I will bite ... how can you have an aircraft approach you from directly ahead (i.e. reciprocal) at the same level if you both follow the quadrantal rule ??
Aircraft A tracking 050 FL70 ground speed 240Kt
Aircraft B is tracking 050 FL70 groundspeed 120Kt
If aircraft B is in aircraft A's 12 O'Clock then as far as aircraft A is concerned, aircraft B is approaching it from directly ahead at the same level and the closure rate is 120Kt.
When one's aircraft makes a 120Kt impact with another aircraft in cloud the fact that they impact the tail rather than the nose matters little.
The point being that the Quadrantal rule provides absolutely zero separation.
VFR flights are recomended to comply with the rule. Can can if they want ignore the rule and the recomendation.
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G-EMMA,
Well one case could be where you mis-set the DI and actually fly a compass heading of 300 for 20 minutes when you should have flown a compass heading of 330. It would be nice to be able to convert the compass heading to magnetic and then to true before using basic mental calculation to work out the track actually flown so that you can find yourself.
However, the real idea behind it is to ensure that you fully understand deviation and variation and can apply those corectly.
I agree that the question is very long winded and very much open to interpretation but it does get you thinking about the various air masses as well as localised weather features. If you will never fly whan there are showers about then on the basis that the UK has a polar maritime airflow much of the time then you are not going top fly.
Basic navigation must include the training for diversions arround showers or the planning in terms of fuel so that one has the ability to hold and wait while a shower passes through the proposed track.
Of course it is safe to be on the goround. However if you read the questions carefully and combine all the information available you will see that there is a reasonable answer.
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Spitoon,
You should have said lower! but everything else is correct.
Regards,
DFC