How is each airspace class shown on a sectional chart?

Class B is solid blue concentric rings; Class C is solid magenta rings; Class D is a dashed blue ring around a towered airport; Class E to the surface is a dashed magenta line, and Class E starting at 700 ft AGL is a faded/shaded magenta band; Class G (uncontrolled) is the open background away from those rings. Class A is not drawn on VFR sectionals because it sits above the charted structure.

What airspace can a drone fly in without authorization?

Drones can fly in Class G (uncontrolled) airspace up to 400 feet AGL without FAA airspace authorization, following the standard operating rules. Flying in controlled airspace (Class B, C, D, or surface Class E) requires authorization first, almost always obtained instantly through LAANC in an FAA-approved app.

How do you decode a METAR?

A METAR reports, in order: station identifier, day/time in Zulu (UTC), wind as direction and speed in knots, visibility in statute miles, present weather, sky/cloud coverage and heights, temperature and dew point in Celsius, the altimeter setting in inches of mercury (prefixed A), and a remarks section. For example, 16015G25KT means wind from 160 degrees at 15 knots gusting 25, and A2992 means an altimeter setting of 29.92 inHg.

How much of the Part 107 exam is sectional charts and airspace?

Sectional charts and airspace make up roughly one third of the Part 107 Remote Pilot knowledge exam, making them the single highest-yield study area. Most candidates pass after 15 to 20 hours of focused study.

Drone Authority

VFR · SECTIONAL

Drone Authority · Get certified · Study charts

How to read a sectional chart

Sectional charts and airspace are about a third of the Part 107 exam, the single highest-yield thing you can study. Below: an interactive annotated chart to learn every symbol, a clean airspace reference table, and printable cheat sheets for airspace and weather (METAR) decoding.

Open the chart reader Test yourself

Interactive sectional reader

Hover or tap any ring, box, or symbol to learn what it means and what it means for your drone. Use the buttons below the diagram if you prefer the keyboard. This is a teaching schematic; the layout is invented, but the colors and line styles match a real VFR sectional.

Schematic

This is an illustrative diagram, not a real FAA chart. Hover, tap, or use the buttons to learn each symbol, then study an actual sectional on VFRMap or SkyVector.

Symbol readout

Class B: solid blue rings

What it is

Concentric solid blue rings around the busiest major airports, built in shelves like an upside-down wedding cake. The numbers (e.g. 100 / 30) are the ceiling and floor of each shelf in hundreds of feet MSL.

For your drone

Authorization required. Request LAANC in an FAA-approved app before you fly, up to the grid altitude.

Colors and line styles here mirror a real VFR sectional, but positions, airports, and frequencies are invented for teaching. Always confirm the airspace at your exact launch spot in an FAA-approved app.

Then study the real thing. The exam uses an official FAA figure supplement with genuine sectional excerpts. Practice on a real chart at VFRMap.com or SkyVector.com (both free), and download official VFR charts from the FAA.

Airspace quick reference

Every U.S. airspace class: who needs authorization, the altitudes, how it's drawn on the chart, and the plain-English version. The rule of thumb: controlled airspace needs LAANC, Class G doesn't.

Class	Drone authorization	Altitude	On the chart	In plain English
AControlled	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.	18,000 ft MSL up to FL600 (60,000 ft).	Not drawn on VFR sectional charts; it sits above the charted VFR structure.	The airline highway in the sky. Way above you. Know it exists for the exam, then forget about it for flying.
BControlled	FAA authorization required before you fly. Get it instantly through LAANC in an FAA-approved app, up to the altitude the LAANC grid allows for that spot.	Surface up to typically 10,000 ft MSL, built as an upside-down wedding cake of shelves around the airport.	Solid blue lines forming concentric rings, with the floor/ceiling of each shelf printed in blue (e.g. 100 over 30).	Wraps the biggest, busiest airports. Solid blue rings. You can often still fly under it with LAANC, but check the grid altitude.
CControlled	FAA authorization required before you fly. LAANC usually grants it in seconds up to the grid altitude.	Surface up to typically 4,000 ft above the airport, in a two-tier ring (an inner core and a wider outer shelf).	Solid magenta lines forming a two-ring (inner + outer) pattern around the airport.	Medium-busy airports with radar service. Solid magenta rings. LAANC authorization first.
DControlled	FAA authorization required before you fly. Available through LAANC at most Class D fields; check the grid for your exact spot.	Surface up to typically 2,500 ft above the airport, a single ring while the control tower is open.	Dashed blue line forming a single ring around a towered airport.	Small towered airports. Dashed blue ring. Get LAANC authorization before launching anywhere inside it.
EControlled	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.	Begins at the surface, 700 ft AGL, or 1,200 ft AGL depending on the area, up to (but not including) Class A.	Dashed magenta line where Class E starts at the surface; a faded/shaded magenta band where it starts at 700 ft AGL.	Controlled airspace that usually floats above you. Watch for the dashed-magenta surface zones near airports; those need authorization.
GUncontrolled	No FAA airspace authorization needed. Fly up to 400 ft AGL under the standard rules (visual line of sight, daylight or anti-collision lighting, away from people, etc.).	Surface up to the base of the overlying Class E (700 or 1,200 ft AGL in most places).	Not outlined by its own line; it's simply the airspace below the charted Class E floors, away from the airport rings.	Most rural and suburban airspace away from airports. No authorization needed under 400 ft, but the safety rules still apply.

