Under what circumstances may a ship or aircraft station interfere with a public coast station?

• A. In case of distress
• B. Only with prior permission
• C. Only during maintenance
• D. For routine traffic

Answer: (B)

The rule is about respecting licensed coast stations and their ability to carry safety and routine traffic. A ship or aircraft may not intentionally cause interference to a public coast station unless that station has given explicit permission to use its frequency or channel. This ensures coast stations can operate without unexpected disruptions, which is crucial for safety communications and orderly traffic handling. In emergencies, you should follow the established distress procedures on the appropriate channels, rather than assuming you have a free right to interfere. Routine or maintenance traffic is handled through normal procedures, not by transmitting without permission. That’s why the correct stance is that interference requires prior permission.