UAG - Unmanned Aircraft General Airspace and Sectional Charts Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A remote pilot is planning a flight near an airport depicted with a dashed blue line on a sectional chart. The number [25] is shown inside the airspace. What does this indicate?
- This is Class G airspace, and no authorization is needed up to 2,500 feet AGL.
- This is Class D airspace, which extends from the surface up to 2,500 feet MSL. (Correct answer)
- This is Class B airspace, requiring clearance for all operations.
- This is a Military Operations Area, and the flight is prohibited.
Correct answer: This is Class D airspace, which extends from the surface up to 2,500 feet MSL.
A dashed blue line on a sectional chart indicates Class D airspace. The number inside a blue box, in this case [25], represents the ceiling of the Class D airspace in hundreds of feet MSL (Mean Sea Level). Therefore, the airspace extends from the surface up to 2,500 feet MSL.
Question 2: You are hired to inspect a 1,200-foot tall broadcast tower. According to 14 CFR Part 107, what is the maximum altitude you are permitted to fly your sUAS?
- 400 feet AGL
- 1,200 feet AGL
- 1,600 feet AGL (Correct answer)
- 500 feet above the tower
Correct answer: 1,600 feet AGL
Part 107 allows a remote pilot to operate a small UAS up to 400 feet above a structure, provided the aircraft remains within a 400-foot radius of that structure. In this scenario, the maximum altitude would be the tower's height (1,200 feet) plus 400 feet, totaling 1,600 feet AGL.
Question 3: Which of the following is true regarding operations in Class G airspace for a Part 107 remote pilot?
- Authorization from Air Traffic Control is always required.
- Operations are restricted to below 200 feet AGL.
- Flights must remain at least 5 miles away from any airport.
- No authorization from Air Traffic Control is required. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: No authorization from Air Traffic Control is required.
Class G airspace is uncontrolled airspace. Part 107 operators are allowed to fly in Class G airspace without needing permission or authorization from Air Traffic Control (ATC), as long as they adhere to all other operating rules under Part 107, such as altitude and visibility requirements.
Question 4: On a VFR sectional chart, what does an airport symbol depicted in magenta indicate?
- The airport has a control tower.
- The airport is restricted to military use only.
- The airport does not have a control tower. (Correct answer)
- The airport has a runway longer than 8,069 feet.
Correct answer: The airport does not have a control tower.
On sectional charts, the color of the airport symbol provides key information. Blue airport symbols indicate that the airport has an operating control tower. Magenta symbols indicate a non-towered airport, where pilots coordinate traffic amongst themselves on a common frequency.
Question 5: While reviewing a sectional chart for a planned mission, you identify a Military Operations Area (MOA) along your intended flight path. What action should you take?
- Avoid the area completely as all flight is prohibited.
- Contact the controlling agency for permission to transit the area.
- Proceed with extreme caution, as military training activities may be present. (Correct answer)
- Fly no higher than 200 feet AGL to stay below the military traffic.
Correct answer: Proceed with extreme caution, as military training activities may be present.
Flying VFR (which includes sUAS operations) in an active MOA is not prohibited, but it requires extreme caution. MOAs are established to separate certain military training activities from IFR traffic. Remote pilots should be alert for abrupt and acrobatic maneuvers by military aircraft. It is advisable, though not required, to contact the controlling agency for traffic advisories.
Question 6: You are planning to operate your sUAS in an area with no depicted airspace class on the sectional chart. This area is not near any airports. What class of airspace should you assume it is from the surface up to the overlying controlled airspace?
- Class B
- Class G (Correct answer)
- Class E starting at the surface
- Class D
Correct answer: Class G
In areas where no other airspace class is depicted on a sectional chart, the airspace is considered Class G (uncontrolled) from the surface up to the floor of the overlying controlled airspace, which is typically Class E at either 700 or 1,200 feet AGL.
UAG - Unmanned Aircraft General Airspace and Sectional Charts Questions and Answers
A remote pilot is planning a flight near an airport depicted with a dashed blue line on a sectional chart.
The number [25] is shown inside the airspace.
What does this indicate?