Separation Standards & Traffic Flow Management Flashcards
7 cards from real CPC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Separation Standards & Traffic Flow Management flashcards as text
In terminal radar approach control (TRACON) airspace, the standard radar separation minimum is typically:
Answer: 3 nautical miles
Terminal (TRACON) airspace uses a 3 nautical mile radar separation standard, which is smaller than the 5 NM en route standard.
A super-heavy aircraft (such as an A380) requires increased wake turbulence separation. Following a Super aircraft, a Heavy aircraft must maintain at least:
Answer: 6 nautical miles
FAA requires a Heavy aircraft following a Super (A380/AN-225) to maintain at least 6 nautical miles of separation.
What does the term 'flow control' refer to in ATC traffic management?
Answer: Regulating the rate of traffic into a congested sector or airport
Flow control involves regulating the volume and rate of air traffic entering a congested area, sector, or airport to match system capacity.
When applying visual separation, the controller may authorize a pilot to maintain separation from another aircraft if:
Answer: The pilot of the following aircraft reports the traffic in sight and can maintain separation
Visual separation may be applied when the following pilot reports the traffic in sight and accepts responsibility for maintaining their own separation from it.
A Ground Stop (GS) differs from a Ground Delay Program (GDP) in that a Ground Stop:
Answer: Stops all departures to a specific airport immediately with no EDCT issued
A Ground Stop immediately halts all or specified departures to an affected airport without issuing individual EDCTs, usually for short-term, urgent capacity issues.
The RNAV SID (Standard Instrument Departure) helps traffic flow management by:
Answer: Standardizing departure routes to reduce controller workload and improve traffic flow
RNAV SIDs provide standardized, published departure routes that reduce the need for individual controller routing instructions and improve overall traffic flow efficiency.
When two aircraft are on opposite-direction courses at the same altitude, which type of separation is most critically important to establish first?
Answer: Vertical separation
When opposite-direction aircraft are converging at the same altitude, establishing vertical separation (altitude difference) is the most immediate priority to prevent a collision.