Sectional Aeronautical Charts - STUDY GUIDE #4

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

What does a Solid Magenta Line mean?

⭐️ Airspace Classification

Norfolk International is located within Class C airspace as indicated by the solid magenta lines. Notice the airport runways are at "SFC" surface level.
 

⭐️ Class C Airspace Altitude

Notice the number 40 over SFC.

This means you will always "Add" two zeros after 40 to make it 4,000 feet.

Surface (SFC) to 4,000 feet MSL.
Remember MSL stands for Mean Sea Level. 

⭐️ Airport Frequencies

Airport name: Norfolk INTL

CT-Control Tower Frequency (120.8 Mhz) ATIS frequency 127.15 MHz)

ATIS stands for Automated Information Service: Recorded Broadcast for Pilots.

⭐️ Airport Elevation

The number "27" in the airport information is the airport's elevation referenced in "Mean Sea Level MSL"

The airport's elevation = 27 feet MSL.

Mean Sea level is the average height of the ocean's surface.

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

Where Is the Airport Information?

⭐️ Airspace Classification

Currituck CO RGNL is located within Class E airspace as indicated by the faded magenta lines. Notice another Class E at the bottom left which is indicated by the "Dashed Magenta Lines" (use the large chart above as your reference)
 

⭐️ Airspace Altitudes

The Faded Magenta boundary begins at 700 feet AGL. The reason it's referenced in Above Ground Level is because Class usually above "Class G" uncontrolled airspace.
 

⭐️ Airport Services

Notice the airport symbol has tick marks around the runway. This indicates that the airport has fueling services.

⭐️ Obstructions (Pyramids symbol)

Look to the South East, and North West. obstructions could be towers, buildings, antennas, wind turbines or smokestacks. You wiill see a top and bottom number next to the obstruction. The top number is the height above ground referenced in MSL, and the bottom number is the height above ground measures in AGL.  

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

Can you find Class D Airspace?

⭐️ Airspace Classification

Look closely at the airspace around the airport. There are dashed blue lines which seem to be hidden inside of the solid magenta line. The airport Norfolk NS (Chambers) NGU is Class D which will always have a number with a"Blue Box" around it. Notice the symbol [-20] which means Class D will extend up to but not including 2,000 feet MSL, which equals [1,999 feet MSL]

Class D is under Class C Airspace
 

⭐️ Rotating Beacon

The blue star over the airport runway indicates there is a rotating beacon which serves as a visual aid for pilots.
 

⭐️ Airport Symbol Color

Airports which are colored in blue indicate that there is a control tower; as for magenta airports do not have control towers.

⭐️ Heliport or Helipad

To the North of the airport, notice the Magenta "H" inside of a circle which indicates a civilian heliport (private or public use)

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

What is the degree of Latitude?

⭐️ Latitude & Longitude

Every sectional chart will have latitude and longitude lines. Notice 37º is directly under the latitude line. Notice 76º is next to the line of longitude.
(More detailed information on latitude and longitude later in the other study materials)

⭐️ Isogonic Line (Magenta)

Notice the dashed magenta line running straight north to south with 1ºW marked at the top left. This marking tells how far magnetic north is from true north at that location. 

"W"= West  variation > magnetic north is 1º degree west of true north. Isogonic lines helps pilots correct for the difference between true and magnetic north. 

⭐️ Parachute Jumping Area

Notice the parachute symbol mid-right, it designates a location where there is skydiving or parachute operations are being conducted. The Magenta color means it is either Class E or Class G airspace (uncontrolled near the surface) 

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

What do Dashed Blue lines mean?

⭐️ Airspace Classification

Elizabeth City CGAS RGNL (ECG) is Class D airspace as indicated by the dashed blue lines around the airport. There is a control tower at this airport since the airport symbol is colored blue.
 

⭐️ Airspace Altitude

The [25] symbol indicates the ceiling of Class D extends up to 2,500 feet MSL. If the symbol had a minus [-25] then the ceiling would be 2,499 feet MSL. remember "Up to but NOT including that altitude."
 

⭐️ Faded Magenta Boundaries

Notice the faded magenta around the airport. It is Class E airspace beginning at 700 feet AGL. Many airports will have this type of arrangement because it helps to protect arriving and departing aircraft.

