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Part 4. Terminal and
En Route Airspace
Chapter 14. Designation of Airspace Classes
Section 1. General
14-1-1. PURPOSE
In
addition to the policy guidelines and procedures detailed in
Part 1. of this
order, this part prescribes specific policies and procedures
for managing terminal and en route airspace cases.
14-1-2. DEFINITIONS
a. CONTROLLED AIRSPACE. An airspace of defined
dimensions within which ATC service is provided to IFR
flights and to VFR flights in accordance with the airspace
classification.
1. Controlled airspace is a generic term that covers
Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D, and Class E airspace
areas.
2. Controlled airspace is also that airspace within
which all aircraft operators are subject to certain pilot
qualifications, operating rules, and equipment requirements
in 14 CFR part 91 (for specific operating requirements,
please refer to 14 CFR part 91). For IFR operations in any
class of controlled airspace, a pilot must file an IFR
flight plan and receive an appropriate ATC clearance. Each
Class B, Class C, and Class D airspace area designated for
an airport contains at least one primary airport around
which the airspace is designated (for specific designations
and descriptions of the airspace classes, please refer to 14
CFR part 71).
3. Controlled airspace in the United States is
designated as follows:
(a) CLASS A AIRSPACE AREA. Generally, that airspace from
18,000 feet MSL up to and including FL 600, including the
airspace overlying the waters within 12 nautical miles (NM)
of the coast of the 48 contiguous States and Alaska. Unless
otherwise authorized, all persons must operate their
aircraft under IFR.
(b) CLASS B AIRSPACE AREA. Generally, that airspace from
the surface to 10,000 feet mean sea level (MSL) surrounding
the nation's busiest airports in terms of airport operations
or passenger enplanements. The configuration of each Class B
airspace area is individually tailored and consists of a
surface area and two or more layers, and is designed to
contain all published instrument procedures. An ATC
clearance is required for all aircraft to operate in the
area, and all aircraft that are so cleared receive
separation services within the airspace. The cloud clearance
requirement for VFR operations is “clear of clouds."
(c) CLASS C AIRSPACE AREA. Generally, that airspace from
the surface to 4,000 feet above the airport elevation
(charted in MSL) surrounding those airports that have an
operational control tower, are serviced by a radar approach
control, and that have a certain number of IFR operations or
passenger enplanements. Although the configuration of each
Class C area is individually tailored, the airspace usually
consists of a surface area with a 5 NM radius, an outer
circle with a 10 NM radius that extends from no lower than
1,200 feet up to 4,000 feet above the airport elevation.
Each person must establish two-way radio communications with
the ATC facility providing air traffic services prior to
entering the airspace and thereafter maintain those
communications while within the airspace.
(d) CLASS D AIRSPACE AREA. Generally, that airspace from
the surface to 2,500 feet above the airport elevation
(charted in MSL) surrounding those airports that have an
operational control tower. The configuration of each Class D
airspace area is individually tailored and when instrument
procedures are published, the airspace will normally be
designed to contain the procedures. Arrival extensions for
instrument approach procedures may be Class D or Class E
airspace. Unless otherwise authorized, each person must
establish two-way radio communications with the ATC facility
providing air traffic services prior to entering the
airspace and thereafter maintain those communications while
in the airspace. No separation services are provided to VFR
aircraft.
(e) CLASS E AIRSPACE AREA.
Generally, if the airspace is not Class A, Class B, Class C,
or Class D, and it is controlled airspace, it is Class E
airspace. The types of Class E airspace areas are:
(1) Surface Area Designated for an Airport - When
designated as a surface area for an airport, the airspace
will be configured to contain all instrument procedures.
(2) Extension to a Surface Area - There are Class E
airspace areas that serve as extensions to Class B, Class C,
Class D, and Class E surface areas designated for an
airport. Such airspace provides controlled airspace to
contain standard instrument approach procedures without
imposing a communications requirement on pilots operating
under VFR.
(3) Airspace Used for Transition - There are Class E
airspace areas beginning at either 700 or 1,200 feet AGL
used to transition to/from the terminal or en route
environment.
(4) En Route Domestic Areas - There are Class E airspace
areas that extend upward from a specified altitude and are
en route domestic airspace areas that provide controlled
airspace in those areas where there is a requirement to
provide IFR en route ATC services but the Federal airway
system is inadequate.
(5) Federal Airways - The Federal airways are Class E
airspace areas and, unless otherwise specified, extend
upward from 1,200 feet to, but not including, 18,000 feet
MSL. The colored airways are green, red, amber, and blue.
