ENR 1.3 INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES

1 RULESRules APPLICABLEapplicable TOto ALLall IFR FLIGHTSflights

Instrument flight rules are established in QCAR Rules of the Air, Section 5 Visual meteorological conditions, visual flight rules, special VFR and instrument flight rules, RA. 5015 Instrument flight rules (IFR) — Rules applicable to all IFR flights, RA.5020 IFR — Rules applicable to IFR flights within controlled airspace and RA.5025 IFR — Rules Applicable to IFR flights outside controlled airspace.

1.1 AIRCRAFTAircraft EQUIPMENTequipment

Aircraft shall be equipped with suitable instruments and with navigation equipment appropriate to the route to be flown and in accordance with the applicable air operations legislation.

1.2 MINIMUM LEVELS

Except when necessary for take-off or landing, or except when specifically authorized by the authority, an IFR flight shall be flown at a level which is not below the minimum flight altitude established by the State whose territory is overflown, or, where no such minimum flight altitude has been established:

  1. over high terrain or in mountainous areas, at a level which is at least 600 M (2 000 FT) above the highest obstacle located within 8 KM of the estimated position of the aircraft;
  2. elsewhere than as specified in (1), at a level which is at least 300 M (1 000 FT) above the highest obstacle located within 8 KM of the estimated position of the aircraft.
1 Minimum levels
1.1 Except when necessary for take-off or landing or when specifically authorized by the appropriate authority, an IFR flight shall be flown at a level that is not below the minimum flight altitude established by the State whose territory is overflown or, where no such minimum flight altitude has been established:
  1. Over high terrain or in mountainous areas, at a level which is at least 600 M (2 000 FT) above the highest obstacle located within 8 KM of the estimated position of the aircraft;
  2. Elsewhere than as specified in (a), at a level which is at least 300 M (1 000 FT) above the highest obstacle located within 8 KM of the estimated position of the aircraft.

Note: The estimated position of the aircraft will take account of the navigational accuracy which can be achieved on the relevant route segment, having regard to the navigational facilities available on the ground and in the aircraft.

1.3 CHANGEChange FROMfrom IFR FLIGHTflight TOto VFR FLIGHTflight
1.3.1 An aircraft electing to change the conduct of its flight from compliance with the instrument flight rules to compliance with the visual flight rules shall, if a flight plan was submitted, notify the appropriate airATS traffic services unit specifically that the IFRIFR flight is cancelled and communicate thereto the changes to be made to its current flight plan.
1.3.2 When an aircraft operating under the instrument flight rules is flown in or encounters visual meteorological conditions , it shall not cancel its IFRIFR flight unless it is anticipated, and intended, that the flight will be continued for a reasonable period of time in uninterrupted visual meteorological conditions.
1.3.3 Change from IFR flight to VFR flight shall only be acceptable when a message initiated by the pilot-in-command containing the specific expression 'CANCELLING MY IFR FLIGHT', together with the changes, if any, to be made to the current flight plan, is received by an ATS unit. No invitation to change from IFR flight to VFR flight shall be made by ATS either directly or by inference.

2 RULESRules APPLICABLEapplicable TOto IFR FLIGHTSflights WITHINwithin CONTROLLEDcontrolled AIRSPACEairspace

2.1 IFRIFR flights shall comply with the provisions of Section 8 of QCAR Rules of the AirQCAR-OPS 2, section 2.153 when operated in controlled airspace.
2.2 An IFRIFR flight operating in cruising flight in controlled airspace shall be flown at a cruising level, or, if authorized by ATS unit to employ cruise climb techniques, between two levels or above a level, selected from the table of cruising levels in Appendix 3 of QCAR Rules of the Air, except that the correlation of levels to track prescribed therein shall not apply whenever otherwise indicated in air traffic control clearances or specified by the authority in aeronautical information publications.:
2.3 Rates of Climb and Descent
2.3.1 General

If a pilot is unable to comply with rate of climb/ descent, either published or issued tactically by ATC, he/ she must inform the ATC immediately.