⭐️ Compass Rose

Notice the compass dial symbol around the airport; is a navigation aid extending out from a "VOR station" located near the airport. Pilots will tune their Nav radio to the VOR's frequency. Notice the VOR frequency is indicated in the VOR-DME info box: 112.5 Channel 72 ECG.

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

Where are Warning Areas located?

⭐️ Warning Areas

W-50A, W-50B, W-50C. These are Special Use Airspace (SUA) which will often located 3 nautical miles from the U.S. Coastline which considered international waters. The FAA has no control over warning areas due to being located in International waters. These areas conduct Air Combat Training and High Speed Formation Flying.
 

⭐️ Restricted Areas

Notice R-6606 is also a Special Use Airspace (SUA) where flights are not allowed without permission from the controlling agency. Restricted Areas can be over land or water. Activities include: live-fire exercises, missile testing, or other dangerous operations.

✅ you can Maximum Elevation Figure (MEF)

Notice the Blue "04" symbol 

Even over water, the chart still shows a MEF number, but in this case, it reflects the highest possible obstruction in that grid.

• “04” means 400 feet MSL (remember: MEF is in hundreds of feet MSL). 👉Remember that MEF is always referenced in MSL.

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

What is ceiling of Class D Airspace?

⭐️Airspace Classification

Minot International (MO) is located within Class D airspace as indicated by the dashed blue lines around the airport. 

The ceiling of Class D is 4,200 feet MSL.
 

⭐️ Airport Information

CT-Control Tower Frequency 118.2

ASOS Frequency 118.725 (ASOS stands for Automated Surface Observation System). It provides automated real-time continuous weather information for  pilots and air traffic control.
 

⭐️ Airport Elevation

1716 feet MSL as indicated in the airport information located at the top right of the diagram.

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

"R Symbol" with a magenta circle?

⭐️ Restricted Area "R" Symbol

Flying inside without authorization is prohibited, even if there’s an airport inside. Private Airport Symbol (Pvt) shows that there is a private-use airfield within or adjacent to the restricted area.
The airport itself is not open to the public, so you cannot land there without permission from the owner.
 

👉 Key Takeaways for Part 107 Regarding Drone Flying: 

Do NOT enter the restricted airspace without prior authorization, even if your flight path is just over the private airport.

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

What is the degree of Longitude?

⭐️ Latitude & Longitude Degrees

Latitude (horizontal lines/parallels)
Measures north or south of the Equator.
Shown in degrees (°) North or South).
Example: 48° N = 48 degrees north of the Equator.
 

Longitude (vertical lines/meridians)
Measures east or west of the Prime Meridian by degrees (°) East or West.
Example: 101° W = 101 degrees west of the Prime Meridian.
  

• Sectional charts usually mark degrees and minutes (e.g., 48°15’ N, 101°30’ W)

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

What is an MTR?

⭐️ Military Training Routes (MTRs)

These will show up frequently on FAA sectional charts and Part 107 questions. 

IR644 – IR649 means

“IR” stands for Instrument Routes.

These routes are labeled either IR or VR, Visual Routes, depending on the type of navigation used.

Three digits (e.g., IR644) → route at least one segment is above 1,500 ft AGL.
 

Four digits (e.g., VR1206) → route entirely below 1,500 ft AGL.
 

So, IR644–IR649 are instrument military training routes that have some segments above 1,500 ft AGL, but they can still dip lower when training.

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

What is an Quadrant?

⭐️ Garrison Airport (D05)

Class E Airspace (Faded)

Coordinates: ~ 47° 39′ 21.8″ N, 101° 26′ 12.5″ W (47.6560 N, -101.4368 W) Elevation: 1,937 ft MSL, Communications: CTAF/UNICOM frequency 122.9 MHz. 

Notice the Latitude and Longitude grid "Quadrants" around the airport.

✅ Quadrants are the grid squares formed by the faint latitude and longitude lines on a sectional chart. 

Primary purpose:

To show the MEF (Maximum Elevation Figure) for that area. MEF represents the highest terrain or obstacle within the quadrant.

