Quadrantal rule question
 

Hi all,

According to PPL Air Law, the Quadrantal Rule applies upto FL245 and then the Semi-Circular Rule applies above FL245.

But, what if your flying exactly AT FL245.

Say your heading is 310 degrees, then do you still follow Even FL + 500 = FL245?

Thanks in advance

Mark

If you're at FL245 you do whatever ATC tells you to do.

Seriously, at that altitude you are most likely flying IFR airways. Each airway has its own altitudes for traffic back and forth, and most follow the semi-circular rule.

FL245 is not available as a cruising level....

Hi,

So does this mean the highest available FL for a heading of 310 degrees using Quadrantal, would therefore be FL225?

Mark

....and quadrantal exists only in the UK.

You're a bit out of date. If you look at CAP393, Rule 34 (11 Jan 2010 revision) shows the division now as FL195. So FL185 is highest usable as a cruising level for 310 degrees.

All airspace above FL195 is class C, hence you do what ATC clears you to do.

Another Brit anomaly. Hey, I have this radical idea - why not do it like the rest of the world does it in the interest of safety?

Its already due to be changed I believe.

You mean like using inches of mercury and US Gallons?:}

Or even Hector`s Pastilles..

or American miles?...need we go on? :D

we'll standardise our quadrantal if you standardise your R/T :)

We'd love some standard weather too!

To be fair, it's much easier and cheaper to change things like the quadrantal rule and RT phrases than it is to change all the instruments that display in non-SI units. It would seem to make sense to do that in the interest of safety...more sense maybe than insisting on hi-vis jackets at small GA fields :)