Solve the Class E Puzzle
Separate designated Class E surface areas from transition airspace beginning at 700 or 1,200 feet AGL.
YOU WILL BE ABLE TO
- 01Identify the rule, source, or principle behind this idea: Dashed magenta can depict a Class E surface area designated for an airport.
- 02Explain the operational effect of this idea: Shaded magenta commonly marks Class E beginning at 700 feet AGL; broad unmarked regions commonly begin at 1,200 feet AGL.
- 03Apply the lesson to a new mission and defend a go, modify, or no-go decision.
01 / MISSION
Begin with the operating problem.
A 300-foot AGL mission is inside shaded magenta but outside any dashed surface boundary.
02 / CORE BRIEF
What the remote pilot needs to know.
Dashed magenta can depict a Class E surface area designated for an airport.
Shaded magenta commonly marks Class E beginning at 700 feet AGL; broad unmarked regions commonly begin at 1,200 feet AGL.
Part 107 airspace authorization applies to designated Class E surface areas, not every volume of Class E aloft.
03 / PILOT DECISION
Make the call.
Determine the actual Class E floor and surface classification; shaded transition airspace alone does not automatically create a surface authorization requirement.
04 / FIELD CHECK
Put it into the flight plan.
Write the symbol, floor, mission altitude, and whether the area is designated to the surface.
05 / KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Does all Class E airspace require Part 107 authorization?
Reveal the debrief
No. The authorization rule focuses on Class E airspace designated for an airport at the surface.
RELATED FAA REFERENCES
Verify before you fly.
- FAA — Aeronautical Chart User's Guide
- 14 CFR Part 107 — current eCFR
- FAA — Part 107 Airspace Authorizations
Educational summary only. Current regulation, FAA approval conditions, manufacturer instructions, and site-specific facts control the operation.