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Private Pilot Licence · Subject 4, AC61-3

PPL Air Law mock exam.

Air Law is the PPL paper most students underestimate: it is not about flying, it is about knowing exactly what the Civil Aviation Rules say and being able to recall the number, the distance or the document without a hint. Our paper is 35 questions in 70 minutes, the same shape as the Aspeq sitting, drawn fresh from a bank of 207 questions written to Subject 4 of AC61-3.

Every question is tagged with its syllabus code, so a miss on 4.32.16 tells you precisely which page of Part 91 to open. When you submit, the score, the pass or fail against the 70% mark and a written de-brief are on screen and in your inbox.

Questions35
Time70min
Pass mark70%
Question bank207
Sit a PPL Air Law paper · $5.99 Try the free 12-question paper first
What the paper covers

Subject 4 topic by topic.

The syllabus areas below are the ones the CAA lists for Air Law, and every question in the bank carries the code of the item it tests.

  • The Civil Aviation Act, the Rules and how they fit together
  • Definitions and abbreviations used in the Rules
  • Pilot licences, ratings, medicals, currency and logbooks (Part 61)
  • Documents to be carried and aircraft maintenance responsibilities
  • Instruments and equipment required for VFR flight
  • Rights of way, minimum heights and VFR meteorological minima
  • Altimeter settings, VFR cruising levels and the transition layer
  • Fuel, flight plans, SARTIME and search and rescue
  • Airspace classes, control zones and special use airspace
  • Aerodrome operations, circuit rules and light signals
  • Transponders and radio requirements
  • Accident and incident notification (Part 12) and dangerous goods
Where the marks go

What catches people in Air Law.

  1. Numbers that are nearly the same: 500 ft over the sea versus 1000 ft over a congested area, 30 minutes versus 45 minutes of reserve fuel, 10 days versus 14 days to notify.
  2. Questions that ask what the rule permits, not what is sensible. Read the option that quotes the rule, not the one that sounds safest.
  3. VFR minima in each airspace class. Learn them as a table; the exam will pick the one cell you did not.
  4. Which document is the source: Rules, AIP or the Act. Rationales in our de-brief cite the exact rule so you can check for yourself.
From the bank

Sample Air Law questions.

Four questions as they appear in a paper, with the answer and the reasoning you get in the de-brief. Options are shuffled in the real thing.

PPL · Syllabus 4.20.2Sample 1 / 4

Under CAR Part 91, which set of documents MUST be carried on board a New Zealand registered aircraft during a domestic cross-country flight?

  1. AThe pilot's personal logbook, Medical Certificate, and the aircraft's Certificate of Registration
  2. BThe Aircraft Flight Manual, Technical Log, current Weight & Balance data, and appropriate aeronautical charts
  3. CThe aircraft's Insurance Certificate, Ownership Papers, and the pilot's original licence document
  4. DNo physical documents are strictly required if the flight remains entirely within New Zealand airspace
Show the answer and why
The Aircraft Flight Manual, Technical Log, current Weight & Balance data, and appropriate aeronautical charts

CAR 91.111 lists the mandatory documents for flight, which include the Aircraft Flight Manual, Technical Log, Weight & Balance forms, and charts; personal pilot logbooks are not required on domestic flights.

PPL · Syllabus 4.36.4Sample 2 / 4

Non-dangerous goods and baggage may be carried in an aircraft cabin provided:

  1. AThey are stowed in a separate, fire-resistant cargo compartment
  2. BThey are adequately secured so they cannot move and cause injury or affect the center of gravity
  3. CThey weigh less than 25 kilograms per individual item
  4. DThey are physically inspected by an aviation security officer prior to boarding
Show the answer and why
They are adequately secured so they cannot move and cause injury or affect the center of gravity

CAR 91.211 requires all loose items, cargo, and baggage to be adequately secured to prevent sudden shifting that could alter the CG or injure occupants during turbulence or an emergency.

PPL · Syllabus 4.32.16Sample 3 / 4

The dropping of objects from an aircraft in flight is:

  1. AAllowed provided reasonable precautions are taken to avoid hazards to persons or property
  2. BProhibited under all circumstances unless part of a military operation
  3. CAllowed only over large bodies of water
  4. DAllowed only if the dropped object weighs less than 1 kilogram
Show the answer and why
Allowed provided reasonable precautions are taken to avoid hazards to persons or property

CAR 91.235 permits the dropping of objects from an aircraft in flight provided the pilot takes reasonable precautions to ensure it does not create a hazard to persons or property.

PPL · Syllabus 4.74.2Sample 4 / 4

When is a transponder legally required to be operated in 'Mode C' (Altitude Reporting)?

  1. AAt all times when the transponder is turned on, unless otherwise instructed by ATC
  2. BOnly when flying under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) in controlled airspace
  3. COnly when explicitly instructed to 'squawk altitude' by an Air Traffic Controller
  4. DOnly when flying above 3000ft AMSL in Transponder Mandatory airspace
Show the answer and why
At all times when the transponder is turned on, unless otherwise instructed by ATC

CAR 91.247 requires that if a transponder is equipped with Mode C (altitude reporting) capability, it must be operated continuously whenever the transponder is switched on to assist TCAS and ATC systems.

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Air Law questions

Asked about this exam.

Straight answers. If yours is not here, email support and a person replies.

Our Air Law paper is 35 questions with 70 minutes on the clock, matched to the Aspeq PPL sitting. The pass mark for every PPL written exam is 70% under rule 61.17(b).

Mostly Parts 1, 12, 61, 91 and the airspace rules in Part 71, plus the AIP New Zealand for airspace, aerodrome and SAR procedures. Subject 4 of AC61-3 lists every topic.

No. Aspeq papers are confidential. Ours are written independently to the same syllabus, in the same style, and every rationale cites the rule so you can verify the answer.

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