Airspace 3D: Interactive Class A, B, C, D, E, G Model

Airspace challenge

Move the airplane to complete each task. They check off automatically.

Fly low in Class G (uncontrolled) airspace.

Fly under the Class B shelf without entering it (between 10 and 30 NM, below the floor).

Enter Class D. What do you need first?

Fly over the top of Class C airspace.

Climb into Class A. Could you do this VFR?

The airspace classes at a glance

Class	Where	To enter (VFR)	VFR weather
A	18,000 ft MSL to FL600	IFR only	n/a
B	Busiest airports, usually surface to 10,000 MSL, in tiers	ATC clearance, Mode C + ADS-B	3 SM, clear of clouds
C	Busy towered airports, usually 5 NM core and 10 NM shelf, to 4,000 AGL	Two-way radio, Mode C + ADS-B	3 SM; 500 below, 1,000 above, 2,000 horizontal
D	Towered airports, usually to 2,500 AGL	Two-way radio	3 SM; 500 / 1,000 / 2,000
E	Controlled airspace not A–D: often from 1,200 AGL, or 700 AGL near some airports, or the surface	Nothing special VFR	Below 10,000 MSL: 3 SM; 500 / 1,000 / 2,000. At or above: 5 SM; 1,000 / 1,000 / 1 SM
G	Uncontrolled, below the Class E floor	Nothing special	≤1,200 AGL day: 1 SM, clear of clouds (more at night and higher up)

How it looks on a sectional chart

Class B: solid blue lines. Numbers like 100/30 mean the tier goes from 3,000 to 10,000 ft MSL.
Class C: solid magenta lines, with numbers like 40/12 (1,200 to 4,000 ft MSL on the chart, in hundreds of feet).
Class D: dashed blue line; the number in a box (like [25]) is the ceiling in hundreds of feet MSL.
Class E to the surface: dashed magenta. Class E from 700 AGL: fuzzy magenta shading. From 1,200 AGL: fuzzy blue shading marks where it begins.

This model is a generic example. Real airspace is custom-shaped for each airport and the numbers vary. Always use a current sectional chart, and treat altitudes on charts as MSL unless marked otherwise. In this model the airports are at sea level, so MSL and AGL are the same.

Sources: 14 CFR 91.155, 91.129–91.135, 91.215, 91.225; PHAK Chapter 15 (Airspace); Aeronautical Chart User's Guide.

Check yourself

Recall: What do you need before entering Class B airspace?Answer: An ATC clearance. Correct. Class B requires a clearance: you must hear “cleared into the Class Bravo airspace.”

Scenario: You're 15 NM from a Class B airport at 2,500 ft MSL, and the shelf above you starts at 3,000. Are you in Class B?Answer: No, you're under the shelf. Correct. Class B starts at the shelf floor. Below it you're in other airspace, but you're still inside the Mode C veil.

Scenario: On a sectional, an airport is surrounded by fuzzy magenta shading. What does that mean?Answer: Class E starts at 700 ft AGL there. Correct. Below 700 AGL inside the shading is Class G.

Go deeper: Airspace Classes Explained · Practice airspace questions