Finally Understanding Class G and E Airspace Using 3D Modeling
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024
- The alternative title for this video could be "Airspace Hurts My Head". LOL! As a student pilot seeking my Private Pilot Certificate, I believe that having a solid understanding of airspace is important. Questions about airspace are guaranteed to come up during the written exam, and probably just as guaranteed to come up during the check ride.
I made this video not for you. I made it for me. Okay, maybe a little bit for you, if you need some help in this area.;-) However, the reality of it is that I learn so much myself from trying to put something like this together. I really have to understand what I am talking about in a way to make enough sense to explain it to someone else.
Understanding Class G and Class E airspace was a challenge for me. It took a lot of research and study before it finally clicked. Class G airspace is practically everywhere, but it rarely shows up on the aviation charts. So how do you find it, and how do you know where it ends? Well...you have to understand Class E airspace for that! The floor of Class E airspace will tell you where the ceiling of Class G is. For the most part, barring specific documented exceptions to this and also barring locations where other airspace is involved, Class G airspace goes from the surface (AKA Ground) to the floor of Class E. Of course, the floor of Class E varies all over the map, and that's hopefully where this 3D model will help visualize things. And yes, there are places of "unobstructed" Class G airspace where it goes from the surface all the way up to the maximum Class G limit of 14,500 MSL. While there are some places that Class G extends to an specific altitude based on other factors (like terrain), the majority of Class G goes from the Surface to either 700 AGL or 1200 AGL.
Another interesting tidbit about Class G and Class E: The floor of Class E and the ceiling of Class G are identified in feet Above Ground Level (AGL) -- except where Class G maxes or where it's otherwise noted. Most all of the other airspace floor and ceiling values are noted in Mean Sea Level (MSL). So just make sure you are paying attention to that. Mostly, when talking about Class G and E, you're talking AGL -- not what your altimeter says (unless you are at sea level, of course ;-)
So while this video mostly focuses on...yep...Class E and Class G, there is a bit about Class B, Class D, and even at least via the model, a look at the Washington FRZ.
I'm not a professional 3D modeler, I am not a CFI, and I'm not selling ground school courses or videos. This content is worth at least what you paid for it. If you don't like it, you can get a full refund. :-) I will say I ran it past several pilots, and a few CFIs before I posted it because I want it to be accurate. It may not be the best presentation, it may not have everything there is to know about this topic, but I didn't want anything in there that was just outright wrong. If you notice something we overlooked, please let me know. If you like it, let me know. I invested many hours into this...so I am hopeful it was helpful for at least one of you. If you really like it, feel free to share it!
Video is 12 minutes long. First 6 is background, and some foundational information that sets up the model demonstration. Last 6 minutes is showing the model and how the airspace is laid out here where I am.
I must say that of all the videos I watched on airspace, this is my favorite. The 3D models really helped! Great job helping me pass my Part 107 test. Thanks.
As a Drone pilot I found this 3 D model Very Helpful! Since I am not permitted in controlled airspace without prior approval it is very valuable to understand where "G" really is ! Thank You !
I can really appreciate all the effort you put in here. I'm a private pilot "brushing up" for my recurrent, and watching this made me wish I'd have stumbled across your efforts as a student- really puts airspace in perspective. Thanks so much.
To further your understanding of Class E 700' and 1200' airspace's, the floor of each is actually not a flat plain, it is an impression of the underlying terrain raised to 700 or 1200 feet above that terrain (AGL). I have yet to see anyone model such since it is very difficult to do so. One would need a digital terrain model and smash the airspace on it, then raise it up either 770 or 1200 feet. Think of it as mashing play-dough on an irregular surface, the resulting imprint under the play-dough is the actual floor (shape) of the airspace.
I'm in flight school now, you saved my life with this video. Thank you!!!
Nice job! Class E airspace really confuses a lot of pilots... This is one of the best explanations I've seen! Thanks for putting in the effort to create and share this.
Excellent! You used Sketchup obviously. I use Sketchup extensively, and am also somewhat confused about airspace. I think I will use my Sketchup to teach myself, since it appears you did that and it "clicked" for you. I think it would for me also, so you have turned me on to a good teaching method. One suggestion would be to make the walls of your graphic semi-transparent and labels them "A", "B", "C", etc. so that you can see the classes even better. Another suggestion would be to use "fades" from one class to another to mimic the 2D map. I would even go so far as to create mock flight paths with a little airplane to show how a pilot would navigate through congested airspace with VFR and IFR. You made my day. Thanks.
This is truly groundbreaking material!
