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Drone Authority
Aerial view across mountain ridges at several elevationsTOP DOWN / SIDE VIEW

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

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. A Class E surface area does not.

B / C / D

Authorization required before launch.

E at surface

Authorization required in the designated surface area.

E above / G

No airspace authorization for a standard flight 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. Realistic presets prevent impossible combinations.

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

Not applicable to drones. Class A starts at 18,000 ft MSL, far above the 400 ft ceiling drones fly under, so you will never operate here.

Chart read

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

B

Class B: busiest major airports

Controlled

FAA authorization required before you fly. An eligible LAANC request may receive authorization in near real time. The UAS Facility Map value is not permission; stay at or below the altitude stated in the authorization as an additional operating limit.

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

FAA authorization required before you fly. An eligible LAANC request may receive authorization in near real time. The altitude stated in the authorization is an additional operating limit; a UAS Facility Map value is not permission by itself.

Chart read

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

D

Class D: towered smaller airports

Controlled

FAA authorization required before you fly. Where LAANC is available, an eligible request may receive authorization in near real time. Stay at or below the altitude stated in the authorization; the grid value alone is not permission.

Chart read

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

E

Class E: controlled, often starting above the surface

Controlled

Authorization is required only where Class E reaches the surface near an airport (the dashed-magenta zones). Where Class E starts at 700 or 1,200 ft AGL, you can fly your drone below it under 400 ft without authorization.

Chart read

Dashed magenta line where Class E starts at the surface; a faded/shaded magenta band where it starts at 700 ft AGL.

G

Class G: uncontrolled

Uncontrolled

No FAA airspace authorization needed. Fly up to 400 ft AGL and 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 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