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Free PSTAR practice Aircraft Operations

An aircraft’s 121.5 MHz ELT may be switched to transmit for test purposes anytime

  1. Afollowing a hard landing.
  2. Bduring the first 5 minutes of any hour UTC.Correct answer
  3. Cfollowing a component or battery change.
  4. Dprior to flight and listening on 121.5 MHz.

Why this is the answer

ELT self-tests can trigger false SAR alerts, so the TC AIM-SAR testing procedures restrict transmit-tests to the first five minutes of any UTC hour, when monitoring stations expect them. Testing after a hard landing or component change is done by other means, not by deliberately transmitting on 121.5.

Reference

TC AIM-SAR – ELT Testing Procedures CARs 605.40 – ELT Activation

Question reproduced verbatim from Transport Canada’s PSTAR Study and Reference Guide (TP 11919E). The answer key is Transport Canada’s; the explanation is ours.

A study aid — not a substitute for the official guide, the CARs, or your instructor.

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