22 Airspace & Sectional Charts Practice Questions & Answers

1. 1. On a sectional chart an airport is enclosed by solid blue rings. One of the segments is labeled "110/40". What do these figures represent?

   • A.A Class B segment with a ceiling of 1,100 feet MSL over a floor of 400 feet MSL
   • B.A Class B segment with a ceiling of 11,000 feet AGL over a floor of 4,000 feet AGL
   • C.A Class C segment with a ceiling of 11,000 feet MSL over a floor of 4,000 feet AGL
   • D.A Class B segment with a ceiling of 11,000 feet MSL over a floor of 4,000 feet MSL✓ Answer

   Solid blue lines depict Class B airspace, and the fraction printed inside each segment gives the ceiling over the floor in hundreds of feet MSL — never AGL. So 110/40 means 11,000 feet MSL down to 4,000 feet MSL. Because the figures are MSL, a remote pilot must add the ground elevation at the launch site to an AGL altitude before deciding whether the aircraft would enter that segment.

   Source: FAA Aeronautical Chart User's Guide, VFR Terms and Symbols — Class B Airspace; 14 CFR 71.41Report a problem with this question

2. 2. A sectional chart shows an airport ringed by solid magenta lines. The outer shelf of that ring carries the figures "41/13". What is the floor of the shelf?

   • A.130 feet AGL
   • B.13,000 feet MSL
   • C.1,300 feet MSL✓ Answer
   • D.1,300 feet AGL

   Solid magenta rings depict Class C airspace, and like Class B the ceiling/floor numbers are printed in hundreds of feet MSL. "41/13" therefore means a ceiling of 4,100 feet MSL over a floor of 1,300 feet MSL. Reading a charted shelf floor as AGL instead of MSL is one of the most common errors, and it can cause a remote pilot to enter Class C without the required prior ATC authorization.

   Source: FAA Aeronautical Chart User's Guide, VFR Terms and Symbols — Class C Airspace; 14 CFR 71.51Report a problem with this question

3. 3. An airport on a sectional chart is outlined by a blue dashed line, and a nearby segmented box reads "-25". What does this tell the remote pilot?

   • A.Class D airspace extends from the surface up to and including 2,500 feet AGL
   • B.Class D airspace extends from the surface up to but not including 2,500 feet MSL✓ Answer
   • C.Class D airspace extends from the surface to 250 feet MSL
   • D.The floor of the Class D airspace is 2,500 feet MSL

   Class D airspace is charted with a blue dashed line, and its ceiling appears in a segmented box in hundreds of feet MSL. A minus sign in front of the figure is the chart convention for "from the surface up to but not including" that altitude, so -25 means the Class D tops out just below 2,500 feet MSL and the airspace above that point is whatever class overlies it.

   Source: FAA Aeronautical Chart User's Guide, VFR Terms and Symbols — Class D Airspace ceiling notation; 14 CFR 71.61Report a problem with this question

4. 4. A remote pilot plans to fly at a non-towered airport that is enclosed on the sectional chart by a dashed magenta line. What does this depiction require?

   • A.It is a Class E surface area, so prior ATC authorization is required before operating there✓ Answer
   • B.It is a Class E area beginning at 700 feet AGL, so operations below 700 feet AGL need no authorization
   • C.It is an advisory-only boundary; a visual observer satisfies the requirement
   • D.It is Class G airspace, so no authorization of any kind is required

   A dashed magenta line marks Class E airspace that begins at the surface, which is controlled airspace even though the airport usually has no control tower. Under 14 CFR 107.41 a small unmanned aircraft may not operate in Class B, C, or D airspace, or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport, without prior authorization from ATC — the absence of a tower does not remove that requirement, and a visual observer is not a substitute for it.

   Source: FAA Aeronautical Chart User's Guide — Class E Surface (SFC) Airspace; 14 CFR 107.41Report a problem with this question

5. 5. On a sectional chart, a wide faded magenta band (a vignette) surrounds an area. What does the inside edge of that band indicate?

