6/28/23

Lesson 1208
National Airspace System

o Aeronautics 2 Dr. Michael Karim

Overview
o Airspace
n General
n Controlled Airspace
n Class G Airspace
n Special Use Airspace
n Other Airspace Areas
o Air Traffic Control Services
n Primary Radar
n Air Traffic Control Radar
n Radar Traffic Information Services Available to Pilots

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Airspace Overview

Airspace
o Airspace classification is determined by
n Density of complexity of aircraft movement
n Nature of operations
n The level of safety required
n National and public interest
o It is necessary to understand the airspace prior
to operating in it

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Airspace
o Broken down into four main categories by the
AIM
n Controlled
n Uncontrolled
n Special Use
n Other
o When overlapping, the more restrictive
airspace rules apply

Controlled Airspace
o Class A
o Class B
o Class C
o Class D
o Class E
n General Info
n VFR Weather Minimums
n Required Equipment
n Entry Requirements

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Class A Airspace
o General
n 18,000 ft – FL 600
n Extends 12NM out over the
coast
n Must hold Instrument Rating
o VFR Weather Minimums
n N/A
Class B Airspace
o General
n Surface - 10,000 ft
n Upside wedding cake
n Tailored to each airport
n Private pilot certificate
o Student with endorsement
o VFR Weather Minimums
n 3 SM visibility
n Clear of clouds
6/28/23
o Required Equipment
n IFR Equipped
(GRABCARD)
n DME at and above FL240
n Transponder with Altitude
Reporting
o Entry Requirements
n IFR Flight Plan
n ATC Clearance
o Required Equipment
n Two-way radio
n Transponder with altitude
reporting (30 NM Veil)
n VOR (for IFR Operations)
o Entry Requirement
n ATC clearance
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Class C Airspace
o General o Required Equipment
n Surface - 4,000 ft n Two-way radio
n Upside wedding cake n Transponder with altitude
n 5 NM radius base reporting
n 10 NM radius Shelf o Entry Requirement
n Tailored to each airport n Two-way radio
o VFR Weather Minimums communications
n 3 SM visibility
n 1000 ft above clouds
n 500 ft below clouds
n 2000 ft horizontal

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Class D Airspace
o General o Required Equipment
n Surface - 2,500 ft n Two-way radio
n 5NM radius base o Entry Requirement
n Tailored to each airport n Two-way radio
o VFR Weather Minimums communications
n 3 SM visibility
n 1000 ft above clouds
n 500 ft below clouds
n 2000 ft horizontal

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Class E Airspace
General
o Controlled airspace not
A,B,C, or D
o Begins at 1,200 ft MSL*
n Unless otherwise depicted
o All airspace above FL600
o Extends upwards to the
base of the overlying
airspace
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VFR Weather Minimum
o Less than 10,000 ft
n 3 SM visibility
n 1000 ft above clouds
n 500 ft below clouds
n 2000 ft horizontally
o At or above 10,000 ft
n 5 SM visibility
n 1000 ft above clouds
n 1000 ft below clouds
n 1 SM horizontal
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Class G Airspace
o Uncontrolled airspace
o Any airspace not classified as A, B, C, D, E
o Not depicted on sectional charts
o Exists from surface up to the base of
overlying airspace

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Class G Airspace Weather Mins

Day Night
o Surface-1,200 ft AGL o Surface-1,200 ft AGL
n 3 SM visibility
n 1 SM
n 1000 ft above clouds
n Clear of clouds
n 500 ft below clouds
o 1,200 AGL-10,000 MSL n 2000 ft horizontally
n 1 SM visibility
o 1,200 AGL-10,000 MSL
n 1000 ft above clouds
n 1 SM visibility
n 500 ft below clouds
n 1000 ft above clouds
n 2000 ft horizontally
n 500 ft below clouds
o 1,200 AGL and above 10,000 MSL n 2000 ft horizontally
n 5 SM visibility
n 1,000 ft above clouds
o 1,200 AGL and above 10,000 MSL
n Same as day
n 1,000 ft below clouds
n 1 SM horizontally

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Test
Supplement
Information

• The Testing Supplement Books are ‘exactly’ like the one

you will be using for your test (8080-2H and/or 8080-1E)
• Thoroughly Familiarize yourself with what is in it.
• Use the chart legends to help answer questions and
other valuable information to help you during the test.

