Class E airspace.

Holocene

Well-Known Member
I was always taught, and in fact printed within a few of my textbooks, that class E airspace usually begins at 1200' AGL. However, if you look at FAR 71.71, the first thing it states is that class E airspace extends upward from 14,500' MSL.

Which is correct?

I cannot believe I have 120hrs and have been snagged by this!!!
 
Class E starts at 14,500 unless depicted otherwise . I had a student fail a CFI initial checkride because of this.

blue shade=1200'

Magenta shade=700'

dashed magenta=surface

If you put all the sectionals together then much of the the US would fall in the blue shaded area.
 
Look at the blue shaded area in the legend of any sectional (kind of like E down to 700 magenta shading). Around the area you fly in, you won't really see any blue shading . Get a hold of a Phoenix sectional and look at some of the victor airways to get a sense of the logic to it. Along the airway, and 4 miles to each side of the centerline, the blue shading tells you that E goes to 1200 agl, and outside of it it is generally to 14,500...I think it has to do with limited radar coverage/services in high terrain areas or something.

Couldn't find a good image of an example for ya...

Nice pics you had of the Falls in your other thread btw...That's where we usually take our students on intro rides. Good stuff
 
I'm not doubting anyone here, but this textbook is wrong?

It depicts class-E airspace as starting at 1200' over nearly the entire country...:confused:

"Base of class E airspace at 1200' AGL".

001-3.jpg
 
it says (Sometimes higher or lower) in the book...Guess it's more common at 1200...
 
(sometimes higher or lower)

What they said is right, but yeah that picture is a little confusing
 
I just read the entire class E section in this textbook. Not a single mention of class E starting at 14,500' MSL.

This blatant ambiguity between publications is getting tiresome...:banghead:
 
You want to see something that will really blow your mind, check out a Class G Towered Airport(Heliport). Might I suggest Picacho Stagefield on the PHX Sectional. Right smack dab in the middle of PHX and TUS. On my commercial check ride I was asked when you have to be in contact(if ever), with this tower. When it's NOTAM'd open was not a good enough answer. I found it eventualy, but it's not on the chart, and not in the AFD. At least it blew my mind after flying for 10 years on and off, and never hearing of such a thing.
 
"Other controlled airspace is designated as Class E - this includes a large part of the lower airspace. Class E airspace exists in many forms. It can serve as a surface-based extension to Class D airspace to accommodate IFR approach/departure procedure areas. Class E airspace can be designated to have a floor of 700' AGL (above ground level) or 1,200' AGL. Class E airspace exists above Class G surface areas from 14,500' MSL (mean sea level) to 18,000 MSL" that's from wikipedia take it as you will...there's also this site http://www.flytandem.com/airspace.htm

hope this helps clear it up.
 
I always thought of it in terms of Class G being up to 700 or 1200 except where it goes all the way up to 14,500. Something about Martha King burned into my brain saying Class "E" stood for "Everywhere" else. Useful info to win a bar bet: Don't forget that Class E also starts again above FL600, Virgin Galactic territory?
 
Some correct me if I'm wrong...for some reason I remember that Class E begins at 14,500 FT over the lower 48 statesthe US, and could be lowered by other means (such as surface, surface extentions, airways, transitions, etc...)...the thing I seem to remember was on the front of the sectional it saying "Class E exist at 1200ft AGL unless otherwise noted", meaning that it was Domestic Enroute Class E airspace. It's in small print...

(It should be noted that I've not "practiced" as a CFI in a few years, so I could just be loosing my mind and talking gibberish)...:buck:
 
...the thing I seem to remember was on the front of the sectional it saying "Class E exist at 1200ft AGL unless otherwise noted", meaning that it was Domestic Enroute Class E airspace. It's in small print...

(It should be noted that I've not "practiced" as a CFI in a few years, so I could just be loosing my mind and talking gibberish)...:buck:

Yep, that's exactly what it says on all my sectionals.
 
I went back into my CFI notebook after typing that just to check myself...from what I can gather in it and the AIM, Class E starts at 14,500 ft MSL up to, but not including FL 180 and then from FL 600 to infinity. There are ways to lower Class E from 14,500 ft:

Surface (Dashed Magenta Lines)
Extensions (Dashed Magenta Lines, used for protection of IAP's)
Transitions (Shaded Magenta (700 ft AGL) or Blue (1200 fr AGL))
Airways (Victor Aiways, Blue/Green/Red/Amber/Q Routes)
Domestic Enroute (On the front of the Sectional, in the small print)
Off Shore (Beyond 12nm's offshore)

If that makes more sense of what Class E is and how to understand it...
 
I think the "Off Shore" Class E airspace (more than 12nm) is the blue "Zipper Line"...if memory serves me correctly
 
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