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Canadian Aviation Regulations (SOR/96-433)

Regulations are current to 2024-02-20 and last amended on 2023-06-21. Previous Versions

Part VI — General Operating and Flight Rules (continued)

Subpart 2 — Operating and Flight Rules (continued)

Division I — General (continued)

Fuel Dumping

 No person shall jettison fuel from an aircraft in flight unless

  • (a) it is necessary to do so in order to ensure aviation safety; and

  • (b) all appropriate measures are taken to minimize danger to human life and damage to the environment, insofar as the circumstances permit.

Compliance with Air Traffic Control Instructions and Clearances
  •  (1) Subject to subsection (3), the pilot-in command of an aircraft shall

    • (a) comply with and acknowledge, to the appropriate air traffic control unit, all of the air traffic control instructions directed to and received by the pilot-in-command; and

    • (b) comply with all of the air traffic control clearances received and accepted by the pilot-in-command and

      • (i) subject to subsection (2), in the case of an IFR flight, read back to the appropriate air traffic control unit the text of any air traffic control clearance received, and

      • (ii) in the case of a VFR flight, read back to the appropriate air traffic control unit the text of any air traffic control clearance received, when so requested by the air traffic control unit.

  • (2) Except if requested to do so by an air traffic control unit, the pilot-in-command of an IFR aircraft is not required to read back the text of an air traffic control clearance pursuant to paragraph (1)(b)(i) where

    • (a) the air traffic control clearance is received on the ground by the pilot-in-command before departing from a controlled aerodrome in respect of which a standard instrument departure procedure is specified in the Canada Air Pilot; or

    • (b) the receipt of the air traffic control clearance is acknowledged by the pilot-in-command by electronic means.

  • (3) The pilot-in-command of an aircraft may deviate from an air traffic control clearance or an air traffic control instruction to the extent necessary to carry out a collision avoidance manoeuvre, if the manoeuvre is carried out

    • (a) in accordance with a resolution advisory generated by an ACAS; or

    • (b) in response to an alert from a TAWS or a Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS).

  • (4) The pilot-in-command of an aircraft shall

    • (a) as soon as possible after initiating the collision avoidance manoeuvre referred to in subsection (3), inform the appropriate air traffic control unit of the deviation; and

    • (b) immediately after completing the collision avoidance manoeuvre referred to in subsection (3), comply with the last air traffic control clearance received and accepted by, or the last air traffic control instruction received and acknowledged by, the pilot-in-command.

  • SOR/2012-136, s. 7
Airspeed Limitations
  •  (1) Subject to subsection (2), no person shall

    • (a) operate an aircraft at an indicated airspeed of more than 250 knots if the aircraft is below 10,000 feet ASL; or

    • (b) operate an aircraft at an indicated airspeed of more than 200 knots if the aircraft is below 3,000 feet AGL within 10 nautical miles of a controlled aerodrome unless authorized to do so in an air traffic control clearance.

  • (2) A person may operate an aircraft at an indicated airspeed greater than the airspeeds referred to in subsection (1) if the aircraft is being operated in accordance with a special flight operations certificate – special aviation event issued pursuant to section 603.02.

  • (3) If the minimum safe airspeed for the flight configuration of an aircraft is greater than the airspeed referred to in subsection (1), the aircraft shall be operated at the minimum safe airspeed.

  • SOR/2010-219, s. 2
Supersonic Flight

 No person shall operate an aircraft at a true Mach number of 1 or greater.

Cruising Altitudes and Cruising Flight Levels
  •  (1) The appropriate cruising altitude or cruising flight level for an aircraft in level cruising flight is determined in accordance with

    • (a) the magnetic track, in the Southern Domestic Airspace; and

    • (b) the true track, in the Northern Domestic Airspace.

  • (2) Subject to subsection (3), the pilot-in-command of an aircraft shall ensure that the aircraft is operated at a cruising altitude or cruising flight level appropriate to the track, as set out in the table to this section, unless the pilot-in-command is assigned another altitude or flight level by an air traffic control unit and the aircraft is operated in level cruising flight

    • (a) at more than 3,000 feet AGL, in VFR flight; or

    • (b) in IFR flight.