👉 How MEF works:

Based on terrain and man-made obstacles (towers, buildings, etc.)
 

Rounded up to the next 100 feet and +100 feet for safety. It is Shown in thousands and hundreds of feet MSL

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

How do you determine the MEF Value?

Maximum Elevation Figure (MEF)

Notice the Blue "21" symbol 

Elevation over land reflects the highest possible obstruction in that grid.

• “21” means 2,100 feet MSL (remember: MEF is in hundreds of feet MSL).

An excellent question, and this is a key point many miss on the Part 107 Exam. Question: Is MEF an FAA Regulation?

Answer: No, the MEF (Maximum Elevation Figure) is not a minimum altitude or restriction. It’s simply for informational purposes,  a safety reference.

✅ MEF values will round to the nearest 100. So example Highest structure: 5,360 ft MSL Add 100 ft: 5,360 + 100 = 5,460. Now round up to the next 100-foot increment: 5,460 👉 5,500 ft MSL will be the MEF Value (Big5, small 5)

The MEF calculation has been included in our study guides. 😎👍 Keep Pushing Forward!

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

What is the Floor of Class E?

⭐️ Airspace Classification

Sandpoint (SZT) is located within Class E airspace as indicated by the faded magenta boundary. Class E (Faded Magenta) Around an Airport. Question: What is the Floor & Ceiling Altitudes?

🧐

Answer: Floor: 700 feet AGL (above ground level), Ceiling: up to but not including 18,000 feet MSL. So the ceiling is actually 17,999 feet MSL, just below Class A airspace.

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

What is a Victor Airway?

Identifier: S77 (a private or small public-use airport, depending on charts)
 

Location: Shown on the sectional chart directly "under" a Victor Airway 

The airway passes over or near the airport, meaning manned aircraft following the airway may be overhead. ⚠️ Key Points for Drone Pilots, even though the airport is small (S77), don’t assume the airspace is free to fly! Authorization may be required.

Quick Summary:

MAGEE Airport (S77) is a small airport directly under a Victor Airway, meaning low-level manned aircraft may pass overhead. 

Question: What is the Class of Airspace for MAGEE? The answer and explanation will be in the practice quiz below.

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

Dashed Magenta line indicate?

⭐️ Victor Airways

Low-altitude airways for manned aircraft, based on VOR navigation (VHF Omnidirectional Range). 

On sectional charts:

Light-Blue lines with a “V” and number (e.g., V12, V267)

• Floor: 1,200 ft AGL (unless otherwise specified). 
• Ceiling: 17,999 ft MSL 
• Width- 8 nautical miles on each side of the centerline (16 NM total).
  

Purpose: Provide safe, defined routes for aircraft. Helps pilots avoid obstacles and terrain.

⭐️ Drones cannot operate in controlled airspace without ATC permission, including Victor Airways that are within Class E or Class B/C/D airspace.

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

What airspace is below Class E?

Notice: On a Sectional Chart, when you see "black numbers with a black dot" in areas that are not airports or controlled airspace like Class G or rural areas; these represent obstructions:

• The black number = height of the obstruction above mean sea level (MSL) in feet.
   
• The black dot = the top of the obstruction (usually a tower, building, or other tall structure).
   

This helps pilots, including drone operators, know both how high the obstruction is above the ground and above sea level, which is critical for altitude planning.

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

How do the hash marks mean?

On a sectional chart, latitude and longitude lines are marked with hash marks along the edges:

• Small hash marks = 1 minute of latitude or longitude.
• Medium hash mark = 5 minutes of latitude or longitude.
• Large hash marks = 10 minutes of latitude or longitude.
   

These are labeled with the degree and minutes for easy reference.
 

This system is essential for plotting coordinates and navigating precisely, especially for drone operations under Part 107.

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

Can you locate an obstruction?

An obstruction is any man-made structure that extends above the surrounding terrain and may be a hazard to air navigation.
 

Common examples: Communication towers , Radio / TV antennas, Wind turbines, Smokestacks, Tall buildings, Cranes

Magenta “R” inside a circle on a sectional chart near an airport, usually indicates a private-use airport with a rotating beacon.