5-1 Private / Commercial

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Latitude & Longitude

• Define the location
on the earth using
Latitude (i.e. 46º)
and Longitude
(i.e.124º)
• Read degrees,
minutes, seconds
upward towards
North and then from
right to left towards
the West.
• Be able to determine Seaside (56S) 46.01 N 123.54 W
location of an airport.

5-2 Private / Commercial

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Flag Symbols

“Chesapeake traffic, Cessna 1234A is inbound from the West

at 1,500 feet over Lake Drummond, landing at Chesapeake.”

Excellent visual checkpoint used to

identify your aircraft position for
initial call-up.

5-3 Private / Commercial

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Caution Box
• Caution boxes
denote possible
obstruction or other
hazards.
• In this example,
cable extending from
a radar blimp as
high as 3,008 feet
MSL.
(Follow the dashed line indicating precisely
where blimp cable is located)

5-4 Private / Commercial

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Terrain Elevation

• Critical elevations and contour lines show terrain.

• Maximum Elevation Figures show the elevation of the
highest possible obstacle (rounded up) within that
quadrangle. Add 500 feet for MSA.
5-5 Private / Commercial

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Obstructions
Legend information available
on the Test Supplement.

Example shown:
2049 MSL – Altimeter will
indicate 2049 MSL if you hit
the top.
(1149) AGL – You’ll fall 1149
feet shortly thereafter!

Know the minimum altitude to

clear obstacle by 500 feet.
Legend 1
5-6 Private / Commercial

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Review of Airspace Classes

• Class A – 18,000 feet and above. No
VFR traffic.
• Class B – Clearance required. Mode
C transponder. Private or Student
pilot.
• Class C – 2-way Communication.
Mode C transponder.
• Class D – 2-way Communication.
Minimum VFR WX 1000-3. If SVFR…,
If tower closed, becomes Class E
airspace.
• Class E – Starts at surface, 700 or
1200 AGL or other altitude.
• Class G – Uncontrolled. Less
visibility and distance from cloud
requirements.
Legend 1
5-7 Private / Commercial

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Airport Data
• Blue Airport – indicates
a tower exists.
• Magenta Airport –
indicates a non-tower /
uncontrolled airport.
• Know how to read all
information in the data
block including rotating
beacon & fuel
availability. Example shown is a Class D
airport with fuel availability.
(AOE = Airport of Entry)

5-8 Private / Commercial

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Special Use Airspace SUA

• Prohibited - Can not fly.
• Restricted - Only with the controlling
agency’s authorization. Information
found on the inside flap of sectional
chart.
• Alert Area - Pilots responsibility for
collision avoidance.
• MOA - Military operations area with
aircraft making abrupt flight
maneuvers. Exercise extreme
caution.
• MTR - Military training routes, visual
(VR) and instrument (IR) flights
above 1,500 AGL at speeds in
excess of 250 knots.
5-9 Private / Commercial

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Military Operations Area (MOA)

MOA’s contain military training
activities. No clearance is required,
but exercise caution and stay alert
for high speed military traffic.

New Test Question

Keep 2nd radio on “guard” channel

121.5 when flying through an MOA.
Operational times and altitudes
found on the inside flap of sectional
chart.
Contact FSS for additional
advisories.
5-10 Private / Commercial

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National Wilderness / Wildlife Refuge Area

Blue Line with dots inside the airspace. Recommend

that pilots stay at least 2,000 AGL over area.

5-11 Private / Commercial

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Airspace Overview

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Special Use Airspace

o Area where special aeronautical activities
must be confined
o Area where limits are placed on non-
participating aircraft
o Depicted on the sectional chart
n Other than Controlled Firing Areas (CFAs)

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Special Use Airspace

o Prohibited Areas
o Restricted Areas
o Warning Areas
o Military Operations
Area (MOA)
o Alert Areas
o Controlled Firing Area
(CFA)

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