General Rules of the Air: Flight Plans, Lights, SSR Codes, and Lost Communications
Flight Plan
A flight plan shall be submitted prior to operating any flight to which air traffic control service is to be provided.
Adherence to Flight Plan: Flights must adhere to the current flight plan. Deviations must be reported to ATC:
- Deviation from track: Correct the heading immediately.
- Variation in TAS: If true airspeed varies by +/- 5%.
- Time estimate: If the time estimate for the next reporting point changes by more than 2 minutes.
Signals and Lights
At night, all aircraft in flight shall display:
- Anti-collision lights to attract attention.
- Navigation lights to indicate relative path.
- Red: Left wing (110°).
- Green: Right wing (110°).
- White: Tail (140°).
Transponder Codes (SSR)
- 7500: Unlawful Interference (Hijack).
- 7600: Radio Failure.
- 7700: Emergency.
Semicircular Rule (Cruising Levels)
For vertical separation, flight levels (FL) or altitudes are used based on magnetic track:
- 000° - 179° (East): ODD levels (e.g., FL50, FL70, FL290, FL330).
- 180° - 359° (West): EVEN levels (e.g., FL40, FL60, FL280, FL320).
Note: In RVSM airspace (between FL290 and FL410), separation is reduced to 1000 ft, but the odd/even logic is maintained.
Communication Failure
If radio failure occurs in IFR conditions or if it is not likely to complete the flight in VMC:
- Maintain the speed and level assigned for a period (usually 7 or 20 min).
- Proceed according to the current flight plan.
- If being vectored, proceed in the most direct manner possible to rejoin the current flight plan route.