Waypoints Vol 05: NZ PPL/CPL Air Law

Air Law is a subject that revolves around a number of documents such as Civil Aviation Rules, the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), the Civil Aviation Act and a few other legislative documents.  The syllabus for Air Law, and references to the applicable documents, can be found on the CAA web site http://www.caa.govt.nz

Volume 5 covers, in plain language, most of the topics in the documents mentioned above but it cannot be expected to cover them all. Thus students must have access to the documents, either through purchase or on loan from their training provider or friends. Whichever method is used, it is essential that the documents are of the latest edition.

The Air Law manual summarises the many rules and regulations that apply to aviation, it does so in a logical order and in terms that are easy to understand. Since the book covers the subject for both the PPL and CPL, a vertical line is placed in the left or right margin against text that applies to the CPL only. Therefore, students for the PPL only need to concentrate on unmarked blocks of text while CPL students should study the entire manual.

It is a feature of the aviation industry that rules and regulations are subject to frequent change which requires many amendments to be made to this manual. Often this involves updating text on a monthly basis.

Most paragraphs dealing with specific topics start with the official document reference. For example, Pilot-in-Command requirements are covered in Chapter 3, the text starts with CAR Part 61.37 which means the associated official document is Civil Aviation Rule Part 61. Or, Classification of Aerodromes is covered in Chapter 4 and the text starts with AIPNZ AD 1.4-2 which means the Aeronautical Information Publication, Aerodrome section, page 1.4-2. So it is a simple matter for students to read the text in Volume 5 and, when necessary, turn to the stated reference for more detailed information.

Volume 5 not only repeats and elaborates on many aspects of rules and regulations, it also gives practical advice wherever possible. In this fashion the law is made more readable, practical and interesting.

Volume 5 is orientated towards New Zealand requirements and conditions, this aspect may not suit all overseas students unless some intend to do their subsequent training in New Zealand. Nevertheless there are many pages that contain material applicable to ICAO countries, in this regard Air Law is of substantial value.