The VOR airways are classified as Domestic, Alaskan, and
Hawaiian.
(6) Unless designated at a lower altitude, Class E
airspace begins at 14,500 feet MSL to, but not including
18,000 feet MSL overlying: the 48 contiguous States
including the waters within 12 miles from the coast of the
48 contiguous States; the District of Columbia; Alaska,
including the waters within 12 miles from the coast of
Alaska, and that airspace above FL 600; excluding the Alaska
peninsula west of long. 160°00'00"W., and the airspace below
1,500 feet above the surface of the earth unless
specifically so designated.
(7) Offshore/Control Airspace Areas. Airspace areas
beyond 12 NM from the coast of the United States, wherein
ATC services are provided.
b. UNCONTROLLED AIRSPACE.
1. CLASS G AIRSPACE AREA. Airspace that has not been
designated as Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D, or Class E
airspace.
14-1-3. GOVERNING CRITERIA
Controlled airspace in terminal areas must be designated,
modified, or discontinued in accordance with the policy,
procedures, and criteria contained herein.
14-1-4. FRACTIONAL MILES
Unless otherwise stated, all distances are nautical miles.
When figuring the size of surface areas and Class E airspace
or their extensions, any fractional part of a mile must be
converted to the next higher 0.1 mile increment.
EXAMPLE-
3.62 miles would be considered to be 3.7 miles.
14-1-5. AIRSPACE LEGAL DESCRIPTION
a. A text header must be used and include the following
information:
1. On line one:
(a) FAA routing symbol of the region.
(b) Two letter abbreviation of the state.
(c) Type of airspace.
2. On line two: Enter the name of the airport and, if
different, preceded by the name of the city.
3. If applicable, on line three: Enter the geographic
coordinates for the reference used to describe the airspace,
that is, geographic position, airport reference point,
NAVAID, etc.
4. If applicable, on subsequent lines: Enter any NAVAID
or airport, including geographic coordinates, used in the
legal description.
b. State vertical limits in the first sentence of the
text.
c. Do not restate geographic
coordinates used in the text header in the legal description
text.
d. If applicable, the way to distinguish between the
classes is to separate the description of basic radius from
the extension description by using a semi-colon.
NOTE-
Do not include a vertical limit for any extension(s) that
will become Class E airspace. See examples of airspace legal
descriptions below.
EXAMPLES OF AIRSPACE LEGAL
DESCRIPTIONS
ANE MA B BOSTON, MA
Logan International Airport (Primary Airport)
(lat. 42°21'51"N., long. 70°59'22"W.)
Boundaries.
Area A. That airspace extending upward from the surface
to and including 7,000 feet MSL within an 8-mile radius of
the Boston VORTAC.
Area B. That airspace extending upward from 2,000 feet
MSL to and including 7,000 feet MSL within a 10.5-mile
radius of the Boston VORTAC, excluding Area A.
Area C. That airspace extending upward from 3,000 feet
MSL to and including 7,000 feet MSL within a 20-mile radius
of the Boston VORTAC, excluding Areas A and B previously
described and that airspace within and underlying Area D
described hereinafter.
Area D. That airspace extending upward from 4,000 feet
MSL to and including 7,000 feet MSL between the 15- and
20-mile radii of the Boston VORTAC extending from the Boston
VORTAC 230' radial clockwise to the Boston VORTAC 005'
radial.
ASW
LA C SHREVEPORT REGIONAL AIRPORT, LA
Shreveport Regional Airport, LA
(lat. 32°26'48"N., long. 93°49'33"W.)
Barksdale AFB, LA
(lat. 32°30'07"N., long. 93°39'46"W.)
That
airspace extending upward from the surface to and including
4,300 feet MSL within a 5-mile radius of the Shreveport
Regional Airport, and that airspace extending upward from
1,600 feet MSL to and including 4,300 feet MSL within a
10-mile radius of the airport, excluding that airspace
designated as the Barksdale AFB, LA, Class C airspace area
east of the points where the 10-mile radius from Shreveport
Regional Airport intersects the 10-mile radius from
Barksdale AFB.
AEA
VA D MANASSAS MUNICIPAL
Harry P. Davis Airport, Manassas, VA
(lat. 38°43'17"N., long. 77°30'56"W.)
That
airspace extending upward from the surface to and including
2,000 feet MSL within a 4-mile radius of the Manassas
Municipal/Harry P. Davis Airport; and that airspace
extending upward from the surface within 2.6 miles either
side of a bearing 025° from the airport extending from the
4-mile radius to 7.5 miles northeast of the airport and
excluding that airspace within the Washington Tri-Area Class
B area.
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