When does a Mandatory Directive go into effect?

• A. The OK time has been OK'd by the RTC.
• B. The RTC issues the directive.
• C. The directive becomes effective at midnight.
• D. The operator signs an acknowledgment.

Answer: (A)

Mandatory Directives are binding safety instructions whose start date and time are controlled by the RTC. The directive becomes active only after the RTC approves the designated OK time. Issuing the directive doesn’t by itself start it; it’s that approved time the crews must follow. Midnight would only be the start time if that exact moment was the OK time approved by the RTC, and an operator’s acknowledgement is for awareness, not the trigger that activates the directive. So the moment the directive goes into effect is when the OK time has been approved by the RTC.