Mixed Deck — All FEAST Topics Flashcards

An air traffic controller is actively managing a developing conflict between two aircraft on converging courses. At the same moment, a pilot on the frequency makes a non-urgent, routine request for a frequency change for a sector they will not enter for another 15 minutes. Which cognitive skill is most critical for the controller to apply immediately?

Answer: Task prioritization and selective attention

The controller must immediately prioritize the safety-critical task (the conflict) over the non-urgent routine request. This requires selective attention, the ability to direct focus to relevant stimuli while ignoring irrelevant ones, and effective task prioritization to manage cognitive workload. [23]

When two adjacent aircraft tracks on a radar display are very close together and their labels overlap, the visual challenge for the controller is best described as:

Answer: Figure-ground segregation failure — difficulty separating individual tracks (figures) from the combined label clutter (ground)

When aircraft tracks and labels overlap, figure-ground segregation (distinguishing each track as a distinct figure from the cluttered background) becomes difficult.

During a simulated ATC task, a candidate is given a primary radar-monitoring task plus a secondary arithmetic task. Their performance on the radar task is measured with and without the arithmetic task running. The purpose of this dual-task design is to:

Answer: Measure the cost of the secondary task on primary task performance — revealing attentional spare capacity

Dual-task designs measure the 'attentional cost' of concurrent demands, revealing how much spare capacity a candidate retains during the primary task.

An air traffic controller sees two aircraft on their screen. Aircraft 1 is at coordinates (10, 20) with a track of 090 degrees. Aircraft 2 is at (30, 20) with a track of 270 degrees. Both aircraft maintain their current track and speed. Which of the following statements is true?

Answer: The aircraft are on a direct collision course.

Aircraft 1 is at (10, 20) and moving east (090 degrees). Aircraft 2 is at (30, 20) and moving west (270 degrees). Both are at the same altitude/level (implied by the 2D coordinates) and are flying directly towards each other along the same Y-coordinate (20). This places them on a direct collision course if they maintain their tracks.

What is the primary purpose of the Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS)?

Answer: To warn pilots of conflicting traffic and provide resolution advisories

TCAS warns pilots of potential mid-air collisions and issues resolution advisories (RAs) to increase vertical separation.

You are managing four aircraft simultaneously. UAL22 is climbing through FL180, BAW5 needs a frequency change, DLH7 has requested descent, and AAL9 is awaiting push-back clearance. Which task should you address first?

Answer: DLH7's descent request, as a conflicting aircraft may be at their requested level

Airborne separation conflicts take priority. An uncoordinated descent could place DLH7 in conflict with other traffic, making it the highest-priority task.

A controller has been monitoring a radar display for 30 minutes. A new aircraft track appears that differs from the established traffic pattern. Despite the difference, the controller takes 15 seconds to notice the new track. This delay is most consistent with:

Answer: Change blindness — the failure to notice changes in a complex visual scene when attention is not focused on the changing element

Change blindness is a well-documented phenomenon where changes in a complex scene go undetected unless attention is specifically directed to the changing element.

You are working a sector and simultaneously: Aircraft X reports fuel emergency, Aircraft Y calls with a read-back error, Aircraft Z needs a squawk code assignment, and a phone rings from an adjacent sector. Rank these tasks from highest to lowest priority.

Answer: Fuel emergency → read-back error → adjacent sector call → squawk code

Fuel emergency is a declared emergency requiring immediate action; read-back errors risk separation; adjacent coordination may affect imminent traffic; squawk assignment is administrative.

A controller detects a conflict between two aircraft where a heading change for Aircraft A would resolve the conflict but would take it into a third aircraft's path. The most appropriate action is to:

Answer: Resolve the original conflict using a level change or a coordinated combination of instructions to all three aircraft

When the obvious resolution creates a secondary conflict, a different resolution method (level change) or coordinated instructions must be used to avoid creating new problems.

What does 'Class B airspace' typically surround in the United States?

Answer: The nation's busiest airports

Class B airspace surrounds the nation's busiest airports and requires an ATC clearance to enter.

