FAA Airport Operations 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The primary purpose of ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service) is to:
- Provide radar vectors to arriving and departing aircraft
- Issue IFR clearances to departing flights
- Continuously broadcast current airport weather, runway conditions, and NOTAMs (Correct answer)
- Monitor emergency frequencies around the clock
Correct answer: Continuously broadcast current airport weather, runway conditions, and NOTAMs
ATIS continuously broadcasts non-control information such as weather, active runways, and NOTAMs to relieve controllers of repetitive transmissions.
Question 2: At a controlled airport, a steady red light signal from the tower directed at an aircraft in flight means:
- Cleared to land immediately
- Give way to other aircraft and continue circling (Correct answer)
- Airport unsafe, do not land
- Return for landing, not yet cleared
Correct answer: Give way to other aircraft and continue circling
A steady red light to an aircraft in flight means give way to other aircraft and continue circling; the aircraft must not land.
Question 3: When must a pilot obtain a specific ATC clearance before crossing a runway at a controlled airport?
- Only when operating IFR
- Only during night operations or low visibility
- Always, regardless of conditions or weather (Correct answer)
- Only when instructed by the ground controller
Correct answer: Always, regardless of conditions or weather
Pilots must always obtain a specific ATC clearance before crossing any runway at a controlled airport, as this is a critical runway incursion prevention measure.
Question 4: What color are taxiway edge lights?
- Green
- White
- Blue (Correct answer)
- Amber
Correct answer: Blue
Taxiway edge lights are blue, making them easily distinguishable from white runway edge lights during night operations.
Question 5: LAHSO (Land and Hold Short Operations) requires the pilot to:
- Conduct a low-altitude high-speed approach on a parallel runway
- Land and stop before an intersecting runway, taxiway, or designated point (Correct answer)
- Perform a land-and-hold procedure only during IFR conditions
- Execute a low approach and report field in sight to ATC
Correct answer: Land and stop before an intersecting runway, taxiway, or designated point
LAHSO requires the landing aircraft to land and stop before a designated hold short point to allow simultaneous runway use and increase airport capacity.
Question 6: The Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) at a non-towered airport is:
- Always 121.5 MHz for all uncontrolled airports
- Always 122.8 MHz at airports without a tower
- The frequency designated for that specific airport, published on sectional charts (Correct answer)
- The same frequency as the nearest ATC radar facility
Correct answer: The frequency designated for that specific airport, published on sectional charts
The CTAF is airport-specific and published on sectional charts and in the Chart Supplement; pilots use it for self-announce communications.
Question 7: A flashing green light signal from the tower directed at an aircraft in flight means:
- Cleared to land
- Return for landing (not yet cleared to land) (Correct answer)
- Cleared for the option
- Taxi to the active runway
Correct answer: Return for landing (not yet cleared to land)
A flashing green light to an aircraft in flight means return for landing, but the pilot is not yet cleared to land.