Need to check a specific spot? Use the airspace checker →

Cheat sheet: airspace at a glance

A pocket version to commit to memory. Controlled classes (orange) need authorization before you fly; uncontrolled Class G doesn't.

AAuth needed

The airline highway in the sky. Way above you. Know it exists for the exam, then forget about it for flying.

BAuth needed

Wraps the biggest, busiest airports. Solid blue rings. You can often still fly under it with LAANC, but check the grid altitude.

CAuth needed

Medium-busy airports with radar service. Solid magenta rings. LAANC authorization first.

DAuth needed

Small towered airports. Dashed blue ring. Get LAANC authorization before launching anywhere inside it.

EAuth needed

Controlled airspace that usually floats above you. Watch for the dashed-magenta surface zones near airports; those need authorization.

GNo auth

Most rural and suburban airspace away from airports. No authorization needed under 400 ft, but the safety rules still apply.

Cheat sheet: decode a METAR

A METAR is an airport's current weather, written in code. The exam expects you to read one cold. Here's a sample, decoded field by field; the order is always the same, so learn the sequence.

Sample report

KFFZ 121953Z 16015G25KT 10SM FEW060 SCT250 33/08 A2992 RMK AO2

Code	Field	What it means
`KFFZ`	Station	The airport reporting, by ICAO identifier (here, Falcon Field, KFFZ).
`121953Z`	Date / time	Issued on the 12th at 1953 Zulu (UTC); the Z means UTC, not local time.
`16015G25KT`	Wind	From 160° true at 15 knots, gusting to 25 knots. The G marks the gust.
`10SM`	Visibility	10 statute miles, the maximum reported value, meaning clear and far.
`FEW060 SCT250`	Sky / clouds	Few clouds at 6,000 ft AGL; scattered at 25,000 ft AGL. Heights are in hundreds of feet.
`33/08`	Temp / dew point	Temperature 33°C, dew point 8°C, both in Celsius. A leading M means minus (e.g. M04 = -4°C).
`A2992`	Altimeter	Altimeter setting 29.92 inches of mercury; set your barometric reference to this.
`RMK AO2`	Remarks	Remarks section. AO2 = an automated station with a precipitation sensor.

For the live, official source, pull current METARs and TAFs from the FAA / NOAA Aviation Weather Center at aviationweather.gov.

Want these on paper? Use your browser's print command (Ctrl/Cmd + P) on the two cheat-sheet sections above: the airspace card and the METAR decoder are laid out to print clean for the wall above your desk.

Keep studying

Part 107 practice exam

Drill real exam-style questions, including the chart and airspace ones you just learned.

Take the test

Can I fly here?

Take the airspace lesson to a real location and learn the proper FAA-approved way to check it.

Check airspace

Get certified

The full picture: TRUST vs. Part 107, costs, steps, and how to study for the exam.

Certification paths

Educational, not legal advice. Airspace and chart conventions current as of June 2026; rules change, so verify before you fly at faa.gov/uas. The sectional reader on this page is an illustrative schematic for learning the symbols; always study an actual FAA sectional (VFRMap.com, SkyVector.com, or the FAA's downloadable VFR charts) and do the authoritative airspace check for your exact location in an FAA-approved app. Sources: FAA Aeronautical Chart User's Guide, 14 CFR Part 71 / Part 107, FAA UAS airspace and LAANC guidance, and the FAA / NOAA Aviation Weather Center.