In a multitasking assessment, a candidate is required to: (1) monitor a screen for targets, (2) respond to auditory signals, and (3) track a moving cursor. The task that should receive absolute top priority when resources are insufficient is:

Answer: Whichever task the examiner has explicitly designated as highest priority

In FEAST assessments and real ATC, explicit priority designations define task hierarchy — controllers do not invent priorities autonomously.

The aviation term 'en route' most nearly means:

Answer: Traveling between the departure point and the destination

'En route' describes the phase of flight when an aircraft is traveling from its origin toward its destination, between departure and arrival.

A METAR reads: 'EGLL 151220Z 24018G30KT 9999 BKN025 15/08 Q1005 NOSIG.' What does 'NOSIG' mean?

Answer: No significant change to weather is expected within the next two hours

'NOSIG' is a METAR trend element meaning 'no significant change' to conditions is forecast over the next two hours.

What does 'ATC clears' mean when used in a clearance delivery?

Answer: The pilot is given authorization to proceed as stated

The phrase 'ATC clears' introduces an official authorization, meaning the pilot is cleared to proceed exactly as stated in the clearance.

Rule: Aircraft may only enter sector Alpha if: (1) altitude is between FL200 and FL400, and (2) the aircraft is on an approved route. Aircraft X is at FL250 on an approved route. Aircraft Y is at FL180 on an approved route. Aircraft Z is at FL300 on a non-approved route. Which aircraft may enter sector Alpha?

Answer: Aircraft X only

Aircraft X meets both conditions (FL250 is within FL200-FL400, and it is on an approved route). Y fails condition 1 (FL180 is below FL200). Z fails condition 2 (non-approved route).

A controller issues a sequence of instructions to a pilot: 1. Turn left heading 330. 2. Descend and maintain FL120. 3. Reduce speed to 210 knots. Which of the following correctly represents the second command in the sequence?

Answer: Descend and maintain FL120

This question assesses the ability to remember a series of instructions in the correct order. The second instruction given in the list was to descend to flight level 120.

An automated system assigns a 4-digit temporary identifier to aircraft based on their assigned flight level (FL). The rule is: The three digits of the FL are reversed, and then the number 2 is added to each individual digit. The final identifier is this new 3-digit number followed by a 0. Which identifier corresponds to an aircraft assigned FL350?

Answer: 2750

Following the rule for FL350: 1. The digits are 3, 5, 0. 2. Reverse the digits: 0, 5, 3. 3. Add 2 to each digit: (0+2), (5+2), (3+2) which results in 2, 7, 5. 4. The new number is 275. 5. Append a 0 to get the final identifier: 2750.

Observe the unfolded cube pattern. When this pattern is folded into a cube, which of the given options is a possible correct representation? (Image of unfolded cube with a circle, square, triangle, star, plus, and arrow + 4 folded cube options would be here). For this text-based question, let's use relationships: Face 1 has a Circle. Face 2 (right of 1) has a Square. Face 3 (right of 2) has a Triangle. Face 4 (below 2) has a Star. Face 5 (below 4) has a Plus. Face 6 (below 5) has an Arrow pointing up. Which three faces CANNOT be seen together on a folded cube?

Answer: Circle, Plus, Arrow

In the given layout, the Circle (Face 1), Plus (Face 5), and Arrow (Face 6) are all in a line with other faces separating them. Specifically, the Circle and the Triangle are opposite faces. The Star and the Arrow are opposite faces. The Square and the Plus are opposite faces. The correct answer choice includes the Star, Plus, and Square, but the Square and Plus are on opposite sides and cannot be seen at the same time. The question asks which faces CANNOT be seen together. Circle, Plus, and Arrow are in a straight line separated by other faces; they cannot form a corner of the cube.

How many miles apart are New York City and Cleveland if it takes N74985 (280 MPH) one hour and thirty minutes to fly between them?

Answer: 420

To find the distance, multiply the speed by the time. The plane flies at 280 MPH for one hour and thirty minutes, which is equivalent to 1.5 hours. So, 280 MPH multiplied by 1.5 hours equals 420 miles.

An attentional blink occurs when:

Answer: A second target is missed if it appears within 200–500 ms of a first target in a rapid stream

Attentional blink is a psychological phenomenon where a second target in a rapid visual stream is missed if it appears shortly after the first.