Back to sectional chart guide Sectional sprint

Part 107 · Hands-on figure workshop

Work the chart from symbols to a real FAA figure

Drag, inspect, and compare the top-down chart with its scaled side view. Then apply the same sequence to testing supplement figures 20–26.

FAA Chart Users' Guide

Workshop sequence

Work left to right. Finish on a real FAA figure.

The first three steps live in the interactive chart below. Radio has its own simulator, then the FAA figures test the complete read.

01
Symbols
Identify the mark before you interpret the nearby labels or numbers.
Open step
02
Coordinates & scale
Place the point, then turn degrees, minutes, and chart distance into direction.
Open step
03
Airspace: top & side
Read the boundary overhead, then translate its floor and ceiling into a vertical shape.
Open step
04
Airport data & radio
Decode the airport block and match CTAF, weather, and advisory frequencies to the scene.
Open step
05
Full FAA figure
Bring the marker, chart grammar, and question together on the official supplement figure.
Open step

Review explained airspace and chart questions Run the sectional sprint

Complete sectional workshop

Read the map from above. Then see the same airspace from the side.

Drag the aircraft across the chart. Its coordinates, distance, charted shelf, altitude, and authorization read all update together. Select any symbol to decode its FAA meaning and practical drone read.

Ground500 ft MSL

Drone250 ft AGL

Chart40 NM wide

Airspace example

Chart scale

Solid magenta core and shelf: 45/SFC and 45/17 in this teaching example.

Top-down sectional

Drag the orange aircraft

Arrow keys also work

Swipe the chart sideways to inspect every label.

Aircraft coordinate36°33.4'N 075°51.3'W

From airport7.8 NM · 064°

Charted volume45/17

Current altitude750 ft MSL

Familiar teaching profile

The same airspace from the side

Aircraft height

250 ft AGL = 750 ft MSL

0 ft AGLStandard ceiling 400 ft AGL

Drone read

The aircraft is below Class C shelf.

The charted layer begins at 1,700 MSL. Being below that shelf does not identify every underlying class; check overlapping boundaries and the exact location.

Airport radio context

The frequencies belong to the airport scene

Select the line you saw in the airport data block, then hear what that channel sounds like. This synthetic field uses the same three training streams as the full radio simulator.

Open the full radio simulator

CTAF runway monitor

122.80 MHz · Common Traffic Advisory Frequency

CTAF is not a clearance channel. It is a shared situational-awareness frequency where traffic calls stack up quickly around the runway and traffic pattern.

“Cedar Lake traffic, Skyhawk four five alpha, ten miles west, inbound for landing runway one eight, Cedar Lake.”

A small airplane is west of the airport and coming in to land southbound on runway 18.

Demo channel

Training audio, not a live aviation feed. Monitor only with appropriate equipment and local procedures.

FAA symbol inspector

The flag finally gets a real answer

A magenta flag is a VFR checkpoint. A black four-point star is a VFR waypoint. They can be collocated, but they are not the same symbol. Search or filter the key below to decode the rest.

Navigation & position

VFR checkpoint

A magenta flag attached to a recognizable landmark; an underlined label is the checkpoint's proper name.

What it means

A visual reference that pilots may use for position reporting or navigation near terminal areas.

Exam trap

The flag itself means VFR checkpoint. It is not a drone launch point, mandatory Part 107 reporting point, or fuel marker.

Drone read

Expect VFR pilots to look for and converge on the landmark. Treat it as a manned-traffic awareness cue.

Scratch-pad memory

Flag = checkpoint.

The teaching map favors legible instructional marks. The inspector preserves an FAA raster reference when an isolated crop remains useful. Source: FAA Chart Users' Guide, VFR checkpoints

Open current FAA Chart Users' Guide

In-depth reference

Complete sectional study key

Every item below has the visual cue, official meaning, common exam trap, and the practical Part 107 read. The FAA guide remains the canonical symbol source.

33 core symbols

Airports & radio

Towered airport

Non-towered airport

Airport services available

Airport data & frequencies

Airport beacon

CTAF frequency mark

Right traffic runway

Airspace boundaries

Class B airspace

Class C airspace

Class D airspace

Class E surface area

Class E beginning at 700 ft AGL

Class E beginning at 1,200 ft AGL

Mode C / ADS-B Out veil

Navigation & position

VFR checkpoint

VFR waypoint

Latitude & longitude ticks

Isogonic line

Terrain & obstructions

Obstruction under 1,000 ft AGL

Obstruction 1,000 ft AGL or higher

Lighted obstruction

Group of obstructions

UC obstruction

Wind turbine / wind farm

Maximum Elevation Figure (MEF)

Activities & special use

Parachute jump area

Glider operations

Military Operations Area (MOA)

Restricted area

Unmanned aircraft activity

Military Training Route

Sporting-event stadium

National park / wildlife area boundary

Build overlapping airspace

Place, resize, and stack multiple controlled-airspace circles with guardrails.

