PPL (A) Air Law Questions

[night hawk 150]

hello all.

just wanted to ask a few questions on air law if i can as i am having a little bit of a tough time trying to understand it so here are the questions.

1. what are flares that are sent from the Plane to the tower andfrom the tower to the plane?

2. can anyone explain the quadantral rule to please?

you help is much needed and would thank everyone who replies with sensible answers.

many thanks in advance

Craig

[splatt]

Hi Craig,

Hope none of this sounds patronizing if this is not what your after.

1. Flares:

Flares are incendiary devices which burn different colours (like fireworks but they just burn and burn and burn they dont bang they float around for ages) and are usually shot by a flare gun.

Aircraft shoot white, green or red flares. White means that the pilot is compelled to land. Green, at night, means may I land, and by day means may I land in a different direction from that indicated.Red means the pilot requires immediate assistance

Control towers only shoot red flares. To a vehicle or aircraft on the ground this means STOP. To Aircraft in the air this means Don't land. Give way to other aircraft and continue circling.

2. Quadrantal Rule
The quadrantal rule is in place to vertically separate aircraft flying lower than Flight Level 245 that might otherwise be on collision courses.
The MAGNETIC TRACK (ie. heading corrected for wind drift, and not corrected for magnetic deviation) that your aircraft is flying determines what quadrant you use to select a suitable Flight Level to fly at. The way I remember it is my right arm is odd and my left arm is even and that if I make a slash through the air from top left to bottom right thats the direction across which I add an extra 500ft.

[Maxflyer]

No argument with Splatt, but if you haven't already got it, get a copy of the ppl confuser. Combined with the Trevor Thom series I managed to get through my exams ok and I'm a complete thicko!