   • A.Controlled airspace (Class E) begins at 1,200 feet AGL inside the band
   • B.The band marks the outer edge of a Class C shelf
   • C.Class E airspace begins at the surface inside the band
   • D.Controlled airspace (Class E) begins at 700 feet AGL inside the band✓ Answer

   The Chart User's Guide states that controlled airspace floors of 700 feet above the ground are defined by a magenta vignette. The shading fades inward, so the sharp outer edge is the lateral limit and everything inside has Class E beginning at 700 feet AGL, with Class G below that. Because the floor is expressed AGL, it rises and falls with the terrain rather than staying at a fixed MSL altitude.

   Source: FAA Aeronautical Chart User's Guide — "Controlled airspace floors of 700' above the ground are defined by a magenta vignette"Report a problem with this question

6. 6. A faded blue vignette on a sectional chart, with the shading fading toward the area it borders, tells the chart reader that:

   • A.Class E airspace begins at 1,200 feet AGL there, laterally abutting uncontrolled Class G airspace✓ Answer
   • B.Class D airspace ends at 1,200 feet MSL there
   • C.Class E airspace begins at 700 feet AGL there
   • D.Class B airspace begins at 1,200 feet MSL there

   Class E airspace exists at 1,200 feet AGL unless designated otherwise, and the chart uses a blue vignette where a floor other than 700 feet laterally abuts uncontrolled Class G airspace. Distinguishing the blue 1,200-foot band from the magenta 700-foot band matters because it tells the remote pilot how much uncontrolled airspace lies beneath — although a small unmanned aircraft operating at or below 400 feet AGL is below either floor.

   Source: FAA Aeronautical Chart User's Guide — "floors other than 700' that laterally abut uncontrolled airspace (Class G) are defined by a blue vignette"Report a problem with this question

7. 7. Which statement correctly describes Class G airspace as it affects small unmanned aircraft operations?

   • A.It exists only above 14,500 feet MSL
   • B.It is uncontrolled airspace and no ATC authorization is needed to operate there✓ Answer
   • C.It is controlled airspace and ATC authorization is required before every flight
   • D.It is depicted on sectional charts by a solid magenta ring

   Class G is uncontrolled airspace, so ATC provides no separation service and 14 CFR 107.41 requires no authorization to operate a small unmanned aircraft there. Class G is not drawn with its own boundary line; it is identified by the absence of any controlled-airspace depiction, and within the United States it extends upward to but not including 14,500 feet MSL where not otherwise designated.

   Source: FAA Aeronautical Chart User's Guide — Uncontrolled Airspace ("Class G Airspace within the United States extends up to 14,500' Mean Sea Level"); 14 CFR 107.41Report a problem with this question

8. 8. Which statement about Class A airspace is correct?

   • A.It begins at 14,500 feet MSL and is shown by a dashed magenta line
   • B.It extends from 18,000 feet MSL up to and including FL 600 and is not outlined by a boundary on sectional charts✓ Answer
   • C.It surrounds the nation's busiest airports and is entered with ATC authorization by small unmanned aircraft
   • D.It extends from 18,000 feet AGL upward and is outlined in solid blue on sectional charts

   Class A airspace is defined by altitude rather than by a lateral shape around a specific airport: it runs from 18,000 feet MSL up to and including flight level 600 over the contiguous United States and Alaska. Because it has no lateral outline tied to a location, sectional charts show no Class A boundary, and a Part 107 operation limited to 400 feet AGL can never reach it.

   Source: 14 CFR 71.33; AIM 3-2-2, Class A AirspaceReport a problem with this question

9. 9. On a sectional chart, what does the color of an airport symbol and its associated data tell the reader?

   • A.Blue indicates a hard-surfaced runway; magenta indicates a turf runway
   • B.Blue indicates an airport with an operating control tower; magenta indicates all other airports✓ Answer
   • C.Blue indicates a public-use airport; magenta indicates a private airport
   • D.Magenta indicates an airport with an operating control tower; blue indicates all other airports

   The Chart User's Guide states that airports with control towers and their related data are shown in blue, while all other airports and their data are shown in magenta. The color is a fast way to spot where a tower — and therefore likely surface-based controlled airspace requiring prior ATC authorization — exists, but the color says nothing about runway surface or ownership.

