![]() The uppermost level of Class B airspace may extend horizontally with radius of up to a 15 nautical miles around the airport tower. Class B Airspace:Ĭlass B airspace surrounds the nation’s busiest airports and usually goes as high as 10,000 feet MSL, in some cases even higher. Memory aid: Class A airspace = Above, as in 18,000 and Above, as in high Above everything else. It will be similar, but homework is required. By the way, if you fly into Mexico or Canada, or if you want to rent an ultralight overseas, do not assume that you understand their airspace system. ![]() The United States, of course, does not own or control airspace outside its territorial limits, but our government has extended Class A airspace out to twelve miles from the coast of the contiguous 48 states and Alaska. FL 200 (“flight level two zero zero”) =2 0,000 feet MSL,.Use of our national air traffic control (ATC) service is mandatory in Class A airspace that begins at 18,000 feet MSL and extends upward to 60,000 feet MSL.Īltitudes at 18,000 feet MSL and above, in Class A airspace, are commonly referred to in hundreds of feet as “Flight Levels,” abbreviated FL. The term “controlled airspace,” by the way, doesn’t mean that somebody or some agency is up there controlling traffic, but controllers have a pretty good idea of what is up there. It covers the entire nation, so all we have to remember is that its lower limit is 18,000 MSL (mean sea level). Learn more about the FAA.Ĭlass A airspace is not shown on your sectional. Along with not needing aircraft inspections or licenses to fly them, we are allowed to fly in most areas. Most hang gliders meet the requirements to operate as unpowered ultralight vehicles and as such benefit from having very little in the way of regulations to follow. The Federal Aviation Administration is the federal agency responsible to regulate aviation within the US. Start with the legend area and go back there if you see any symbols or boundaries you do not understand. As you read this, break-out and look at the charts. You can see the line colors and types that denote how the airspace is designated in the sectional. This way you can go play, then close the tab or window and continue with the article.īelow is an image of the legend area of a sectional chart. NOTE: Each image below links to sky vector and will open in a fresh tab or window. ![]() Once you start to get a feel for each of the symbols and the purpose of the divisions of airspace, looking at a sectional can begin to become a little fun. One of the keys to using sectional maps is to get familiar with the legend area of the chart. You need to know where the areas are that you can and cannot fly, especially on XC flights. This is a great resource that can used to look up info for a flying trip to a new region. Many of the images in this article link to the website. Even though we are not allowed into Classes A, B, C, D, Restricted or Prohibited Areas, we are allowed into nearly all of Class E and all of Class G airspace.
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