Communications practice questions

Answer: C) Air-ground VHF and HF voice and ACARS datalink relay between crews and dispatch

ARINC, now Collins Aerospace, is a communications service provider. It gives airlines VHF and HF voice relay and ACARS datalink links between crews and dispatch, while the FAA handles briefings, NOTAMs and separation.

• AIncorrect. Flight service stations, not ARINC, provide pilot briefings and handle flight plan filing.
• BIncorrect. The FAA NOTAM system originates and distributes NOTAMs. ARINC may carry messages, but it does not issue NOTAMs.
• CCorrect. ARINC (Collins Aerospace) provides VHF and HF voice relay and phone patches, plus ACARS and HF datalink networks. These carry operational messages between aircraft and the airline's dispatch center.
• DIncorrect. ARINC-operated stations such as New York Radio relay position reports and clearances. Separation is provided by the FAA oceanic ATC facility.

Answer: B) Will comply

• AIncorrect. That's 'Roger'.
• BCorrect. Received and will comply.
• CIncorrect. 'Wilco' is compliance.
• DIncorrect. 'Wilco' is compliance.

Answer: A) The appropriate dispatch office and the appropriate air traffic control unit

14 CFR 121.99 requires domestic and flag operators to have two-way communication over the entire route between each airplane and both the appropriate dispatch office and the appropriate ATC unit.

• ACorrect. 121.99 requires reliable, rapid communication over the entire route between each airplane and the appropriate dispatch office, and between each airplane and the appropriate ATC unit.
• BIncorrect. The rule requires communication with the appropriate ATC unit as well, not only with dispatch. It does not allow a flight service relay to replace that requirement.
• CIncorrect. 121.99 names the dispatch office and the ATC unit. It does not name maintenance control or flight service stations.
• DIncorrect. Communication with the dispatch office must be available over the entire route, not only at the departure and destination airports.

Answer: A) The current terminal information message as text, sent by data link and available beyond normal voice reception range

D-ATIS delivers the airport's terminal information as a text message by data link to the cockpit and to airline users, including those outside conventional ATIS voice range.

• ACorrect. D-ATIS sends the terminal information as text by landline and data link to the cockpit. Users can get it even when outside the reception range of the conventional voice broadcast.
• BIncorrect. Data link departure clearances come from a separate service (DCL/PDC). D-ATIS provides terminal information, not clearances.
• CIncorrect. This describes an automated weather observing system (AWOS/ASOS) voice broadcast, not D-ATIS.
• DIncorrect. FIS-B is an ADS-B service that uplinks graphical weather and NOTAMs. D-ATIS sends terminal information as text.

Answer: D) Emergency communications

• AIncorrect. It's the emergency frequency.
• BIncorrect. It's the emergency frequency.
• CIncorrect. It's the emergency frequency.
• DCorrect. It's monitored by many facilities.

Answer: A) Are bent back toward the earth by the ionosphere, reaching aircraft far beyond VHF line of sight

HF is the primary oceanic voice medium because ionospheric propagation carries it beyond line of sight. Its reception can be noisy and depends on changing ionospheric conditions.

• ACorrect. The ionosphere bends HF signals back down (ionospheric skip), so they can reach aircraft hundreds of miles past the line-of-sight limit of VHF ground stations.
• BIncorrect. HF reception is often noisy, with static and fading. It is used for its range, not its clarity, and SELCAL is used so crews don't have to monitor it continuously.
• CIncorrect. HF (3–30 MHz) is lower in frequency than VHF (30–300 MHz). Its long range comes from ionospheric propagation, not from a higher frequency.
• DIncorrect. HF propagation changes with ionospheric conditions such as time of day and solar activity. Crews often have to change frequencies, and signal availability is HF's biggest weakness.

Answer: C) Text data messages

• AIncorrect. It's a datalink system.
• BIncorrect. It's a datalink system.
• CCorrect. Such as releases, weather and position reports.
• DIncorrect. It's a datalink system.

Answer: D) Operational messages

• AIncorrect. It's routine operational traffic.
• BIncorrect. Those come from ATC.
• CIncorrect. It's operational.
• DCorrect. Between crews and the carrier.

Answer: B) Message received

• AIncorrect. That's 'Wilco'.
• BCorrect. It doesn't mean compliance.
• CIncorrect. That asks for a repeat.
• DIncorrect. That means yes.

Answer: C) Transmitting without confirmed two-way contact

• AIncorrect. It's about lack of contact.
• BIncorrect. It's about lack of contact.
• CCorrect. Others may still hear it.
• DIncorrect. It's about lack of contact.