   Source: FAA Aeronautical Chart User's Guide — Airports ("Airports with Control Towers (CT) and their related data are shown in blue. All other airports and their related data are shown in magenta.")Report a problem with this question

10. 10. A public-use airport is charted as a plain open circle with no runway pattern drawn inside it. What does this symbol mean?

    • A.The airport is closed to all traffic
    • B.The airport has a hard-surfaced runway longer than 8,069 feet
    • C.The airport has other than hard-surfaced runways, such as turf, gravel, or dirt✓ Answer
    • D.The airport is a seaplane base

    The sectional airport legend distinguishes runway surface and length by symbol shape: airports with hard-surfaced runways between 1,500 and 8,069 feet show a runway depiction, those with hard-surfaced runways longer than 8,069 feet or multiple runways show the actual runway configuration, and a plain circle means other than hard-surfaced runways. Recognizing a soft-surface field matters because it suggests lighter, slower traffic that may operate from unmarked landing areas.

    Source: FAA Aeronautical Chart User's Guide — Airports legend, "Other than hard-surfaced runways"Report a problem with this question

11. 11. A large bold blue number "12 5" is printed in the middle of a quadrant on a sectional chart. What does it represent?

    • A.The floor of controlled airspace in that quadrant, 12,500 feet MSL
    • B.A Maximum Elevation Figure of 12,500 feet MSL, the highest terrain or obstacle in that quadrant rounded up✓ Answer
    • C.A minimum safe operating altitude of 1,250 feet MSL for that quadrant
    • D.A Maximum Elevation Figure of 12,500 feet AGL

    The Maximum Elevation Figure represents the highest elevation within a quadrant, including terrain and vertical obstacles such as towers and trees. The quadrant is bounded by ticked lines dividing each 30 minutes of latitude and longitude, the value is rounded up to the next 100 feet, and the last two digits are dropped — so "12 5" is 12,500 feet MSL. It is a terrain-clearance reference only and grants no authorization to operate at that altitude.

    Source: FAA Aeronautical Chart User's Guide — Maximum Elevation Figure (MEF)Report a problem with this question

12. 12. An obstruction symbol on a sectional chart is annotated "2049" with "(587)" printed beneath it. What is the approximate elevation of the ground at the base of the obstruction?

    • A.About 587 feet MSL
    • B.About 1,462 feet MSL✓ Answer
    • C.About 2,049 feet MSL
    • D.About 2,636 feet MSL

    On sectional charts the upper figure beside an obstruction is the elevation of its top above mean sea level, and the figure in parentheses is the obstruction's height above the ground at its base. Subtracting gives the base terrain elevation: 2,049 − 587 = 1,462 feet MSL. Keeping the two numbers straight is essential because a remote pilot's 400-foot limit is measured AGL while charted obstruction tops are MSL.

    Source: FAA Aeronautical Chart User's Guide — Obstructions (top elevation MSL with AGL height in parentheses)Report a problem with this question

13. 13. Which statement correctly describes latitude and longitude as used on aeronautical charts?

    • A.Both latitude and longitude are measured from the equator
    • B.Latitude is measured east and west of the prime meridian; longitude is measured north and south of the equator
    • C.Latitude lines converge at the poles; longitude lines are always parallel to one another
    • D.Latitude is measured north and south of the equator; longitude is measured east and west of the prime meridian✓ Answer

    Latitude is the angular distance north or south of the equator, which is the 0° reference circle, while longitude is the angular distance east or west of the prime meridian running through Greenwich, England. On a sectional the small tick marks along these lines are 1-minute increments, so a decimal fraction of a degree is converted by multiplying by 60 before it can be plotted.

    Source: FAA Aeronautical Chart User's Guide — Latitude and Longitude; FAA-H-8083-25, Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical KnowledgeReport a problem with this question

14. 14. A remote pilot's launch site sits at a field elevation of 1,000 feet MSL, directly beneath a Class C shelf charted as "41/13". If the small unmanned aircraft climbs to 400 feet AGL, what is the situation?

