Which condition gives an aircraft the right of way over all other aircraft?

The right of way for aircraft in distress is a critical aviation regulation designed to ensure safety and prompt assistance. When an aircraft is in distress, it means that it is in a situation that requires immediate help. This can include mechanical failures, emergencies due to weather conditions, or other critical issues that threaten the safety of the aircraft and its occupants.

According to aviation regulations, any aircraft experiencing distress is granted the highest priority in terms of flight operations. This ensures that other aircraft take necessary measures to avoid conflicts, allowing the distressed aircraft to receive the assistance it needs and to make any necessary landing or maneuver safely.

In contrast, while an emergency landing might seem like a situation that could also grant priority, it is the specific condition of being in distress that universally mandates right of way over all others, regardless of the situation of the other aircraft. Flight training and surveillance operations do not confer the same urgency or priority, and thus they do not hold the same regulatory weight in matters of right of way in aviation.