2.3.2 Avoidance of False TCAS Resolution Advisory

Within the last 1 000 FT of climb or descent, rates should not exceed 1 000 FT per minute. Pilots should ensure that the aircraft neither undershoots nor overshoots the target level by more than 150 FT, manually overriding if necessary.

  1. The tables of cruising levels in QCAR-OPS 2, section 2.187 or,
  2. A modified table of cruising levels, when so prescribed in accordance with QCAR-OPS 2, section 2.187 for flights above FL 410,
2 Except if the correlation of levels to track prescribed therein shall not apply whenever otherwise indicated in air traffic control clearance or specified by the appropriate ATS authority in the AIP.
2 Rates of Climb and Descent
2.4.1 General

If a pilot is unable to comply with rates of climb/descent, either published or issued tactically by ATC, he/she must inform ATC, immediately.

2.4.2 Avoidance of False TCAS Resolution Advisory.

Within the last 1 000 FT of climb or descent, rates should not exceed 1 000 FT per minute. Pilots should ensure that the aircraft neither undershoots nor overshoots the target level by more than 150 feet, manually overriding if necessary.

3 RULESRules APPLICABLEapplicable TOto IFR FLIGHTSflights OUTSIDEoutside CONTROLLEDcontrolled AIRSPACEairspace

3.1 CRUISINGCruising LEVELSlevels

An IFR flight operating in level cruising flight outside of controlled airspace shall be flown at a cruising level appropriate to its track as specified in the table of cruising levels in Appendix 3 of QCAR Rules of the Air, except when otherwise specified by the authority for flight at or below 900 M (3 000 FT) above mean sea level.

3.1 An IFR flight operating in level cruising flight outside of controlled airspace shall be flown at a cruising level appropriate to its track as specified in:
  1. the tables of cruising levels in QCAR-OPS 2.Section 2.187, except when otherwise specified by the appropriate ATS authority for flight at or below 900 M (3 000 FT) above mean sea level; or
  2. a modified table of cruising levels, when so prescribed in accordance with QCAR-OPS 2.Section 2.187 for flight above FL 410.

Note: This provision does not preclude the use of cruise climb techniques by aircraft in supersonic flight.

3.2 COMMUNICATIONSCommunications

An IFR flight operating outside controlled airspace but within or into areas, or along routes, designated by the authority in accordance with QCAR Rules of the Air, RA.4001(b)(3) or (4) when:

  1. so required by the authority to facilitate the provision of flight information, alerting and search and rescue services
  2. so required by the authority to facilitate coordination with appropriate military units or with air traffic services units in adjacent States in order to avoid the need for possible interception for the purpose of identification

shall maintain an air-ground voice communication watch on the appropriate communication channel and establish two-way communication, as necessary, with the air traffic services unit providing flight information service.

An IFR flight operating outside controlled airspace but within or into areas, or along routes, designated by the appropriate ATS Authority in accordance with QCAR OPS 2, section 2.151, item (a) (2) (iii) or (iv) shall maintain a listening watch on the appropriate radio frequency and establish two-way communication, as necessary, with the air traffic services unit providing flight information service.

3.3 POSITIONPosition REPORTSreports

An IFR flight operating outside controlled airspace and required by the authority to maintain an air-ground voice communication watch on the appropriate communication channel and establish two-way communication, as necessary, with the air traffic services unit providing flight information service, shall report position, as specified in QCAR Rules of the Air, RA.8025 for controlled flights.

3.3 An IFR flight operating outside controlled airspace and required by the appropriate ATS authority to:
  • submit a flight plan, and
  • maintain a listening watch on the appropriate radio frequency and establish two-way communication, as necessary, with the air traffic services unit providing flight information service

shall report position as specified in QCAR - OPS 2, section 2.319 for controlled flights.

Note: Aircraft electing to use the air traffic advisory service whilst operating IFR within specified advisory airspace are expected to comply with the provisions of QCAR - OPS 2, section 2.153, except that the flight plan and changes thereto are not subject to clearances and that two-way communication will be maintained with the unit providing the air traffic advisory service.