Kudos to you for such an excellent presentation!
Not even the FAA with its huge amount of resources has developed anything remotely so intricate.
You're going to be **The Preeminent Expert** regarding the National Airspace System. Keep the expanding and refining the model.
NOBODY has made this airspace thing more clear. Thanks.
With some very limited exceptions in remote and/or mountainous regions, Class G is everywhere that is not B, C, D or E to surface. Class G is not charted. It is either 700’AGL (fuzzy side of the magenta vignette) or 1200’AGL (solid side of the magenta vignette). That is basically it.
Side bar - It is lowered from 1200’ to 700’ for enhanced protection of non-precision instrument approaches.
Nice graphics. Great video.
Excellent explanation and graphics. It took me a very long to understand this, and then every time I think I understand it I forgot until the next flight review.
Wow! very nicely done! As a "visual" person myself this was a great way to digest things.
Pretty cool thing I used to remember the different types of airspace is:
(A)bove
(B)elow
(C)learance
(D)on't need a clearance
(E)mpty controlled
(F)orbidden
(G)round
You need a mnemonic to remember seven letters in the alphabet that go in sequence?
Great idea - I needed this - thanks!
You might want to reconsider your comment about not needing clearance for class D airspace.
this was INCREDIBLY well made, thank you!!! This is the only way airspace should be taught!!
Unebelievable. This should be required viewing for every GA pilot.
The 38 people that thumbed down this must be 3d modeling nerds. That's a rad idea. Lol...I'm not current, but am an instrument rated pilot and that was a good refresher.
Wow! That's incredible... You did this with little 3d experience... Imagine if you were a professional? You would have knocked out the entire area with better graphics... I must admit when I first saw the graphics of your project I thought to myself, "This is going to be a train wreck." Bro, you did an outstanding job painting that picture... Outstanding... Imagine if you did have 3d experience... Thank you for sharing your project... You invested the time and we thank you...
Helpful, thank you! I came across your video while trying to figure this Class E & G bit. As fate would have it, I had my own Baltimore-Washington TAC open right beside me as I struggled through this topic. I'll watch this a couple more times then I think I'll have it squared away. I'm training out at Lee and spent 3 hours at Tipton yesterday bouncing the Cessna down the runway! Thanks for the video, it really helps, especially since you're referring to the area I am learning in!
Super helpful. I'm doing my Stage 2 check ride in a couple of weeks and I've forever been confused about G and E but this brought it alive in a way I could easily understand.
Thanks man! Very very helpful! This is THE ONLY VIDEO that I have found that clearly explains Class G and E in a congested Air Space area. Brilliant my friend! Great job!
Thank you. Very helpful as I get ready to take my Part 107 test for commercial drone pilot.
This helped me a lot. Preparing for my check ride in 2 weeks and the examiner, from what I understand, wants to know the ins and outs of E/G airspace. Your presentation made it "click" for me. Thanks again!
As simple as Class G is, for some reason it's really difficult for me to visualize unaided, and I'd been trying to think of a way to simplify it for me. Sketchup is perfect for it! And as a side note, I can't imagine having to learn about airspace in one as complex as yours! Thank you for the help!
Your 3D really clarified G and E airspaces.
Thanks for your honesty about who you are, what you are doing, your experience etc. Easy to follow and relate to.
Thanks for putting this together. Very helpful.
My mind basically blew up with understanding. Awesome video!
I tripped into looking at this and it clicked and made sense. I hope your training has gone well and you got the certificate. I am on my way.
I'm studying for the CFI-A oral exam, and found this video super helpful.
If you want to see class G to 14,500msl, go to Skyvector and check out 1E2 in the Texas Big Bend area.
Thank you for all of your work on this...seeing airspace depicted in 3d really helps!
Hi, I just wanted to thank you for that great explanation. I've been struggling with the true understanding of Class E airspace. Your model really put things into perspective. Great job!
AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME! Thank you so much for making this video, it is a perfect learning assist for people like myself that are trying to grasp the idea of airspace. And thank you for making the graphic of the Baltimore - Washington area, I am currently training around there. Keep up the great work, and thank you again!
Very good video! Airspace is a tough concept to understand but it's much clearer to me now. Thanks for your hard work!
This video really explains airspace well. I was also having trouble with class g airspace, but I understand it now.
Thanks for the great vid
What did it for me was on the sectional charts legend it says class e is everywhere starting at 1200. Then the wine colored fade lines are the floor at 700 agl. Took me forever to really grasp that.