Open builder

Work every radio channel

Hear full CTAF, weather, and UNICOM sessions with line-by-line decodes.

Tune the simulator

Prove it on FAA figures

Move from the teaching scene to timed questions using the real supplement figures.

Start practice exam

Apply it to the real thing

FAA testing supplement figures 20–26

The workshop teaches the model. Now inspect the same chart grammar on the official FAA-CT-8080-2H figures, use the area pins, and answer the exam-style drills without switching pages.

FAA-CT-8080-2H chart lab

Figure 20: Norfolk / Elizabeth City

Printed page 2-19, PDF page 53. Class C shelves, warning areas, obstructions, and the ECG balloon hazard.

3Look for the FAA red area marker 3 on the chart. The overlay is only a target ring.

Flight math

Bank angle45 degNormal stall speed

Load

1.41G

Stall x

1.19

New stall

Exam anchor: 60 deg of bank is 2.00G, and stall speed rises by about 41 percent. Formula: load factor = 1 / cos(bank).

Chart tools

105%

How to work a figure

01Find the figure number first. Ignore the ACS code.
02Find the red area marker, then scan only that neighborhood.
03Translate the chart clue: SFC, MSL, AGL, shelf labels, or special-use boundary.

Missed-answer stash

Regulations - drone registration

A small UAS registration is good for 3 years. Keep the registration information current, and update changed information in DroneZone within 14 calendar days.

Use it when: Use this when a question asks how long registration lasts, what happens after moving, or whether registration data must stay current.

Contrast: A drone should not be registered in two countries at once. Under the FAA rules, registration effectiveness ends if the aircraft is registered under the laws of a foreign country.

Open regulations module

Regulations - handing off controls

A person may manipulate the controls if they have a remote pilot certificate, or if they are under direct supervision of the remote PIC and the remote PIC can immediately take direct control.

Use it when: Use this when a question asks whether someone standing with you can fly the drone, take the controller, or operate while you supervise.

Contrast: If the remote PIC is incapacitated and cannot supervise or immediately take control, a non-certificated handoff does not meet the normal Part 107 rule. A certificated backup remote PIC is the clean answer.

Open regulations module

Airport ops - wind direction

For runway selection, match the runway number to the reported wind direction. Wind 130 favors RWY 13 because the aircraft points 130 degrees into the named wind direction.

Use it when: Use this when a runway-selection question gives wind direction and asks which runway to use for landing or takeoff.

Contrast: If an example arrow points toward RWY 13, read it as the reported wind direction marker, not necessarily an airflow arrow. A tailwind on RWY 13 would be wind from about 310.

Open operations module

Charts - airport symbol layers

Airport symbols stack clues: color tells tower status, shape tells airport/runway type, and small extras like tick marks tell services. Blue = control tower. Magenta = no control tower.

Use it when: Use this when a chart question shows a magenta circle, runway-looking airport symbol, blue runway outline, or tick marks around an airport.

Contrast: Do not read every blue or magenta airport mark as an airspace boundary. Airport symbol color is tower status; surrounding airspace lines determine controlled airspace.

Open airspace module

Airport ops - frequencies

CT is the control tower frequency. ASOS or AWOS is automated weather. UNICOM is for non-control airport advisory and service calls, such as fuel, parking, and local airport information.

Use it when: Use this when a Chart Supplement or airport listing question asks which frequency gives tower contact, weather, or airport services.

Contrast: Do not use ASOS/AWOS to talk to people. Do not treat UNICOM as ATC. At some non-towered airports, UNICOM may also be the CTAF used for traffic advisories.

Open operations module

Operations - night aircraft lights

At night, steady red and green position lights mean you are seeing the front or side of the aircraft, so treat it as approaching or crossing. A steady white tail light means you are seeing the rear, so it is moving away.

Use it when: Use this when a night question asks whether a low-flying aircraft is getting closer, moving away, or crossing your path.

Contrast: Do not confuse a flashing red beacon with the steady red wingtip position light. Red is on the aircraft's left side, green is on the right side, and white is aft.

