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Pilot’s guide to Class E Airspace

March 28, 2022/in Tips and technique/by Chris Clarke

You’ll spend most of your flight training and cross-country time in Class E airspace. Here we’ll show how to identify the location of Class E airspace on a sectional chart and determine the floor in various parts of the country.

Fun summer internship opportunities at the biggest aviation show on earth

March 25, 2022/in Career/by Eric Radtke

Looking for a fun and exciting way to spend your summer? Come spend it with EAA and AirVenture Oshkosh 2022 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, WI!

Pilot’s guide to Class E Airspace

March 28, 2022/in Tips and technique/by Chris Clarke

Fun summer internship opportunities at the biggest aviation show on earth

March 25, 2022/in Career/by Eric Radtke

Looking for a fun and exciting way to spend your summer? Come spend it with EAA and AirVenture Oshkosh 2022 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, WI!

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Pilot’s guide to Class E Airspace

March 28, 2022/in Tips and technique/by Chris Clarke

You’ll spend most of your flight training time in Class E airspace, whether practicing slow flight or stalls in your local practice area or heading out on a cross-country flight. Class E airspace is often confusing though because it’s not clearly depicted on the sectional chart, like the ATC-controlled Classes B, C or D. While Class E airspace is considered “controlled airspace”, you do not need an ATC clearance to fly in it.

Since Class “E” airspace is basically “Everywhere”, most of the focus is placed on identifying the ceiling and floor of the airspace. Identifying the ceiling of Class E airspace is easy, since it always ends at 17,999′ MSL, with Class A airspace above (and then starts again at FL600/60,000′ if you’re out joyriding in an SR-71). Class E airspace rarely goes all the way to the surface, and in non-mountainous terrain, the floor of Class E airspace is typically 700 feet or 1,200 feet AGL. But how can you know the difference?

The answer lies within the faded magenta circle that typically surrounds nontowered airports. In the example above, the floor of Class E is 700′ on the faded side of the border (the airport surface area) and 1,200′ everywhere else. Stay below the floor of Class E airspace and you’ll remain in Class G airspace and take advantage of the less restrictive cloud clearance and visibility minimums.

Speaking of weather requirements, here’s a summary of the minimum cloud clearance and visibility required to operate in Class E airspace:

As with all things in aviation, there are many exceptions to the standard conventions. Here are some examples of Class E floor variations found throughout the US.

In this case, Class E extends to the surface, as identified by the dashed magenta line/box appearing adjacent to the Class D airspace:

In some cases, the surface area for an airport is designated as Class E airspace, which is identified by the dashed magenta line/circle around the airport:

Next, let’s review Class E airspace around federal airways. In this example around Victor 120, Class E airspace starts at 1,200′ AGL inside the blue feathered area and extends all the way to the Class A airspace above. The areas outside of the hard edge of the blue line are Class G airspace from the surface to 14,500′ MSL, and then Class E above that:

For additional airspace review, check out our airspace quiz and see how well you know the entire airspace system. You may also find this video on Class E airspace classification helpful. And for complete training on the entire National Airspace system plus much more, check out Sporty’s Learn To Fly Pilot Training Course.

Fun summer internship opportunities at the biggest aviation show on earth

March 25, 2022/in Career/by Eric Radtke

Looking for a fun and exciting way to spend your summer? Come spend it with EAA and AirVenture Oshkosh 2022 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, WI!

As EAA prepares for AirVenture Oshkosh 2022, a wide variety of fun internships are available. EAA internships provide real-world work experience for post-high school students of all educational backgrounds, skills, and interests. Apply today ›

AirVenture Oshkosh is an experience unlike anything else in aviation – seven straight days of world-class aerobatics, history coming alive through airplanes of all eras of flight filling the sky, camaraderie with fellow aviation enthusiasts and much more.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Pilot’s guide to Class E Airspace

Fun summer internship opportunities at the biggest aviation show on earth

Pilot’s guide to Class E Airspace

Fun summer internship opportunities at the biggest aviation show on earth

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Pilot’s guide to Class E Airspace

Fun summer internship opportunities at the biggest aviation show on earth

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