Right-of-way rules
CAR 602.19 sets which aircraft has right of way; the other gives way and keeps clear:
| Situation | Ref | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Converging, about same height | - | Aircraft on the right has right of way (like yielding to the right on the road) |
| Head-on or nearly so | - | Each turns right |
| Overtaking | 602.19(6) | Aircraft being passed has right of way |
| Landing | 602.19(7) | Aircraft in flight or manoeuvring on ground gives way to one landing or about to land |
| Balloon vs balloon, converging at different altitudes | 602.19(3) | Higher gives way to lower |
| In distress | - | Right of way over everything else |
| Two aircraft approaching same aerodrome to land | 602.19(8) | Lower has right of way |
| Two aircraft approaching same aerodrome to land, final stages | 602.19(9) | Lower must not overtake or cut in front of a higher aircraft |
| Takeoff or landing | 602.19(10) | No takeoff or landing while apparent risk of collision with any aircraft, person, vehicle, vessel, or structure in path |
| Giving way | 602.19(4) | Do not pass over, under, or ahead of the other unless far enough off that no risk of collision |
| Right of way not absolute | 602.19(1)(a) | If collision risk remains, right-of-way aircraft must still avoid it |
Overtaking aircraft (602.19(6)):
- Gives way whether climbing, descending, or level.
- Passes on the right.
- Gives way until entirely passed and clear, however relative positions shift.
Category priority (602.19(2)):
| Aircraft | Gives way to |
|---|---|
| Power-driven heavier-than-air (helicopters included) | Balloons, gliders, airships; any aircraft towing an object or carrying a slung load |
| Airship | Gliders and balloons |
| Glider | Balloons |
| Balloon | None: outranks every category (TC AIM RAC 4.3, note 7, a traffic-circuit note) |
- Towing aircraft rank only above power-driven aircraft; regs do not rank them against gliders or airships.
Trap: turning left head-on (both turn right); thinking higher aircraft has approach priority (the lower does, closer to landing); using "aircraft on the right" between different categories (category priority governs); assuming IFR outranks VFR at an uncontrolled aerodrome (it does not, TC AIM RAC 9.12; CAR 602.19 gives no rank to IFR or commercial traffic).
References
- CARs 602.19