FAA Ground School Practice Test

During a local flight, if an advisory says "Traffic 2 O'clock, 4 miles, eastbound," how should the pilot adjust their search?

1. Look left

2. Look ahead and slightly right

3. Look directly behind

4. Look slightly up

The correct answer is: Look ahead and slightly right

When an advisory states "Traffic 2 O'clock, 4 miles, eastbound," it is indicating the relative position of the other aircraft in relation to your own. In aviation terms, "2 O'clock" refers to a location that is 30 degrees to the left of your current heading, and "eastbound" specifies the direction the other aircraft is traveling, which is toward the east. To effectively adjust your search for the traffic, a pilot should primarily focus ahead and slightly to the right of their current heading. This is because "2 O'clock" implies the traffic is slightly in front of the aircraft and to the left, but since the traffic is moving eastbound, it will be heading towards the pilot's right. By directing attention ahead and slightly right, the pilot maximizes the chance of spotting the eastbound traffic as it approaches. In this context, options that suggest looking directly behind, slightly up, or just left do not align with the directional indication given in the advisory. These positions would not effectively help in locating the eastbound traffic that is 4 miles away.