Open operations module

Charts - MEF

MEF means Maximum Elevation Figure: the highest elevation in that latitude-longitude quadrangle, including terrain and vertical obstacles, rounded up to the next 100 feet MSL.

Use it when: Use this when a question asks what the large blue elevation figure in a chart quadrangle represents.

Contrast: Do not treat MEF as a controlled-airspace floor, ceiling, or the height of one specific tower. It is the worst-case elevation for the whole box.

Open airspace module

Charts - lighted obstructions

A lighted obstruction is shown with small starburst or light marks around the obstruction symbol. The FAA legend labels this as an obstruction with high-intensity lights.

Use it when: Use this on sectional-chart questions asking whether an obstacle or obstruction is lighted.

Contrast: Do not confuse the light marks with the height numbers. The first number is MSL, parentheses are AGL, and the lighted symbol is a separate visual cue.

Open airspace module

Airport ops - runway numbers

A runway number is the runway's magnetic direction rounded to the nearest 10 degrees. RWY 13 means about 130 degrees; the opposite end is RWY 31.

Use it when: Use this when a question asks runway direction, landing direction, takeoff direction, or which runway points most into the wind.

Contrast: The runway number is not itself a wind report. Wind is reported separately, but pilots usually choose the runway end closest to the wind-from direction.

Open operations module

Charts - airport fuel ticks

Tick marks around an airport symbol mean services are available: fuel is available and the field is attended during normal working hours.

Use it when: Use this on sectional-chart questions that ask whether fuel is available at an airport based on the airport symbol.

Contrast: No tick marks means fuel is not depicted on the chart. Check the Chart Supplement for complete airport services.

Open airspace module

Airspace - part-time towers

When a part-time control tower closes, the Class D surface area is no longer active. It may become Class E surface area or Class G to the overlying Class E floor.

Use it when: Use this when a question asks what happens to Class D airspace after a part-time tower closes, or asks whether the towered-airport rules still apply after hours.

Contrast: Do not assume it is always Class G. The Chart Supplement airport listing will say 'other times CLASS E' or 'other times CLASS G.'

Open airspace module

Airspace - TFR checks

To identify a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR), check NOTAMs through the FAA's official system or a NOTAM-aware flight-planning application.

Use it when: Use this when a question asks how to find temporary restrictions, VIP movement restrictions, firefighting restrictions, stadium restrictions, or other time-critical airspace changes.

Contrast: A sectional chart is not enough for TFRs because TFRs are temporary and time-sensitive. Check NOTAMs before the flight.

Open airspace module

Operations - night vision

With off-center viewing at night, an object can disappear if you stare at it longer than about 2 to 3 seconds.

Use it when: Use this on night-operations questions about off-center viewing, night scanning, dim objects, or the night blind spot.

Contrast: The fix is not to stare. Look slightly beside the object and keep your scan moving with short pauses.

Open operations module

Regulations - Part 107 applicability

Part 107 applies to civil small UAS operations. On the test, that answer beats broader wording like all aircraft, all drones, or recreational-only operations.

Use it when: Use this when a question asks what kind of operation Part 107 covers, or asks for the scope of Part 107.

Contrast: Recreational flyers may operate under 49 U.S.C. 44809 instead. Part 107 is the civil small UAS rule set for certificated remote pilot operations.

Open regulations module

Weather - stable air

Stable air is usually smooth, but it can trap haze, smoke, or moisture near the surface, so surface visibility is often poor.

Use it when: Use this on weather questions about air stability, haze, fog, stratus layers, or reduced visibility.

Contrast: Unstable air is the opposite pattern: bumpier/turbulent, better visibility, cumulus clouds, and showery precipitation.

Open weather module

Operations - hot air balloons

It can be unsafe to operate near hot air balloons because tethered anchoring cables, ropes, or lines may be present and hard to see.

Use it when: Use this when a question asks why drones should avoid hot air balloons, balloon launch areas, or tethered balloon operations.

Contrast: The trap is usually not GPS, radio interference, or airspace class. The exam wants the physical cable/anchoring-line hazard.

Open operations module

Pattern compass

Selected runway

RWY 13 / 130 deg

Best into wind

RWY 13

Aircraft

Midfield left downwind

Wind from

130 deg

Runway numberRWY 13 = 130 degWind from130 deg

RWY 13 points about 130 deg; the opposite end is RWY 31. Midfield left downwind means the aircraft is flying 310 deg. Wind 130 is the reported wind direction, so the into-wind runway is the runway closest to that number. The blue arrows show that reported direction marker, like many training examples. The selected runway sees headwind favored.