Magenta “R” in a circle = private airport (restricted to permission). Usually located in Class G or uncontrolled airspace.
 

Pilots must obtain permission before landing. The magenta circle helps the airport stand out visually on the chart.
 

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

What does SFC mean?

This format — ###/SFC — shows the vertical limits of a controlled airspace segment, usually Class B & C Airspace.

• The number “110” represents the top of that airspace, expressed in hundreds of feet above mean sea level (MSL). So “110” means 11,000 feet MSL.
   
• “SFC” means surface, or the ground level.
   

⭐️ 110/SFC = Class B airspace from the surface (SFC) up to 11,000 feet MSL.

You’ll see this near areas around larger airports that have instrument approaches.
 

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

Does this airport have a Control Tower?

30 means the Class D airspace extends up to 3,000 feet MSL. 

If the number has a minus sign in front “−30” — that means the Class D airspace does not include that altitude.

So “−30” means that Class D airspace extends up 👉 2,999 feet MSL.
 

The blue dashed line around the airport indicates it has Class D airspace.
The boxed number around “[30]” or “[-30]” is a quick identifier for pilots to immediately know that it's a Class D Airport.

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

What is the airport elevation?

⭐️ FAA Airport Data on sectional charts is always measured in MSL (Mean Sea Level), not AGL (Above Ground Level).

Here’s how it applies across all airspace types:

Airport Elevation (on charts and in FAA data) → MSL 

This represents the height of the highest point on the usable runway above mean sea level. 

👉 Example: If an airport shows Elevation: 1047 ft, that means the runway surface is 1,047 feet above sea level.
 

Faded magenta ring (Class E beginning at 700 ft AGL): The 700 feet refers to AGL, meaning Class E starts 700 feet above the surface, but when plotted on the chart, altitudes of nearby controlled airspace and airport elevations are still in MSL.

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

What does the Magenta Flag mean?

⭐️A Blue Airport Symbol indicates a towered airport that is, an airport with an operating control tower (ATC).

This holds true whether the airport is surrounded by different color lines such as:

Class B airspace (solid blue lines)

Class C airspace (solid magenta lines)

Class D airspace (dashed blue lines)
 

• Blue Airport Circle with runways inside
  Indicates public-use, hard-surface runways, and controlled airspace (towered).
   
• Blue Runway symbol
  Indicates towered airport.
   

The data block (usually next to the airport symbol) gives additional information:

• Control tower frequency (CT, TWR)
• ATIS/AWOS/ASOS frequency
• Elevation (in feet MSL)
• Runway length and lighting availability

✅ Magenta Flag is a "VFR checkpoint" It is a visual reference for manned aircraft position reporting, not a restriction.

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

Why is the airport a Magenta color?

⭐️A Magenta Airport Symbol indicates an airport without an operating control tower. 

That means all aircraft operate on a common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) Pilots announce their intentions and self-coordinate rather than receiving ATC instructions.

• Magenta Airport Symbol No control tower (uncontrolled airport)
• Magenta Runway Symbol (with or without cross) → Hard-surface runways. are shown to approximate layout
• No runway symbol (just a magenta circle) → Turf or short, unimproved runway
• Magenta “R” → Restricted, private-use airport
   

⭐️ Tick marks around the circle → Fuel available during normal working hours (usually 8 a.m.–5 p.m. local)
 

Often under Class E starting at 700 feet AGL (shown by the faded magenta vignette around it.
Or Class G airspace at the surface, if no dashed or shaded lines indicate otherwise
 

✅ Part 107 Exam Question: 

Magenta "X" with a circle around?

⭐️A Magenta Circle Symbol with "X" indicates an airport Abandoned-paved having landmark value, 3000ft or greater. 

Even though the airport is no longer in use for aviation operations, the pavement/runways are still present on the ground, so pilots can use it as a visual reference point for navigation.

• Magenta circle → non-towered (or in this case, non-operational) airport symbol.
   
• “X” across it → abandoned airport (no longer maintained or active).
   
• 3000 ft or greater → runways are long enough to remain a meaningful landmark.
   
• Still charted to help pilots visually navigate using ground features.
   

Because the runway or pavement is still visible from the air, so it is retained for situational awareness, even though you cannot land there.