Why this domain matters
Airspace and sectional charts are the topics that sink many candidates. They account for 20% of the current scored blueprint, or about 12 questions in a 60-question blueprint-matched set. The exam can ask you to interpret sectional excerpts, identify airspace, locate points by latitude/longitude, find frequencies, decode airport symbols, and read terrain and obstacle data.
The working model
For drones the practical question is almost always the same: do I need authorization to fly here? In controlled airspace (Classes B, C, D, and the surface area of E) the answer is yes, and you get it through LAANC or the FAA DroneZone. In uncontrolled airspace (Class G) you generally do not need authorization, though all the other Part 107 rules still apply.
Learn the chart shorthand: solid blue rings are Class B, solid magenta rings are Class C, dashed blue is Class D, dashed magenta marks Class E starting at the surface, and a magenta vignette (faded shading) marks Class E starting at 700 ft AGL. Then add the map-reading layer: latitude lines lie east-west but measure north/south, longitude lines run north-south but measure east/west, and airport data blocks tell you runway, elevation, and frequency clues. Finally, check the temporary layer: NOTAMs and TFRs can change the answer between chart cycles.
Chart reading checkpoint
Learn one chart layer at a time, then recombine them.
Use the dedicated labs to isolate coordinates, airspace volume, symbols, and airport radio. The full sectional flight deck puts those layers back together on official testing figures.
Recommended first
Learn the whole sectional as one connected scene
Drag an aircraft across numbered coordinates, watch the same Class B/C/D volume from the side, decode the flag, towers, MEF, and frequencies, then apply it all to the real FAA testing figures.
NOTAMs and TFRs
Charts show the baseline. NOTAMs show what changed.
A sectional can be current and still miss the thing that matters today. NOTAMs carry time-critical changes such as TFRs, runway closures, communication outages, temporary obstacles, firefighting activity, military activity, and security restrictions.
Exam shortcut: temporary, current, effective time, wildfire, stadium, VIP, disaster, or flight restriction usually points to NOTAM/TFR. Controlled-airspace permission still means LAANC or FAA authorization.
TFR
Temporary flight restriction. Often the exam's cleanest NOTAM clue.
FDC
Flight Data Center notice. TFRs are issued as FDC NOTAMs.
AIRSPACE
A temporary area, altitude block, activity, or restriction.
OBST
Obstacle issue such as a crane, tower, or obstruction-lighting problem.
RWY / TWY
Runway or taxiway status that can change manned traffic flow.
COM / SVC
Communication or service outage such as ATIS, lighting, tower, or fuel.
Official chart reference
When a symbol looks unfamiliar, check the FAA guide first.
The Aeronautical Chart Users' Guide is the FAA's chart symbol dictionary. Use it for line styles, airport data, obstacles, special-use areas, and chart notes. It explains the chart; it does not authorize a drone flight.
Altitude reference checkpoint
MSL is for chart elevations. AGL is for local height.
If the question is about a sectional shelf label, airport elevation, terrain, MEF, or the first number in an obstacle label, think MSL. If it is about the Part 107 400 ft limit, Class E starting at 700 or 1,200 ft, METAR cloud bases, or the parenthetical obstacle number, think AGL.
Airspace classes
Build overlapping circles and compare the map with a scaled MSL side view.
Open the labLatitude and longitude
Drag a point across numbered degrees and minutes, then copy the scratch-pad method.
Open the labSectional symbols
Search the accurate symbol key by airport, airspace, navigation, hazard, or activity.
Open the labAirport radio
Hear CTAF, weather, and UNICOM in the same sectional context.
