Login
Register
| Contents [show] |
Rules of the Air
General
Low flying
- An aircraft over a congested area shall be at least:
- high enough to glide clear of the area after an engine failure; or
- 1,500' over the highest obstacle within 2,000', whichever is higher.
- An aircraft shall not fly:
- over, or within 3,000' of any group of 1,000 people or more at an event without permission from the Chief Executive.
- An aircraft shall not fly closer than 500' to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure.
These rules do not apply for take-off and landing or for saving life.
Lights and other Signals to be Shown or Made by Aircraft General
Display of lights by aircraft
The anti-collision light must be on during flight. On the apron with engines running, a red anti-collision light must be on.
Failure of navigation and anti-collision lights
If a light required for night flight fails, the aircraft shall not depart, or if flying, shall land when safe unless otherwise authorised by ATC. If the anti-collision light fails during day flight, the flight may continue provided the light is repaired as early as practical.
Flying machines
A flying machine with greater than 5,700kg maximum total weight must have green, red, and white position lights and an anti-collision light for night flight.
General Flight Rules
Weather reports and forecasts
Before flight the commander must examine current reports (actual weather) and forecasts of weather conditions on the proposed flight path.
Rules for avoiding collisions
- An aircraft with right of way shall maintain its course and speed.
- For converging aircraft, the order of priority is balloons, gliders, airshipes, flying machines. When 2 aircraft are converging at approximately the same altitude, the aircraft which has the other on its right shall give way.
- For aircraft approaching head-on, each aircraft shall alter its course to the right.
Visual Flight Rules
The visual flight rules
| Airspace | Horizontal | Vertical | Visibility |
| Class B, at or above FL100 | clear of cloud | 8 km | |
| Class B, below FL100 | clear of cloud | 5 km | |
| Class C, D, E, at or above FL100 | 1,500m | 1,000' | 8 km |
| Class C, D, E, below FL100 | 1,500m | 1,000' | 5 km |
| OCTA, at or above FL100 | 1,500m | 1,000' | 8 km |
| OCTA, below FL100 | 1,500m | 1,000' | 5 km |
| OCTA, below 3,000' | clear of cloud, in sight of the surface | 5 km | |
| OCTA, below 3,000', below 140kts | clear of cloud, in sight of the surface | 1,500m | |
Instrument Flight Rules
Minimum height
An aircraft shall not fly less than 1,000' above the highest obstacle within 5nm, unless below 3,000' amsl and clear of cloud and in sight of the surface.
Aerodrome Traffic Rules
Right of way on the ground
- The order of priority is aircraft taking off or landing, vehicles towing aircraft, aircraft, vehicles not towing aircraft.
Aerodrome Signals and Markings: Visual and Aural Signals
Lights and pyrotechnic signals for control of aerodrome traffic
| Light | From aerodrome | |
| To aircraft in flight | To aircraft on the aerodrome | |
| continuous red | give way to other aircraft and continue circling | stop |
| red flashes | do not land; aerodrome not available for landing | move clear of landing area |
| green flashes | return to aerodrome; wait for permission to land | you may move on the manoeuvring area and apron |
| continuous green | you may land | you may take off |
| white flashes | land at this aerodrome after receiving continuous green light, then proceed to apron after receiving green flashes | return to starting point on aerodrome |
References
- AN(HK)O Schedule 14