Supplement key

From FAA-CT-8080-2H Legend 1

Blue airport symbol

Blue airport symbols and blue airport data mean the airport has a control tower (CT).

Blue is tower status, not the whole authorization answer. Check the surrounding airspace boundary too.

Magenta airport symbol

Magenta airport symbols and magenta airport data mean the airport does not have a control tower.

Magenta does not always mean uncontrolled airspace. Read the surrounding Class E, C, D, or B lines.

Runways drawn inside

The airport symbol may draw recognizable runways for visual identification. The runway-shape version still follows the same blue or magenta tower-status color rule.

Do not treat the runway sketch as airspace. It is showing airport/runway information, not a controlled-airspace boundary.

Airport service ticks

Tick marks around the basic airport symbol mean fuel is available. The Chart Supplement gives the details and availability.

Ticks are a services cue. No ticks means fuel is not depicted on the chart, not that the airport cannot exist or cannot be used.

Class C shelf

Solid magenta Class C rings use ceiling-over-floor labels in hundreds of feet MSL.

A floor of SFC means controlled airspace starts at the ground.

Dashed magenta Class E

Dashed magenta boundaries mark Class E airspace beginning at the surface.

Do not confuse it with the faded magenta vignette, which commonly indicates a 700 ft AGL floor.

Obstruction height

Legend 1 shows the top elevation first, with height above ground in parentheses. Lighted obstructions add small starburst marks.

First number is MSL; parentheses are AGL. Lighting marks are a separate cue.

Maximum Elevation Figure

MEF is the highest elevation in that chart quadrangle, including terrain and vertical obstacles, rounded up to the next 100 feet MSL.

Use it as a big-picture terrain/obstacle warning for the box. It is not an airspace ceiling, floor, or tower height label.

Magenta flag

The flag is a VFR checkpoint: a named visual reporting point. A stand-alone VFR waypoint uses a separate four-point star; a checkpoint and waypoint may be collocated.

Higher VFR traffic volume is likely around these visual references. Exercise caution and scan hard.

Warning / restricted areas

Legend 1 groups prohibited, restricted, warning, alert, and MOA symbols under airspace information.

These are special-use areas, not Class B/C/D shelves. Read the label before choosing an answer.

Open full Legend 1

Flight math

Bank angle45 degNormal stall speed

Load

1.41G

Stall x

1.19

New stall

Exam anchor: 60 deg of bank is 2.00G, and stall speed rises by about 41 percent. Formula: load factor = 1 / cos(bank).

Area decoder

FAA red area marker

Elizabeth City / ECG hazard note

The question clue points southeast of Elizabeth City Regional. The chart note says an unmarked balloon is on a cable to 3008 MSL.

Test trap

Pick MSL, not AGL. Chart elevations are MSL unless the chart gives an AGL value in parentheses.

Mini drill

Figure 20, area 3: with ATC authorization, you are about 4 statute miles southeast of Elizabeth City Regional (ECG). What hazard is indicated?

Shelf decoder

40 / SFC

Surface to 4000 ft MSL.

Controlled at launch. Authorization needed.

40 / 12

1200 ft MSL to 4000 ft MSL.

A drone below the floor may still be in Class G.

100 / 30

3000 ft MSL to 10000 ft MSL.

Do not confuse the shelf above you with airspace at the surface.

25 / SFC

Surface to 2500 ft MSL.

SFC is the exam word that matters.

Official sourceOpen the full FAA PDF

Educational study aid only. These images are rendered from the FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement FAA-CT-8080-2H for practice. The testing center provides the official supplement during the exam, and real flight planning still requires current charts and an authoritative airspace check for the exact location.

Work left to right. Finish on a real FAA figure.

Symbols

Coordinates & scale

Airspace: top & side

Airport data & radio

Full FAA figure

Read the map from above. Then see the same airspace from the side.

Drag the orange aircraft

The same airspace from the side

The frequencies belong to the airport scene

The flag finally gets a real answer

VFR checkpoint

Complete sectional study key

Airports & radio

Airspace boundaries

Navigation & position

Terrain & obstructions

Activities & special use

Build overlapping airspace

Work every radio channel

Prove it on FAA figures

FAA testing supplement figures 20–26

Figure 20: Norfolk / Elizabeth City

Flight math