  • (3) Subsection (2) does not apply where an aircraft is operated for the purpose of aerial survey or mapping and the following conditions are met:

    • (a) the pilot-in-command of the aircraft contacts the appropriate air traffic control unit as far in advance as possible of the proposed flight;

    • (b) the pilot-in-command of the aircraft provides, as far in advance as possible of the proposed take-off time of the aircraft, to any air traffic control unit that so requests, a topographical map at either a 1:500 000 or a 1:1 000 000 scale of the area to be surveyed or mapped, with proposed tracks and planned entry and exit points clearly delineated on the map;

    • (c) the pilot-in-command of the aircraft files a flight plan or flight itinerary with an air traffic control unit as far in advance as possible of the proposed take-off time of the aircraft;

    • (d) the flight plan or flight itinerary referred to in paragraph (c) specifies the area to be surveyed or mapped

      • (i) by reference to the relevant maps of the National Topographic System,

      • (ii) by reference to the geographic co-ordinates of the area, or

      • (iii) where required by an air traffic control unit, by reference to the air photograph block reference grid map provided by the air traffic control unit; and

    • (e) where the aircraft is operated in controlled airspace, it is operated in accordance with an air traffic control clearance.

    TABLE

    Cruising Altitudes and Cruising Flight Levels Appropriate to Aircraft Track

    TRACK

    000° — 179°

    TRACK

    180° — 359°

    Column IColumn IIColumn IIIColumn IV
    IFRVFRIFRVFR
    1,000-Cruising Altitudes or Cruising Flight Levels — 18,000 feet and below2,000-
    3,0003,5004,0004,500
    5,0005,5006,0006,500
    7,0007,5008,0008,500
    9,0009,50010,00010,500
    11,00011,50012,00012,500
    13,00013,50014,00014,500
    15,00015,50016,00016,500
    17,00017,500
    IFR & CVFRIFR & CVFR
    NON-RVSMRVSMNON-RVSMRVSM
    190190Cruising Flight Levels — 180 to 590180180
    210210200200
    230230220220
    250250240240
    270270260260
    290290280280
    330310310300
    370330350320
    410350RVSM390340
    4503701,000 feet separation430360
    490390between FL290–FL410470380
    530410510400
    570450550430
    490590470
    530510
    570550
    590
Altimeter-setting and Operating Procedures in the Altimeter-setting Region

 When an aircraft is operated in the altimeter-setting region, each flight crew member who occupies a flight crew member position that is equipped with an altimeter shall

  • (a) immediately before conducting a take-off from an aerodrome, set the altimeter to the altimeter setting of the aerodrome or, if that altimeter setting is not obtainable, to the elevation of the aerodrome;

  • (b) while in flight, set the altimeter to the altimeter setting of the nearest station along the route of flight or, where the nearest stations along the route of flight are separated by more than 150 nautical miles, to the altimeter setting of a station near the route of flight; and

  • (c) immediately before commencing a descent for the purpose of landing at an aerodrome, set the altimeter to the altimeter setting of the aerodrome, if that altimeter setting is obtainable.

Altimeter-setting and Operating Procedures in the Standard Pressure Region
  •  (1) When an aircraft is operated in the standard pressure region, each flight crew member who occupies a flight crew member position that is equipped with an altimeter shall

    • (a) immediately before conducting a take-off from an aerodrome, set the altimeter to the altimeter setting of the aerodrome or, if that altimeter setting is not obtainable, to the elevation of the aerodrome;

    • (b) before reaching the flight level at which the flight is to be conducted, set the altimeter to 29.92 inches of mercury or 1,013.2 millibars; and

    • (c) immediately before commencing a descent for the purpose of landing at an aerodrome, set the altimeter to the altimeter setting of the aerodrome, if that altimeter setting is obtainable.

  • (2) Despite paragraph (1)(c), when a holding procedure is being conducted before landing at an aerodrome located in the standard pressure region, each flight crew member who occupies a flight crew member position that is equipped with an altimeter shall set the altimeter to the altimeter setting of the aerodrome immediately before descending below the lowest flight level at which the holding procedure is conducted.

 

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