China Civil UAV Theory Questions — Questions 21–30

Study note: above 3,000 m, choose the commercial license; below, choose the private license. For Class XI: below 3,000 m, a sport or private pilot license; for airships over 4,600 m³, a commercial license, and under 4,600 m³, a private license; Class XII pilots, a commercial license plus an instrument rating; Class XII PIC, an airline transport license. Source: Regulations on the Management of Civil UAV Pilots (2016), the Authority's rules on UAV pilot licensing — license requirements: (A) A Class XI remote pilot operating below 3,000 m in integrated airspace must hold at least a sport or private pilot license, with a similar category rating where applicable; (B) a Class XI remote pilot operating above 3,000 m in integrated airspace must hold at least a commercial pilot license with an airplane or helicopter rating; (C) a Class XII remote pilot operating in integrated airspace must hold at least a commercial pilot license with an airplane or helicopter rating and an instrument rating; (D) a Class XII remote pilot in command (PIC) operating in integrated airspace must hold at least an airline transport pilot license.

Study note: above 3,000 m, choose the commercial license; below, choose the private license. For Class XI: below 3,000 m, a sport or private pilot license; for airships over 4,600 m³, a commercial license, and under 4,600 m³, a private license; Class XII pilots, a commercial license plus an instrument rating; Class XII PIC, an airline transport license. Source: Regulations on the Management of Civil UAV Pilots (2016), the Authority's rules on UAV pilot licensing — license requirements: (A) A Class XI remote pilot operating below 3,000 m in integrated airspace must hold at least a sport or private pilot license, with a similar category rating where applicable; (B) a Class XI remote pilot operating above 3,000 m in integrated airspace must hold at least a commercial pilot license with an airplane or helicopter rating; (C) a Class XII remote pilot operating in integrated airspace must hold at least a commercial pilot license with an airplane or helicopter rating and an instrument rating; (D) a Class XII remote pilot in command (PIC) operating in integrated airspace must hold at least an airline transport pilot license.

Study note — operations times and weather minima: plains/hills operations, earliest takeoff 30 minutes; mountain operations, earliest takeoff 20 minutes and latest landing 15 minutes; hills/mountain agricultural operations, 300 m ceiling and 5 km visibility; plains agricultural operations, 150 m and 5 km; fishery flights, 200 m and 3 km. Study note: remember a 300 m ceiling. Source: General Aviation Flight Rules of China (1990 edition, repealed), Chapter 7, §127, minimum weather standards for operations flights: plains — ceiling no lower than 150 m, visibility no less than 5 km (helicopters no less than 3 km); hills, mountains (plateaus) — ceiling no lower than 300 m above the highest point of the operating area, visibility no less than 5 km, with no continuous turbulence or downdrafts; wind limits for operations flights must follow the requirements of each type of operation.

By elimination: option A is too strict and would hamper normal test-flight work; option B would put test flights over densely populated areas, which is too dangerous; option C, over sparsely populated areas, limits ground losses if something goes wrong, so it is correct.

Study note: anti-collision lights on day and night; navigation lights on in flight. (1) Navigation lights: from power on until power off; (2) anti-collision lights: from pushback (or ground engine run) until taxiing into position after touchdown; (3) landing lights: from the approach for landing until after touchdown.

Flying over a city is hazardous, so it is done only when necessary. Source: Civil Aviation Law of the People's Republic of China, §79: civil aircraft shall not fly over cities, except where: (1) takeoff, landing, or a designated route makes it necessary; (2) the flight altitude is sufficient for the aircraft, in an emergency, to leave the airspace over the city without endangering people or property on the ground; (3) approval has been obtained under state-prescribed procedures.

Source: Basic Rules of Flight of the People's Republic of China, §82: the safe altitude of flight is the minimum flight altitude that keeps an aircraft clear of ground obstacles. For route/airway or transit flights, the safe altitude shall be 600 m above the highest elevation within 25 km on either side of the route/airway centerline in plateau and mountain areas, and 400 m above it in other areas.

Do not choose uncontrolled airspace. Source: textbook, p. 140. Note: the 2024 rules re-divided airspace.

Source: Civil Aviation Law, §82: air traffic control units shall provide air traffic services to civil aircraft in flight, including air traffic control service, flight information service, and alerting service. (1) Air traffic control service aims to prevent collisions between civil aircraft and other aircraft, and between civil aircraft and obstacles, and to maintain and expedite the orderly flow of air traffic. (2) Flight information service aims to provide information and advice useful for the safe and efficient conduct of flights. (3) Alerting service aims to notify the relevant departments when a civil aircraft needs search and rescue, and to assist those departments in search and rescue as requested.

Source: Measures for the Use of Civil Aviation Airspace, §13: Class A airspace is high-altitude controlled airspace. Space above 6,000 m in standard atmospheric pressure altitude within China may be designated high-altitude controlled airspace. Aircraft flying in this airspace must fly under instrument flight rules and accept air traffic control service.