Open the labKey facts to memorize
| Concept | What to know |
|---|---|
| Class B | Surrounds the busiest airports. Solid blue lines on the chart. Drone authorization required (LAANC where available). |
| Class C | Busy airports with a control tower and radar. Solid magenta lines. Authorization required. |
| Class D | Smaller towered airports. Dashed blue lines. Authorization required. |
| Class E | Controlled airspace not B/C/D. Dashed magenta = Class E to the surface (auth required); magenta vignette = Class E from 700 ft AGL. |
| Class G | Uncontrolled airspace. No ATC authorization needed for drones, but all other Part 107 rules still apply. |
| LAANC | Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability: near-instant approval to fly in controlled airspace, up to published grid ceilings. |
| Airport markers | Blue airport symbols have a control tower; magenta airport symbols do not. The runway shape gives you a quick picture of the runway layout. |
| Airport data blocks | Airport labels can show name, elevation, longest runway, lighting, CTAF/tower frequency, ATIS, and special notes. They aid situational awareness; they do not grant drone authorization. |
| VFR checkpoint flag | A magenta flag marks a VFR checkpoint: a named visual reporting point. A stand-alone VFR waypoint uses a four-point star. They may be collocated, but the flag itself means checkpoint. |
| FAA Chart Users' Guide | The official FAA symbol dictionary for aeronautical charts. Use it to confirm line styles, airport data, obstacles, special-use airspace, and chart terms; it does not replace current NOTAM/TFR or LAANC checks. |
| MSL vs AGL | MSL is altitude above mean sea level and is used for most chart elevations, airport elevations, MEF, obstacle top elevations, and airspace shelf labels unless marked otherwise. AGL is height above local ground and is used for Part 107's 400 ft limit, Class E 700/1,200 ft floors, METAR ceilings, and obstacle heights in parentheses. |
| Shelf floor/ceiling labels | Class B and C shelf numbers are written ceiling over floor in hundreds of feet MSL. 40/15 means 4,000 ft MSL over 1,500 ft MSL; 40/SFC means 4,000 ft MSL down to the surface. Class D uses a bracketed ceiling such as [25] for 2,500 ft MSL. |
| Runway numbers | Runway numbers approximate magnetic heading divided by 10: runway 18 is roughly 180 degrees, runway 36 is roughly 360 degrees. |
| Traffic-pattern position | Final for runway 18 means the aircraft is north of the runway, heading south. Final for runway 36 means south of the runway, heading north. On left downwind, the runway is on the pilot's left. |
| Latitude/longitude & scale | Read latitude first, longitude second. Latitude parallels run east-west but measure north/south. Longitude meridians run north-south but measure east/west. On U.S. sectionals, latitude is normally north and longitude is normally west. |
| Minutes and distance | One minute of latitude is about 1 nautical mile. If only latitude changes, the answer is north/south; if only longitude changes, the answer is east/west. Use the latitude side scale for distance, not the top longitude scale. |
| Special-use airspace | Prohibited, restricted, warning, MOA, alert, and controlled firing areas each signal a different hazard or permission issue. |
| Other airspace areas | Know TFRs, MTRs, parachute jump areas, TRSAs, National Security Areas, VFR routes, and airport advisory areas. |
| NOTAMs | NOTAMs publish abnormal, time-critical NAS status: temporary restrictions, airport/service changes, runway closures, communication outages, obstructions, and hazards. |
| FDC NOTAMs and TFRs | Temporary Flight Restrictions are issued by FDC NOTAM. Read the effective time, radius or boundary, altitude block, reason, and coordination contact. |
| NOTAM search habit | Use FAA NOTAM Search and the Graphic TFR map before flight, especially near airports, stadiums, wildfire/disaster response, VIP movement, and public events. |
| Wire environment | Towers, guy wires, powerlines, and unlit ground obstacles are major low-altitude hazards. Avoid skeletal towers laterally by at least 2,000 ft. |
| Thermal plumes | Smoke stacks, cooling towers, and fires can create rising air and turbulence that can exceed a small drone's control margin. |
| Aircraft and structure lighting | At night, learn the difference between manned-aircraft lights, obstruction lighting, and the drone's required anti-collision light. |
Flashcards
Active recall beats re-reading. Flip each card, say the answer out loud, then check yourself. Prefer paper? See all five flashcard decks.
UAG II / Airspace & Charts
20% of scored items
01 / 32
32 learning / 0 known
Quick self-check
A short drill on this module. You get the explanation the moment you answer.
0 / 12 answered
You plan to fly inside a ring drawn with solid magenta lines. What airspace is this, and what must you do?
A faded magenta shaded area on a sectional chart tells you that Class E airspace begins at what altitude?
A sectional obstacle label reads 1549 (612). Which statement is correct?
A Class C shelf is labeled 40/15. Which interpretation is correct?
What is the fastest way for a Part 107 pilot to get authorization to fly in most controlled airspace?
A route crosses an active restricted area marked R-2501. What should a remote pilot assume?
Which preflight source warns of a temporary flight restriction for a stadium event or wildfire?
A notice begins with 'FDC' and says 'FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS' with an effective time, radius, and altitude block. What should a remote pilot treat it as?
A chart point is listed as 41 degrees 30 minutes N, 088 degrees 15 minutes W. What does that tell you?
A manned aircraft reports final for runway 36. Where is it relative to the runway?
An airport symbol is blue rather than magenta. What is the key chart clue?
An airport data block lists CTAF 122.80, AWOS-3 119.925, and UNICOM 122.95. Which frequency is the automated weather source?
Original practice material, not the actual FAA exam questions.
Listen to this module
The Airspace & Charts podcast episode: study on the go.
Practice this topic
Work explained Airspace & Charts questions before the full simulator.
Study material current as of July 2026 and sourced from the FAA (14 CFR Part 107, FAA UAS guidance, AC 90-48E, and current PSI test guidance). Flashcards and quiz items are original practice material, not the actual FAA exam questions. Educational, not legal advice. Verify current rules at faa.gov/uas before you fly.