    • A.The shelf floor is 1,300 feet AGL, so the aircraft remains in Class G airspace
    • B.The aircraft is at 400 feet MSL, well below the shelf floor, so no authorization is required
    • C.The aircraft is at 1,400 feet MSL, inside the Class C shelf, so prior ATC authorization is required✓ Answer
    • D.The aircraft is at 1,400 feet MSL, which is still below the 1,300-foot floor

    Charted airspace floors are MSL, so the shelf floor of "13" is 1,300 feet MSL, while the 400-foot operating limit is AGL. Adding 400 feet to the 1,000-foot field elevation puts the aircraft at 1,400 feet MSL, which is 100 feet inside the Class C shelf and therefore requires prior ATC authorization under 14 CFR 107.41. Any time the terrain is high relative to a charted floor, the remote pilot must do this conversion before launching.

    Source: 14 CFR 107.41 and 107.51(b); FAA Aeronautical Chart User's Guide — Class C AirspaceReport a problem with this question

15. 15. What does a charted prohibited area (identified with a "P-" designator) mean to a remote pilot?

    • A.Flight is permitted below 400 feet AGL because the restriction applies only to manned aircraft
    • B.Flight of aircraft is prohibited within that area✓ Answer
    • C.Flight is permitted whenever the area is not shown as active by a NOTAM
    • D.Flight is permitted if the remote pilot first contacts the controlling agency

    Prohibited areas are established over locations where flight is barred outright for reasons of national security or welfare, and no routine permission process exists. The prohibition applies to all aircraft, including small unmanned aircraft, so the remote pilot must plan around the charted boundary rather than seek clearance into it.

    Source: AIM 3-4-2, Prohibited Areas; 14 CFR 107.45Report a problem with this question

16. 16. A remote pilot wants to operate inside a charted restricted area (an "R-" designator). What is required?

    • A.A flight plan filed with the nearest Flight Service facility
    • B.A visual observer stationed at the boundary of the area
    • C.Nothing, because restricted areas apply only to aircraft above 1,200 feet AGL
    • D.Permission from the using or controlling agency for that area✓ Answer

    Restricted areas contain hazards to aircraft such as artillery firing, aerial gunnery, or guided missiles, and they are not automatically closed — but entry is conditional. 14 CFR 107.45 prohibits operating in prohibited or restricted areas unless the person has permission from the using or controlling agency, so the remote pilot must contact that agency, not merely check whether the area appears active.

    Source: 14 CFR 107.45; AIM 3-4-3, Restricted AreasReport a problem with this question

17. 17. A remote pilot plans an operation beneath a charted Military Operations Area (MOA). How should the current status of that MOA be determined?

    • A.By reading the chart legend, which lists the hours each MOA is active
    • B.By checking NOTAMs, the Chart Supplement, or a Flight Service briefing✓ Answer
    • C.By assuming it is active only on weekdays during daylight hours
    • D.By observing whether military aircraft are visible from the control station

    MOA boundaries and names are charted, but activity is scheduled and changes, so the chart itself cannot tell you whether military aircraft are operating right now. Current status comes from NOTAMs, the published times in the Chart Supplement, or a Flight Service briefing, and this matters because aircraft inside an active MOA may be maneuvering abruptly at high speed.

    Source: AIM 3-4-5, Military Operations AreasReport a problem with this question

18. 18. What is the defining characteristic of an alert area, shown on a sectional chart with an "A-" designator?

    • A.Flight within it is prohibited to all civil aircraft
    • B.It contains a high volume of pilot training or unusual aerial activity, and all pilots operating there are equally responsible for collision avoidance✓ Answer
    • C.It is international airspace beginning 3 NM outward from the coast of the United States
    • D.Entry requires permission from the using agency before any aircraft may operate there

    Alert areas are charted to warn pilots of a high volume of pilot training or an unusual type of aerial activity, but they impose no entry restriction; pilots of participating aircraft and pilots transiting the area are equally responsible for collision avoidance. The description beginning 3 NM outward from the coast belongs to a warning area, and the permission requirement belongs to a restricted area.

    Source: AIM 3-4-6, Alert AreasReport a problem with this question

19. 19. Which statement about temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) is correct for a remote pilot?

