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Drone Authority

Part 107 airspace lab

See the boundary. Then see the volume.

Add airspace circles, move them beside or over one another, change the floor and ceiling, and watch the same layers stack on a true MSL axis.

Build an airspace scene
Aerial view across mountain ridges at several elevationsTOP DOWN / SIDE VIEW

The drone question

Does controlled airspace touch the altitude you will use?

Class letters matter, but the floor matters more. A Class E layer beginning at 700 feet AGL sits above a normal 400-foot drone flight. An airport-designated Class E surface area (E2) requires authorization. Surface extensions (E3/E4) use dashed magenta too, but section 107.41 does not require authorization there unless another qualifying class overlaps.

B / C / D

Authorization required when the flight enters the active volume.

E at surface

Authorization in an airport surface area (E2); verify surface extensions separately.

E above / G

No airspace authorization for a standard flight at or below 400 AGL.

Interactive airspace builder

Build the map and the side view together.

Add circular layers, drag them into position, and select each volume to edit its radius, floor, ceiling, and reference. Presets keep the examples within teaching limits. They do not reproduce every real airspace shape, exception, or overlap.

Airspace builder

Build overlapping airspace volumes, then read the vertical stack.

Drag a circle to move an airspace area. Drag its rim handle to resize it. Add adjacent or overlapping layers, then compare the chart labels with the scaled MSL side-view.

Selected layer

40/12

40 over 12: ceiling over floor, both in hundreds of feet MSL.

Top map

Drag circles, not vertices

Move center or rim
CLASS E 700 FLOOR700 ft AGLCLASS D CYLINDER[25]CLASS C SHELF40/12

Move

Drag the filled circle.

Resize

Drag the rim handle.

Read

Labels stay attached.

Scaled side-view

MSL stack by map position

5,000 ft
05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,000MSL FTC shelf40/12D cylinder[25]E 700700 ft AGL

Layer read

Class C shelf: 1,200 ft MSL floor to 4,000 ft MSL ceiling.

Drone band

400 AGL reaches 800 ft MSL at this layer's ground elevation.

Decision cue

A normal 400 AGL climb stays below the selected layer.

Airspace is an object

On the map, each layer is a circle with its own label. Move the circle to compare nearby and overlapping airspace.

AGL moves with terrain

A 700 AGL floor is ground plus 700. Change ground elevation and the MSL side-view updates.

Scale is explicit

The side-view axis is feet MSL. Use the scale control to zoom from low terminal airspace to the Class E top.

Class reference

Learn the authorization trigger, not just the color.

A

Class A: high-altitude en route

Controlled

Class A is outside ordinary Part 107 operations. It begins at 18,000 ft MSL; do not use this table to plan a Class A operation.

Chart read

Not drawn on VFR sectional charts; it sits above the charted VFR structure.

B

Class B: busiest major airports

Controlled

Prior FAA authorization is required when the drone enters the Class B volume. A flight below an elevated shelf is outside that shelf, but check all underlying airspace. Use LAANC where available or DroneZone; a UAS Facility Map value is not permission.

Chart read

Solid blue lines forming concentric rings, with the floor/ceiling of each shelf printed in blue (e.g. 100 over 30).

C

Class C: busy regional airports

Controlled

Prior FAA authorization is required when the drone enters the Class C volume. Being inside the outer ring on a map does not put a flight below its shelf inside Class C. Use LAANC where available or DroneZone, and follow the issued altitude and conditions.

Chart read

Solid magenta lines forming a two-ring (inner + outer) pattern around the airport.

D

Class D: towered smaller airports

Controlled

Prior FAA authorization is required inside the Class D volume while it is active. Check published hours and the Chart Supplement for the airspace that applies after tower closure. Use LAANC where available or DroneZone; follow the authorization conditions.

Chart read

Dashed blue line forming a single ring around a towered airport.

E

Class E: controlled, often starting above the surface

Controlled

Prior FAA authorization is required within the lateral boundaries of a Class E surface area designated for an airport (E2). Class E extensions (E3/E4) do not require it under section 107.41. Dashed magenta alone does not distinguish these uses; verify the designation and overlapping airspace.

Chart read

Dashed magenta depicts surface Class E. A magenta vignette marks a 700 ft AGL floor. A blue vignette marks another floor adjoining Class G, commonly 1,200 ft AGL; read any floor label.

G

Class G: uncontrolled

Uncontrolled

No FAA airspace authorization needed. The normal limit is 400 ft AGL, with a qualifying structure provision under section 107.51. Follow the other rules that apply to the operation, including visual line of sight, operations over people, and applicable night-lighting requirements.

Chart read

Not outlined by its own line; it's simply the airspace below the charted Class E floors, away from the airport rings.

Frequently asked questions

Which airspace classes require authorization for a drone?
A Part 107 operation needs prior FAA authorization in Class B, Class C, Class D, and the surface area of Class E designated for an airport. Class G and Class E that begins above the surface do not require airspace authorization for a standard flight at or below 400 feet AGL, although all other rules and restrictions still apply.
Does a UAS Facility Map grid number authorize a flight?
No. A UAS Facility Map value is a planning ceiling for authorization requests, not permission by itself. The pilot must receive an authorization and comply with the altitude and conditions stated in it.
What does 40 over 12 mean on a sectional chart?
A 40/12 shelf label normally means a ceiling of 4,000 feet MSL over a floor of 1,200 feet MSL. The values are in hundreds of feet, with ceiling over floor.
Does faded magenta mean Class E begins at the surface?
No. A faded or feathered magenta vignette commonly marks Class E beginning at 700 feet AGL. Dashed magenta outlines a Class E surface area.
Can a drone fly in Class G without checking anything else?
No. Class G removes the controlled-airspace authorization step, but the pilot must still check TFRs, NOTAMs, altitude, visual line of sight, people, Remote ID, weather, local launch restrictions, and any other rule that applies.

Apply the model

Now read it on an FAA figure.

Move from the clean model to sectional symbols, airport context, and official testing supplement figures.

Open the FAA chart lab Answer airspace questions