Airspace is roughly 15 to 20 percent of the Part 107 test. There are 5 classes you need to know, the colors that identify each on a sectional chart, and the authorization rules that follow the same pattern across classes. Here is each class explained simply, and the test traps to watch for.
Airspace is 15 to 20 percent of the Part 107 knowledge test. Five letter classes, a chart of colored lines, and a stack of altitude rules. The concept is simpler than it looks.
There are five airspace classes a Part 107 pilot needs to know. Each one stands for one type of place to fly. The rules for each follow the same logic.
| Class | Where | Authorization needed? |
|---|---|---|
| A | From 18,000 ft MSL to FL600. High-altitude jet traffic. | Not relevant for Part 107 (above 400 ft AGL ceiling) |
| B | Around the busiest airports (Atlanta, JFK, LAX, etc.) | Yes. LAANC or DroneZone |
| C | Around medium-traffic airports with a control tower and radar approach | Yes. LAANC or DroneZone |
| D | Around smaller airports with an operating control tower | Yes. LAANC or DroneZone |
| E | Most controlled airspace that is not A, B, C, or D | Sometimes. Depends on whether the floor reaches the surface |
| G | Uncontrolled. Everywhere not covered above | No authorization required |
Class A starts at 18,000 feet MSL and runs up to flight level 600 (about 60,000 feet). It is the airspace where commercial jets cruise.
Part 107 caps your operations at 400 feet AGL, so a small UAS will never reach Class A. Class A test questions for Part 107 usually just check that you know it begins at 18,000 MSL.
Class B surrounds the busiest airports in the country. Think Atlanta (KATL), Los Angeles (KLAX), Chicago O'Hare (KORD), JFK (KJFK).
On a sectional chart, Class B is drawn with solid blue lines in stacked rings that look like an upside-down wedding cake. The smallest ring sits on the surface around the airport itself, and progressively larger rings sit higher up.
The shape exists to protect arriving and departing airliners as they descend and climb. The closer you are to the runway, the lower the floor of controlled airspace.
For Part 107, you need ATC authorization to operate inside Class B. The standard way is LAANC (Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability) through a third-party app like Aloft, AirMap, or Skyward.
For locations or altitudes not pre-approved in LAANC, submit a waiver through the FAA's DroneZone portal, which can take 30 to 90 days to process.
Class C surrounds medium-traffic airports with an operating control tower and radar approach control. Examples: Albuquerque (KABQ), Reno (KRNO), El Paso (KELP).
On a sectional chart, Class C is drawn with solid magenta lines. Typically a 5-mile-radius inner circle from the surface, and a 10-mile-radius outer shelf from 1,200 feet AGL up to 4,000 feet AGL.
Authorization rules for Class C are identical to Class B. LAANC for routine operations, DroneZone waiver for everything else.
Class D surrounds airports with an operating control tower but no radar approach. The tower handles only local traffic. Most regional and small commercial airports fall here.
On a sectional chart, Class D is drawn with dashed blue lines as a single roughly cylindrical shape extending from the surface to a ceiling that is typically 2,500 feet AGL. The ceiling is shown in a dashed blue box on the chart, in hundreds of feet MSL.
A box reading "[28]" means the Class D ceiling is 2,800 feet MSL.
Class D is one of the most common authorization requests for Part 107 pilots because so many small towered airports have surrounding Class D. LAANC handles most requests in seconds.
When the tower closes for the night, the airspace usually reverts to Class E or Class G, which can change whether you need authorization. Always check the airport's remarks in the supplement.
Class E is all controlled airspace that is not Class A, B, C, or D. It exists to provide controlled airspace for instrument flight rules (IFR) traffic in transit between airports. Most of the country has Class E somewhere above it.
The trick for Part 107 is the floor of Class E, which varies by location.
Class G is uncontrolled airspace. ATC does not provide separation services in Class G, and you do not need authorization to operate there under Part 107.
This is where the majority of non-airport Part 107 operations take place: rural areas, small towns, properties miles from any airport.
Class G is what is left over after the other classes are drawn. On a chart, you identify it by the absence of any other airspace marking. There are no special lines for Class G because the entire chart is Class G unless something else overlays it.
Class G typically extends from the surface up to 700 or 1,200 feet AGL, where Class E takes over. Since Part 107 caps you at 400 feet AGL, you are almost always inside Class G when flying outside controlled airspace.
Whenever you need authorization to fly in B, C, D, or surface E, the workflow is the same:
LAANC is free. DroneZone is free. Always carry a copy of your authorization (digital or paper) on the flight. An FAA inspector or law enforcement officer may ask to see it.
Question: You plan to operate a small UAS at 200 feet AGL inside the dashed blue boundary of an active Class D airport. Which of the following is required before you may fly?
Answer: B. Class D extends from the surface upward, and any operation inside Class D requires prior ATC authorization regardless of altitude. LAANC is the standard pathway.
A 107.200 waiver would only be needed if you wanted to deviate from a different Part 107 rule, not for routine airspace authorization. Notifying the airport manager does not substitute for authorization.
Airspace questions reward two things: pattern recognition and rule recall.
Pattern recognition is the colors and shapes on a chart. Rule recall is which class needs authorization. Both improve fastest with repetition.
Run airspace-only quizzes daily for a week before your test. Pull up a free sectional viewer like SkyVector when something does not click. The airspace around a familiar local airport is the fastest way to internalize what the colors mean.
Practice content on this page is derived from 14 CFR Part 107 and the FAA Aeronautical Information Manual. It is for educational purposes. Always verify current rules with the FAA before relying on them for a real flight.
Practice with real FAA style questions and get detailed explanations for every answer.