    • A.A TFR applies to small unmanned aircraft as well as manned aircraft, and it is published by NOTAM rather than printed on the sectional chart✓ Answer
    • B.Every TFR is depicted on the sectional chart in effect for the area
    • C.A TFR applies only to manned aircraft, since small unmanned aircraft stay below 400 feet AGL
    • D.A TFR may be entered by any operator who is covering the event that caused it

    A temporary flight restriction is a short-notice restriction on flight in a defined block of airspace, put in place for hazards such as disaster relief, security, or large public events. Because it is temporary it cannot be printed on a chart that is published on a fixed cycle, so it is disseminated by NOTAM, and it restricts all aircraft — a small unmanned aircraft needs a specific waiver or authorization to operate inside one.

    Source: 14 CFR 91.137 and 91.145; AIM 3-5-3, Temporary Flight Restrictions; AC 107-2AReport a problem with this question

20. 20. What is the purpose of the NOTAM system, and what is the remote pilot's duty regarding it?

    • A.It replaces the sectional chart as the primary source of airspace boundaries
    • B.It distributes time-critical aeronautical information that could not be published on charts in advance, and the remote pilot must review it as part of preflight familiarization✓ Answer
    • C.It archives historical airspace changes, and review is recommended but optional
    • D.It applies only to instrument operations and does not concern small unmanned aircraft

    Charts are produced on a fixed publication cycle, so information that arises between editions — a closed runway, an unlit tower, a new flight restriction — must reach pilots another way, and the NOTAM system exists for exactly that. Because such changes can invalidate what the chart shows, checking NOTAMs is part of the remote pilot in command's required preflight assessment of the operating area and its airspace.

    Source: AIM 5-1-3, NOTAM System; 14 CFR 107.49(a)(2)Report a problem with this question

21. 21. An airport has a runway designated "31". What does that number tell a remote pilot?

    • A.The runway is aligned approximately with a magnetic heading of 310 degrees✓ Answer
    • B.The runway is aligned approximately with a true heading of 031 degrees
    • C.The runway is aligned approximately with a magnetic heading of 031 degrees
    • D.The runway is 3,100 feet long

    Runway numbers are derived from the runway's magnetic heading rounded to the nearest 10 degrees with the final zero dropped, so Runway 31 is aligned near 310 degrees magnetic and its reciprocal end is Runway 13 near 130 degrees. Knowing the alignment lets a remote pilot predict where arriving and departing manned aircraft will be flying, since they line up with that heading on final approach and initial climb.

    Source: FAA-H-8083-25, Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge — runway designation from magnetic heading; AIM 2-3-3Report a problem with this question

22. 22. A remote pilot is operating about one-half mile from the approach end of a runway at a non-towered airport when a manned airplane turns onto final approach. Unless charted otherwise, the traffic pattern is flown with left turns. What should the remote pilot do?

    • A.Descend and move clear of the extended runway centerline, because the small unmanned aircraft must yield the right of way to the manned aircraft✓ Answer
    • B.Hold position at 400 feet AGL, because the manned aircraft is required to see and avoid the small unmanned aircraft
    • C.Climb above the traffic pattern altitude so the manned aircraft can see the small unmanned aircraft more easily
    • D.Turn to the right, because arriving aircraft always make right turns at non-towered airports

    The standard traffic pattern uses left turns unless right traffic is published, and aircraft on final approach are aligned with the extended runway centerline while descending — precisely the volume of airspace a remote pilot near a runway end occupies. Under 14 CFR 107.37 the small unmanned aircraft must yield the right of way to all other aircraft, so the remote pilot must maneuver clear rather than expect the manned pilot to see and avoid a small, hard-to-spot aircraft.

    Source: 14 CFR 91.126(b) (left turns unless otherwise indicated); 14 CFR 107.37 (yielding the right of way)Report a problem with this question

Practice questions based on 14 CFR Part 107 and the FAA Airman Certification Standards for the Remote Pilot — Small UAS Rating. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Regulations are amended over time and airspace authorization procedures change; confirm the current rules with the FAA and check NOTAMs and TFRs before every flight. About the Part 107 certificate →