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The United States airspace system's classification scheme is intended to maximize pilot flexibility within acceptable levels of risk appropriate to the type of operation and traffic density within that class of airspace – in particular to provide separation and active control in areas of dense or high-speed flight operations.
All operations in US Class A airspace must be conducted under IFR. SVFR flight in Class A airspace is prohibited. Class B airspace is used to control the flow of traffic around major airports. The airspace is charted on a VFR sectional chart with a series of blue lines. Within these blue lines, the floor and the ceiling of the Class B airspace ...
White space around the chart is filled with map information and the legend, scales, and tables of airport and airspace information. Terrain is color-coded for its elevation and major roads, cities, and bodies of water are shown for visual reference, as well as other identifiable structures (e.g., stadiums and water towers ).
If the airspace is not Class A, B, C, or D, and is controlled airspace, then it is Class E airspace. Class E airspace extends upward from either the surface or a designated altitude to the overlying or adjacent controlled airspace. When designated as a surface area, the airspace is configured to contain all instrument procedures.
Approach category definitions in the United States of America are similar to those defined by ICAO. They are defined in terms of V REF of a given aircraft, or if V REF is not specified, 1.3 V s0 at the maximum certificated landing weight.
Class B's layers are designed individually to meet the needs of the airport they overlay. Pilots must also receive clearance to enter the Class B airspace but Visual Flight Rules may be used, unlike in Class A airspace. Class B airspace corresponds to the area formerly known as a Terminal Control Area or TCA. [6]
Use of instrument flight rules is also required when flying in "Class A" airspace regardless of weather conditions. Class A airspace extends from 18,000 feet above mean sea level to flight level 600 (60,000 feet pressure altitude) above the contiguous 48 United States and overlying the waters within 12 miles thereof. [8]
The chart also shows information on airspace classes, ground-based navigation aids, radio frequencies, longitude and latitude, navigation waypoints, navigation routes. Sectional charts are in 1:500,000 scale and are named for a city on the map.