In this video, we will cover everything you need to know about airspace classes. We promise it's not as hard as you think. But what is an airspace class? Well, it's just a type of airspace. The FAA uses letters like Class A or Class B to separate them. Airspace can either be controlled or uncontrolled. Controlled airspace is where ATC controls traffic, while uncontrolled airspace is where they don't. Now let's explain controlled airspace first, starting with Class A. Class A airspace, also called Class Alpha is extends across the entire United States. It starts at 18,000ft MSL and goes up to 60,000ft MSL. You might be wondering. MSL stands for mean sea level because it is the altitude measured above sea level. Now, it's not depicted on any charts because it covers the entire country. It's also IFR only. This means that you must be on an instrument flight plan and clear by atc. In order to enter, you will need a Mode C transponder and also a DSB out. If you go above flight level 240, you need a distance measuring equipment or DME. Lastly, the speed limit in Class A airspace is Mach 1. Okay, next up is Class B airspace or Class Bravo. Class B is around the 37th busiest airport in major cities. You will find Class B depicted on sectional chart using a solid blue line. Each sector has an altitude block with a floor and a ceiling. These altitudes are listed in hundreds of feet above sea level. Also remember that SFC stands for surface. If you look at Class B airspace in 3D, it looks like an upside down wedding. This is because it consists of several sections with different altitudes and also different shapes. The inner sector of Class B starts at the surface and goes up to around 10,000ft MSL. Sectors further out will have a higher base allowing traffic to fly underneath. There's also a 30nm mot c veil that surrounds Class B airspace. This is depicted as a magenta circle on a sectional chart inside of that circle. All aircraft need to have a MOTC transponder and ADS B out. You also need ATC clearance before you enter Class B airspace. Now, the VFR weather minimums require at least least three statute miles of visibility and make sure that you remain clear of clouds. This is to avoid IFR traffic. The speed limit is 250 knots inside Class B and 200 knots below it. The speed limit is also 200 knots through VFR corridors. Okay, let's move on to Class C airspace. Class C exists at large airports that are less busy than Class B airports. Now you will find them around medium sized cities. Typically on a sectional chart, Class C looks like class B, but it's actually smaller. It also has magenta lights instead of blue ones. The inner core extends from the surface to around 4,000ft AGL and has a radius of 5 nautical miles. AGL stands for above ground level. It's another way to measure altitude when we're not using MSL mean sea level. The outer shell has a radius of 10 nautical miles. It starts at 1200ft AGL and extends to 4000ft AGL. And you need to fly at least 1000ft above, 500ft below and 2000ft horizontally from the clouds. The speed limit is 200 knots within a 4 NM radius of the airport. Otherwise below 10,000ft MSL, the standard limit is 250 knots. You don't need ATC clearance to enter class C airspace, but you must establish two way radio communication. You also need a mode C transponder and ADS B out to fly in or over class C. Okay, up next is class D airspace. Airport in class D are very much like Class C, just not as busy. On the sectional you will find class D airports that are depicted with a dash blue line. The number in the bracket indicates the ceiling in hundreds of feet msl, a class D resembles a cylinder with a radius of about 4 to 5 nautical miles. It starts from the surface and generally extends to the airspace above it or 2500ft AGL. Now the VFR weather minimums are the same as class C airspace. You need three statute mile visibility and then the VFR cloud clearance is 1,000ft above, 500ft below and 2,000ft horizontally. And the speed limit is also 200 knots. Just like Class C, you must establish two way radio communication with ATC before you enter. All right, only two more to go. And next is Class E airspace or Class Echo. Any controlled airspace that is not A, B, C or D is class E. Think E as everywhere else. It allows ATC to manage IFR aircraft that are outside of other controlled airspace. In most of the country, the floor of class e airspace is 1200ft AGL above ground level. But how do we know if it starts lower? Well, look for the shaded magenta shape on the sectional chart. The FA calls these vignettes. They depict the changes in the floor of Class E airspace. On the faded side, the floor starts at 700ft AGL. These are what we call transition areas. They allow ATC to provide services to IFR aircraft that are flying in and out of Airports. These are especially useful at airports without a control tower. Now, on the solid side of the shaded magenta, class E starts at the usual 1200ft AGL. Now, inside these transition areas, you might see a dash magenta shape around an airport. Now, this indicates that the class E goes all the way down to the surface. Now remember when we said class e starts at 1200ft AGL in most of the country? Well, there are some rare cases where we have class e starting at 14,500msl. You will see these represented with a blue vignette. The faded side represents the typical floor at 1200ft AGL, and then the solid side represents the floor at 14,500 MSL. Now remember, these are very, very rare across the country. Class E airspace extends up to but not including the floor of class A airspace. At 18,000ft MSL, it starts again on top of Class A at 60,000ft MSL. Now, there are no entry requirement for class E, but there are some VFR minimums. If you are below 10,000ft MSL, the weather minimums are the same as class C and class D airspace, meaning you need three stat mile visibility, 1000ft above, 500ft below and 2000ft horizontally from the clouds. Now, if you're above 10,000ft MSL, the minimums increase to five statute mile visibility, 1000ft above, 1000ft below, and one statute mile horizontally from clouds. Okay, that concludes controlled airspace. Now what about uncontrolled airspace? Well, this is where class Golf comes in. Class G exists where controlled airspace doesn't. It starts at the surface. Unless controlled airspace exists on the ground, it's basically, basically the bottom of class E airspace. Now, you won't find class Golf depicted on a sectional chart and there are no entry requirements. If you're in class golf under 10,000ft MSL, you need one statute mile visibility during the day, three statute miles at night, below 1200ft AGL during the day. You also need to stay clear of clouds. Now at night it changes to 1,000ft above, 500ft below and 2,000ft horizontally from clouds. Now what about the rare Class Golf that is under 10,000ft MSL but over 1200ft AGL, while in that case the strict cloud clearance also applies during the day and at night. Now, if you're flying over 10,000ft MSL and over 1200ft AGL, then high altitude class E requirements apply for visibility. That's five statute mile, 1,000ft above, 1,000ft below, and one statute mile horizontally from the clouds. Now there's an exception if you fly in the traffic pattern at night within half a mile of the Runway. In that case, you only need one mile of visibility and to stay clear of clouds. So enjoy your nighttime touch and goes. Now, that covers airspace classes, but there are more types of airspace that you need to know about. We'll cover these here in Part two. Thanks for watching and we'll see you in the next one.