Part 1: The Origin of Airspace
Part 2: Class A Airspace
Part 3: Class B Airspace
Part 4: Class C Airspace
Part 5: Class D Airspace
Part 6: Class E Airspace
Part 7: Class G Airspace
Wait, isn’t there a Class Foxtrot Airspace?
There is no Class Foxtrot Airspace in the United States. Our colder comrades to the north do have Class F Airspace. It is similar to what we refer to as Special Use Airspace. While it is unlikely that we will find ourselves in Canadian Special Use Airspace anytime soon, it underscores that the airspace qualifications and limitations of this country do not translate across borders. A simple flight across the border will lead you into a vastly different ATC world. Before embarking on any international voyage a thorough review of the applicable sections of the AIM is very good idea.
Class Golf Airspace
Where will I find it?
Now we come to the last and least airspace—Class Golf Airspace—the lonely and only uncontrolled airspace. Class G Airspace exists mostly below 1,200 feet AGL but it some areas it will end at 700 feet AGL. Typically, these areas surround an airport where radar coverage allows Controllers to see aircraft at a lower altitude—thus lowering the floor of Class E Airspace. This area is indicated with a shaded magenta line around the airport on a Sectional Chart. Larger swaths of Class G Airspace do exist in remote mountainous regions.
What equipment do I need?
It is the ONLY uncontrolled airspace. Pilots often remember Class G as “government-free” or “gummmit” free—depending on how much you enjoy chewing tobacco.
What are the VFR weather minimums?
During day VFR, visibility must be at least one mile and you must remain clear of clouds. At night, the “3-152” rules come back: Three miles visibility with a cloud clearance of 1,000 feet above—500 feet below—2,000 feet horizontal.
Next, special use airspace
Wings of Eagles Assistant Chief Instructor Chris Carnett holds a CFI, CFII, and MEI. He is a former regional airline pilot and currently an adjunct professor at his alma mater, MTSU—where he earned his B.S. and M.Ed. in Aerospace.
