Sectional Chart Flashcards

(Refer to Figure 20, area 2.) The elevation of the Chesapeake Regional Airport is

Answer: 19 feet.

Referring to Figure 20, area 2, locate the Chesapeake Regional Airport. The airport's elevation is provided in the airport information box, which is a set of data associated with the airport symbol. For Chesapeake Regional Airport, the elevation is clearly indicated as 19 feet MSL.

(Refer to Figure 21.) The terrain elevation of the light tan area between Minot (area 1) and Audubon Lake (area 2) varies from

Answer: 2,000 feet to 2,500 feet MSL.

Referring to Figure 21, the light tan area between Minot (area 1) and Audubon Lake (area 2) represents a specific range of terrain elevation. According to the color legend typically found on sectional charts, the light tan color indicates terrain elevations varying from 2,000 feet to 2,500 feet Mean Sea Level (MSL).

(Refer to Figure 21.) Which public use airport(s) depicted are indicated as having fuel?

Answer: Minot Intl. (area 1).

To identify airports with fuel, consult the airport information boxes for each public use airport depicted in Figure 21. The airport information box for Minot Intl. (area 1) includes a symbol or text indicating fuel availability. Garrison (area 2) and Mercer County Regional Airport (area 3) do not show this indication for fuel in their respective data blocks.

(Refer to Figure 23.) The flag symbols at Statesboro Bulloch County Airport, Claxton-Evans County Airport, and Ridgeland Airport are

Answer: visual checkpoints to identify position for initial callup prior to entering Savannah Class C airspace.

The flag symbols at Statesboro Bulloch County Airport, Claxton-Evans County Airport, and Ridgeland Airport, as seen in Figure 23, are VFR visual checkpoints. These are designated points on a sectional chart that pilots use to report their position to Air Traffic Control (ATC). They are particularly important for pilots making initial contact with ATC before entering controlled airspace, such as the Savannah Class C airspace.

(Refer to Figure 23, area 3.) What is the height of the lighted obstacle approximately 6 nautical miles southwest of Savannah International?

Answer: 1,534 feet AGL.

Referring to Figure 23, area 3, locate the lighted obstacle approximately 6 nautical miles southwest of Savannah International. Obstacles on sectional charts are depicted with two numbers: the top number indicates the obstacle's height in feet Mean Sea Level (MSL), and the number in parentheses below it represents its height in feet Above Ground Level (AGL). The question specifically asks for the height AGL, which is 1,534 feet.

(Refer to Figure 23, area 3.) The top of the group obstruction approximately 11 nautical miles from the Savannah VORTAC on the 007° radial is

Answer: 454 feet MSL.

Referring to Figure 23, area 3, locate the group obstruction approximately 11 nautical miles from the Savannah VORTAC on the 007° radial. Obstructions on sectional charts are marked with their top height in feet Mean Sea Level (MSL) and, in parentheses, their height in feet Above Ground Level (AGL). The question asks for the top of the obstruction in MSL, which is 454 feet.

(Refer to Figure 24, area 1.) What minimum altitude is necessary to vertically clear the obstacle on the northeast side of Airpark East Airport by 500 feet?

Answer: 1,273 feet MSL.

To determine the minimum altitude needed, first identify the height of the obstacle on the northeast side of Airpark East Airport in Figure 24, area 1. The obstacle's top is 773 feet MSL. To clear this obstacle by 500 feet, you must add 500 feet to its MSL height: 773 feet MSL + 500 feet = 1,273 feet MSL.

(Refer to Figure 24, area 2.) What minimum altitude is necessary to vertically clear the obstacle on the southeast side of Winnsboro Airport by 500 feet?

Answer: 1,403 feet MSL.

To determine the minimum altitude needed, first identify the height of the obstacle on the southeast side of Winnsboro Airport in Figure 24, area 2. The obstacle's top is 903 feet MSL. To clear this obstacle by 500 feet, you must add 500 feet to its MSL height: 903 feet MSL + 500 feet = 1,403 feet MSL.

(Refer to Figure 25, area 2.) The control tower frequency for Addison Airport is

Answer: 126.0 MHz.

Referring to Figure 25, area 2, locate Addison Airport. The control tower frequency is found within the airport information box, typically labeled 'CT' or 'TWR'. For Addison Airport, the control tower frequency is clearly indicated as 126.0 MHz.

(Refer to Figure 25, area 8.) What minimum altitude is required to fly over the Cedar Hill TV towers in the congested area south of NAS Dallas?

