no other traffic above, below, or behind you.
Page 28 of the SKYWAY CODE LINK
#5. What does VMC stand for?
In aviation, VMC stands for Visual Meteorological Conditions.
Essentially, these are the weather conditions—specifically visibility and distance from clouds—that allow a pilot to fly by looking out the window to navigate and avoid other aircraft, rather than relying solely on instruments.
What makes up VMC?
In the UK, VMC is defined by three main factors:
Flight Visibility: How far you can see ahead (measured in kilometres).
Horizontal Distance from Cloud: How far you must stay away from the sides of clouds.
Vertical Distance from Cloud: How far you must stay above or below clouds.
See page 92 of Brian Cosgrove 8th Edition
#6. The “Distress” radio frequency is:
#7. The weather is cloudy and you can make out a green light through the cloud on your right hand side. The aircraft you are looking at is travelling :
In this scenario, the other aircraft is travelling from your left to your right.
Here is the breakdown of why:
The Rule: By international standard, all aircraft have a green light on the right wing (starboard) and a red light on the left wing (port).
The Sight: Because you can only see the green light, you are looking at the right-hand side of that aircraft.
The Direction: For you to see its right wing as it passes in front of you (and through the cloud), its nose must be pointed toward the right.
Quick Reference for Navigation Lights:
Only a Green light: Crossing from your left to your right.
Only a Red light: Crossing from your right to your left.
Both Red and Green: Flying directly toward you.
Only a White light: Flying directly away from you.
Page 85 of Brian Cosgrove 8th Edition
#8. What does this signal mean?
A white double cross signifies that glider flying is in progress.
Page 47 of CAP637 (Visual Aids)
See page 82 of Brian Cosgrove 8th Edition
#9. As part of it’s equipment, a microlight must carry:
Page 1 of TIL027
All aeroplanes, whether microlights or otherwise have some kind of instrumentation fitted. BCAR Section S as a minimum requires that a microlight should be fitted with an altimeter and ASI, along with the minimum engine instruments required by the engine manufacturer.
#10. Personal flying log books must include details of:
Select all that apply:
Personal Details: Pilot name
Flight Date: Date of each flight.
Locations: Places of departure and arrival.
Times: Times of departure, arrival, and total Flight duration (hours/minutes).
Aircraft Details: Aircraft type, and registration.
Pilot Function: Your role (PIC, Solo, Dual, Instructor, etc.).
See page 74 of Brian Cosgrove 8th Edition
#11. A transponder is mandatory to enter a MATZ
No, a transponder is not mandatory for a Military Aerodrome Traffic Zone (MATZ) in the UK.
However, there are a few important details to keep in mind regarding how they work:
1. Legal Status
A MATZ is essentially Class G (uncontrolled) airspace for civilian pilots. Legally, you do not even need to ask for permission to enter or have a radio to fly through one.
The Exception: Most MATZs contain a smaller ATZ (Aerodrome Traffic Zone). You must have permission (or have established two-way radio contact, depending on the unit) to enter the ATZ portion.
2. Transponder Mandatory Zones (TMZ)
While a MATZ itself doesn’t require a transponder, some military airfields have an overlapping TMZ (Transponder Mandatory Zone).
If a TMZ is in place, you must have a working transponder to enter that specific area unless you have prior permission from Air Traffic Control.
You can identify these on your chart by looking for the purple semi-circle borders.
3. Best Practice (Airmanship)
Even though it isn’t a legal requirement, it is strongly recommended to use a transponder if you have one.
Military jets move very quickly (often 300 knots ).
Having your transponder on “Altitude” (Mode C or S) allows controllers to see you clearly and keep fast-moving traffic away from you.
If you don’t have a transponder, just tell the controller “Negative Transponder” when you call for a MATZ penetration.
Page 71 of the Skyway Code LINK
See page 77/78 of Brian Cosgrove 8th Edition
#12. What is a TMZ?
A TMZ is an area established within which all aircraft must be equipped with the type of transponder specified for a particular zone, and operate in accordance with any required instructions.
Page 74 of the SKYWAY CODE LINK
#13. An accident report must be submitted to the CAA if an aircraft has an engine failure.
What counts as a “Reportable Accident”?
For a pilot, a report is compulsory if the event took place between people boarding with the intent of flight and everyone disembarking, and resulted in:
Serious Injury: Such as a broken bone (excluding fingers/toes), internal organ damage, or hospitalisation for more than 48 hours.
Structural Damage: Damage that affects the strength or flight characteristics of the aircraft (e.g., a collapsed landing gear or a tail strike).
Missing Aircraft: If the aircraft is completely inaccessible or the search for it has ended.
BMAA Accident report form LINK
Ref Page 89 of Brian Cosgrove 8th Edition
#14. An intercept aircraft in front of you diverts suddenly with an abrupt break away movement. This means:
This movement is the standard visual signal meaning “You may proceed.”
According to the ICAO and CAA (Rules of the Air), an intercepting aircraft will perform this “Series 2” signal once they have identified you or are satisfied that you are no longer a threat/restriction.
Page 150 (Number 2) of the SKYWAY CODE LINK
#15. A White cross and a single white bar denotes:
Where a closed Runway is available for emergency use and providing it has been inspected in the previous six months and declared serviceable for an emergency
landing at any time, an underscored closed marking may be placed at each end of the runway
Page 2 of Regulatory Article 3519 LINK
See page 84 of Brian Cosgrove 8th Edition
#16. VMC requirements stipulate that a pilot should remain how far from cloud horizontally when above 3000 ft?
When flying above 3,000 ft AMSL (or above 1,000 ft above terrain, whichever is higher), the VMC requirements for horizontal distance from cloud are:
1,500 metres horizontally.
In addition to this horizontal clearance, you must also maintain:
CAA LINK
See page 73 of Brian Cosgrove 8th Edition
#17. The new medical self declaration last until age:
For BMAA microlight flying, you typically use the CAA Pilot Medical Declaration (Self-Declaration) for ages 14-70, confirming fitness to fly, similar to driving standards.
BMAA LINK
#18. How many take-offs does a pilot need to have made since the last licence validation / GST?
For Licence Revalidation (Every 2 Years)
To revalidate your Microlight rating by experience, you must have completed at least:
12 take-offs and 12 landings within the 24-month validity period of your rating.
The full 2-year requirements are:
12 hours of total flight time.
6 hours must be flown in the 12 months immediately before the rating expires.
1 hour of dual flight training with an instructor.
BMAA LINK
See Page 73 of Brian Cosgrove 8th Edition
#19. If you travel overseas outside the UK you should carry the following documents:
- Pilot Licence & Medical: Valid UK Pilot Licence (with appropriate ratings) and a medical certificate accepted by the destination country (UK Medical Declaration usually not enough for Europe).
- Aircraft Documents: Valid UK Registration Document, National Permit to Fly (for non-SSDRs), and Insurance Certificate (valid for Europe).
- Radio Licence: Valid Radio Station Licence and Pilot’s Radio Licence (LPE).
- Passport/ID: Valid passport for the pilot and any passengers.
BMAA LINK
See Page 89 of Brian Cosgrove 8th Edition
#20. How many FIS Regions are there for the Scotland and England?
In the UK, for the purposes of flight information and air traffic control, there are two main Flight Information Regions (FIRs) that cover the landmass of Scotland and England:
London FIR (EGTT): Covers all of England and Wales.
Scottish FIR (EGPX): Covers all of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
See Page 10 Skyway Code LINK
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