SPC Student Pilot Airspace & Navigation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What color are the rings depicting Class C airspace on a VFR sectional chart?
- Blue
- Magenta (Correct answer)
- Green
- Red
Correct answer: Magenta
Class C airspace is depicted with solid magenta rings on VFR sectional charts.
Question 2: When flying toward Class D airspace, a pilot has established two-way radio communication when:
- The tower has repeated the aircraft's call sign (Correct answer)
- The pilot has transmitted their intentions
- The tower has responded with any message
- The ATIS has been received
Correct answer: The tower has repeated the aircraft's call sign
Two-way communication is established when the controller uses the aircraft's call sign in their reply, even if the message says 'standby'.
Question 3: What is dead reckoning navigation?
- Using radio beacons to fix position
- Estimating position using known speed, heading, and elapsed time from a known point (Correct answer)
- Flying direct between GPS waypoints
- Following ATC vectors to a destination
Correct answer: Estimating position using known speed, heading, and elapsed time from a known point
Dead reckoning calculates estimated position by applying speed, heading, and time from a last known position.
Question 4: Which airspace class requires a pilot to obtain an ATC clearance before entering, regardless of weather conditions?
- Class D
- Class E
- Class B (Correct answer)
- Class G
Correct answer: Class B
Class B airspace requires an explicit ATC clearance to enter, even in VFR conditions.
Question 5: On a sectional chart, the top number in Class C airspace rings (e.g., 40) represents:
- The floor in hundreds of feet MSL
- The ceiling in hundreds of feet MSL (Correct answer)
- The ceiling in thousands of feet MSL
- The lateral radius in nautical miles
Correct answer: The ceiling in hundreds of feet MSL
In Class C ring labels, the top number is the ceiling and the bottom number is the floor, both in hundreds of feet MSL.
Question 6: A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is most commonly issued to:
- Designate permanent military training areas
- Protect airspace around special events, disasters, or VIPs (Correct answer)
- Mark boundaries of Class E airspace
- Define MOA activation times
Correct answer: Protect airspace around special events, disasters, or VIPs
TFRs are temporary airspace restrictions typically protecting sporting events, disaster areas, or presidential movements.
Question 7: What type of airspace exists at most small general aviation airports that have an operating control tower?
- Class B
- Class C
- Class D (Correct answer)
- Class E
Correct answer: Class D
Class D airspace surrounds airports with an operating control tower that don't qualify for Class B or C designation.
SPC Student Pilot Airspace & Navigation 3
What color are the rings depicting Class C airspace on a VFR sectional chart?