Answer: 3,549 feet MSL.

To determine the minimum altitude, first locate the Cedar Hill TV towers in Figure 25, area 8, and identify the highest tower's Mean Sea Level (MSL) height, which is 2,549 feet MSL. Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR 91.119) require a minimum altitude of 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a 2,000-foot horizontal radius over congested areas. Therefore, add 1,000 feet to the tower's MSL height: 2,549 feet MSL + 1,000 feet = 3,549 feet MSL.

A military air station can be identified by a rotating beacon that emits

Answer: two quick, white flashes between green flashes.

A military air station can be identified at night by its unique rotating beacon light sequence. Unlike civilian airports which typically show alternating white and green flashes, a military airport beacon emits two quick, white flashes followed by a single green flash. This distinct pattern helps pilots differentiate military airfields from civilian ones.

Which is true concerning the blue and magenta colors used to depict airports on Sectional Aeronautical Charts?

Answer: Airports with control towers underlying Class B, C, D, and E airspace are shown in blue.

On Sectional Aeronautical Charts, the color used to depict an airport indicates whether it has a control tower. Airports with control towers are always shown in blue, regardless of the class of airspace (Class B, C, D, or E) they underlie. Airports without control towers are depicted in magenta.

Which statement about longitude and latitude is true?

Answer: Lines of longitude cross the Equator at right angles.

Lines of longitude, also known as meridians, are imaginary lines that run from the North Pole to the South Pole. They are perpendicular to the Equator and all lines of latitude, crossing them at right angles. Lines of latitude, on the other hand, are parallel to the Equator and to each other.

(Check out point 2 in Figure 53.) The 16 represents

Answer: the maximum elevation figure for that quadrangle.

At point 2 in Figure 53, the large blue numbers '16' with a smaller '0' in the upper right corner of the quadrangle represent the Maximum Elevation Figure (MEF). The MEF indicates the highest obstacle or terrain feature within that specific quadrangle, expressed in hundreds of feet Mean Sea Level (MSL). Thus, '16' with a '0' signifies 1,600 feet MSL.

Pilots should follow these guidelines while changing airports due to an emergency

Answer: Use estimates, rule-of-thumb calculations, and other suitable shortcuts to quickly change to the new course.

In an emergency situation requiring a change of airports, pilots should prioritize safety and efficiency. This often involves using practical estimates, rule-of-thumb calculations, and other suitable shortcuts to quickly adjust to the new course. While radio communication and maintaining altitude are important, rapidly adapting navigation with practical methods is crucial for managing the emergency effectively.

A meridian close to the midpoint of the course should be used to make accurate course measurements on a sectional aeronautical chart since the

Answer: Angles created by the course line and longitude lines differ from point to point.

Sectional aeronautical charts use a Lambert Conformal Conic projection, which means that lines of longitude are not parallel but converge towards the poles. Consequently, the angle formed by a course line and a longitude line changes from point to point along the course. To ensure the most accurate true course measurement, it should be taken near the midpoint of the course, where the chart's projection distortion is minimized relative to the course line.

Please see Figure 44. In relation to the impediment 7 SM west of McKinney Airport, choose the appropriate answer (area 5).

Answer: The obstruction has high-intensity lights.

Referring to Figure 44, area 5, locate the obstruction 7 SM west of McKinney Airport. The symbol for this obstruction includes a lightning bolt, which is the standard sectional chart symbol for high-intensity lights. This indicates that the obstruction is equipped with powerful lights designed to be visible from a significant distance, especially during day and night.

Please see Figure 44. Leaving Ft. Worth Meacham International Airport (area 1), a plane flies northeast towards Denton Airport (area 2). What maximum elevation would ensure that there would be no obstructions during the flight?

Answer: 3,200 feet MSL.

To determine the maximum safe elevation, first identify the highest obstruction along the flight path from Ft. Worth Meacham (area 1) northeast towards Denton Airport (area 2) on Figure 44. The highest obstruction in this corridor is a tower marked 1000 (2000), indicating an AGL height of 1000 feet and an MSL elevation of 2000 feet. To ensure adequate clearance, a minimum of 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle is generally recommended for cross-country flight, especially in non-congested areas where 500 feet is the regulatory minimum. Adding 1,000 feet to the 2,000-foot obstruction yields 3,000 feet MSL, making 3,200 feet MSL the safest choice among the options to provide sufficient vertical separation.