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Teaching Airspace

This is a basic lesson breakdown of the different components of airspace, spread over multiple lessons.

5 Cases of Airspaces​

  1. 1 mile, clear of clouds
  2. 3 mile, clear of clouds
  3. 1 miles, 500' below, 1000' above, 2000' horizontally
  4. 1 miles, 500' below, 1000' above, 2000' horizontally
  5. 5 miles, 1000' below, 1000' above, 1.sm horizontally

Lesson 1: Identifying Airspace​

  1. Find airspace on the legend, then identify that airspace somewhere on the chart
    1. Class B: Blue solid line
    2. Class C: Magenta solid line
    3. Class D: Blue dashed line
    4. Class E at surface: Magenta dashed line
      • Used for non-precision approaches around non-towered airports
    5. Class E at 700': Purple shading
    6. Class E at 1200' AGL: Blue shading
      • These are exceptions to Class E starting at 1200' AGL
      • Within these cutouts, Class G goes from the surface up to 14,500'
      • These airspaces are going away, and most of them have been decommissioned
      • ATC cannot clear you GPS direct through this big block of Class G
    7. Class E "zipper lines"
      • Shows a boundary where Class E abuts Class G below it

Class E at 1200' feet

Lesson 2: Cloud Clearance and Visibilities​

  1. 1 mile, clear of clouds
    • Class G airspace, up to but no including 1200 AGL
  2. 3 mile, clear of clouds
    • Class B Airspace
  3. 1 miles, 500' below, 1000' above, 2000' horizontally
    • Class G above 1200 AGL, < 10,000' MSL
  4. 3 miles, 500' below, 1000' above, 2000' horizontally
    • Class C, D, and E below 10,000' MSL
    • Class G < 10,000' MSL at night
  5. 5 miles, 1000' below, 1000' above, 1 s.m horizontally
    • Class E or G above 10,000' MSL

In Class G airspace, you may operate under VFR with in 1/2 mile of an airport runway:

  • during the day as long as the visibility is at least 1 statute mile and you remain clear of clouds
  • at night, as long as the visibility is at least 3 statute miles and you remain clear of clouds

91.155

Lesson 3: Speed Limits and Entry Requirements​

  • Speed limits
    • < 10,000' MSL: 250 knots
    • In Class B Airspace: 250 knots
    • Below Class B or in a Class B corridor: 200 knots
    • Class D and C airspace within 4nm up to 2500 AGL: 200 knots
  • Certificate requirements
    • Class G requires a pilot certificate
    • Class E below 10,000': A pilot certificate, no transponder
    • Class E above 10,000': A pilot certificate and a transponder
    • Class D: Establish 2-way communications (exchange of call sign and facility name)
    • Class C: Establish 2-way communications (exchange of call sign and facility name), inside and above requires a transponder
    • Class B:
      • 2-way communication with a specific clearance into the airspace
      • Student pilot certificate minimum
      • Some airports require a minimum of a private pilot certificate in Part 91 Appendix D
    • Class A:
      • On an instrument flight plan
  • Automatic Dependent Surveillance: Broadcast (ADS-B)
    • Required everywhere a transponder is required
    • Plus one additional place: Within 12nm of the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico between 3000 MSL and 10,000 MSL

Lesson 4: Special Use Airspace and SVFR​

Special Use Airspace​

  • Terminal Radar Service Area (TRSA)
    • Class C-level radar service within the TRSA
    • Participation is not mandatory
  • MOA
    • No clearance required
    • Find active times on the sectional legend
  • Alert area
    • No clearance required
    • Concentrated flight training
    • Participation is voluntary
  • Restricted Areas
    • Needs a clearance to enter ("cleared into" the airspace)
  • Prohibited area
    • Cannot be entered
  • Warning areas
    • Do not required a clearance, but is not recommended
  • MOA exclusion area
    • Indicates an area around an airport which is excluded from a MOA
    • Airports excluded from MOA
  • Military training routes (MTR)
    • IR: Instrument routes
    • VR: Visual routes
    • 4 digits: < 1500'
    • 3 digits: > 1500'
  • Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA)
    • Washington SFRA requires an online course and a clearance
    • The Grand Canyon also has an SFRA
  • Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs)

Special VFR​

  • The pilot must ask the controller
  • Maintain 1 mile visibility and clear of clouds
  • At night, pilot must be instrument rating and the aircraft instrument equipped
  • Some Class B airspace will prohibit SVFR with "NO SVFR"