Understanding Surface Based Class E Airspace - 005
Written in-light of Drone Safety Awareness Week, November 16-22, 2020
In my Remote drone Pilot certification classes, teaching the basics of Class E airspace isn’t so bad; I simply refer to it as the primary airspace that’s the filler between the other airspace types, starting at either 700’ or 1,200’ Above Ground Level (AGL) and generally extending to the base of Class A at Flight Level 180, or 18,000’ Mean Sea Level (MSL). However, when it comes to Surface Based Class E, the magenta dashed lines around an airport, it reminds me of English class in primary school. The teacher would say something to the effect of, “The rule is X,” and I would get what she was saying. Then she would say, “Unless it’s this case, or this case, or that case,” and then I would be totally confused. Well, unfortunately this is the case with Surface Based Class E where basically the rule book gets thrown out. Never-the-less, I think we can give you an explanation that will help you learn this unique exception to the rule. Below is the regulation in question:
Source: FAA
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§ 107.41 Operation in certain airspace.
No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft in Class B, Class C, or Class D airspace or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport unless that person has prior authorization from Air Traffic Control (ATC).
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To help set the stage for understanding Class E is knowing the general concept of airspace. As I mentioned frequently in my airspace classes and writings, the function of airspace is to keep aircraft from having mid-air collisions. Preventing aircraft falling to earth in a fireball, killing a mess of taxpayers on the ground is against the government's policy and generally bad for business. Anyway, one way this is accomplished is by establishing stricter weather visibility requirements, fortunately drone pilots only have one rule, 500’ below a cloud, 2000’ from a cloud, and 3 miles slant range, or horizontal visibility. Manned pilots have a lot of weather limiting rules, and Class E at the surface steps up the requirement for manned pilots because they have the option of using an instrument approach (an approach using navigation instruments while flying in the clouds). Stricter requirements means that pilots not using the instrument approach to the Surface Based Class E airport must give a wider berth to those flying in the clouds.
The other unique fact of Surface Based Class E airports is that they are shown as magenta in color. Remember, air traffic controlled (ATC) airports are in blue and non-ATC airports, a.k.a. non-towered airports are in magenta. So how in the heck does ATC help pilots fly into an airport without an ATC Tower? The best way to think of it is like owning rental property but you live several counties from the property, an absentee landlord situation. In the case of Surface Based Class E, a neighboring ATC Tower handles the instrument approaches not only to their airport but to the neighboring airport as well, hence the absentee landlord analogy.
What does Surface Based Class E mean to the drone pilot? Although the airport is magenta, if it has the magenta dashed line, signifying a neighboring airport is handling instrument approaches into that airport, then a waiver must be obtained to fly in this airspace via Low Altitude Authorization or Notification Capability (LAANC) or other means, such as a traditional petition to the FAA for authorization.
There is one slight wrinkle I need to bring up. ATC Towered airports (in blue) can have magenta dashed lines, called Class E extensions, that typically coincide with the runway alignment for instrument approaches. While the function of this is to also protect aircraft from mid air collisions by extending Class E to the ground, permission is not necessary if associated with a Class B, C or D airport and is under the shelf (outside the cylinder in the case of Class D). My memory aid is that if the airport already has an ATC Tower, shown in blue, that includes magenta Class E, then the permission rule doesn’t apply if you are outside of the core airspace.
I believe most people would use LAANC to gain access, the gotcha is not realizing that Surface Based Class E with a magenta airport (non-ATC Towered) also requires permission via FAA waiver via LAANC or traditional petitioning to the FAA. Using the FAA’s B4Ufly App or LAANC program to double check airspace can be a great supplemental tool, but there’s nothing like understanding the airspace.
TC Freeman is the Chief Instructor for the RemotePilotAssociation.com (RPA) and has a passion for helping recreational and commercial drone pilots learn to fly and earn FAA commercial Remote drone Pilot certification through live, hybrid or self-study courses.
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