Hey man, It was probably a lot of work to mock it all up, but definitely well worth it. thanks for this great explanation the best one I've seen so far.
Thank you. Great help and well done! Great idea showing the various air spaces over the top of an actual sectional.
I been flying PPG for a few months now,fly mostly class G.
Thanks for the video!
This is great! Well done visual. It makes remembering the layering a lot easier! Nice work!
Awesome video! As a visual learner this helps so much, thanks for taking the time to do this!!
Very Very nicely done. A+++. Thank you so much, I finally understand it, I have been searching the internet for a solid rendering so that I can visualize the airspaces, specially class E and class G. You nailed it. Thank you
Amazing explanation sir! My hat is off to ya. Wouldn't it be nice if the FAA, or anyone else, to make a 3-D airspace model for anywhere in FAA's jurisdiction.
I’m going to try to duplicate what you did, thinking it might help me read the charts better, as I am in the Washington DC SFRA & FRZ locations also. It’s super congested, and extremely important to understand completely, thanks for sharing.
This was fantastic, I got my mind wrapped around airspace a couple months ago but if I would of found this first I would of had no problems... Appreciate the video...
Thank you for this. Now I get it!
THANK YOU! I was really struggling with Class G air space.
Innovative method of presenting information.
Very Good Job. Excellent & intuitively informative presentation :)
Thank you for that. Seeing it from that perspective was very helpful
Since you didn't make this video for me but for yourself, glad I could help you out. Haha!
Seriously though, good explanation.
That took some work, a little fyi the 'fuzzy' part is called a magenta vignette (vin-yet).
Outstanding presentation! Thanks for taking the time to model and explain!
Nice job. This helps me understand Class E a little better.
Very clever use of SketchUp! Big help explaining a confusing topic! :)
Thanks CPO this helped me very much on understanding the Class G and E!
Really brings it home. Thanks for the work.
Wouldn't it be great if ForeFlight would incorporate airspace modeling like you have done here? It would make navigating congested airspace safer for everyone. Nice work!
That would make Performance Plus worth it for GA guys. Right now, the only desired feature of that subscription is performance calcs
Wow what amazing mock up you did! I wish there was a app for my phone that does exactly what you have done Ty this makes it so easy to understand for a noob like me
That's pretty cool. I never envisioned Class E and G as being under the umbrella of the other classes. Thanks.
That modeling is perfect, it was a really good refresher! Wish I saw that when I first started. I always wanted to put a CFI notebook together for right brained folks like myself, and this would be front and center for airspace. By the way, I would be terrified to fly anywhere near your field without a GPS!
Great video and animation.. from my understanding of the 700ft and 1200ft floors (I had a hard time grasping the info too!) of Class E is... Basically if its a runway with an ILS approach system the floor is 700. If no ILS approach is equipped you can bet the level is 1200ft floor...
Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!!!!!! It finally clicked
Thank you. This is the best explanation I've seen on this.
Nice job buddy....I've never see. It mocked up like that. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks, very helpful. Appreciate the effort to put it together.
well done. very helpful to think of airspace in 3d. thank you
Bravo! Well done! This def helped my understanding of the this topic which was covered in Ground School this week! Thx From: SoCal (KRAL) Student
Very nice! Thanks for putting in the work.
This is brilliant! Thank you for making this!
Very good… I think I understand….thanks.
Just getting back into flying after a long hiatus. This helps a lot. Thanks for the hard work to share this. Way to contribute to the GA community even as a new guy.
Nice job. I see the difference in the airspace.
This is what I have looking for. Still confusing but far more instructive to see it in 3D. Class E is the most confusing.
excellent teaching video
This was helpful. Thanks for taking the time to produce this video.
Good work, very useful exercise for one's local area. What software did you use?
Thanks for your comment. I just used the free version of Google Sketchup for this.
This was very helpful. Any chance you can share the model?
Nice video and explanation. Graphics are a big help. I see you stopped posting videos, what happened, did you get your PPL? Thanks!
Amazing. This really helps bring it all together.
Very visually helpful; good job..
nice that was helpful. yes E & G are the most complicated in the east. No one is really flying in G under 700' since VFR rules require 1000' clearance over highest obstacles. So effectively there is 'no' east coast G airspace...
thanks this was the best explanation of airspace
got it. thanks. because your 3d. good job
amazinggg! thank you!!!
This was a Great Explanation!! Thanks!
Well done quite useful
excellent video! Well done! Helps me a lot!!!
This is a goo effort. Thanks.
Great video!
Good job - that helps greatly!
Very helpful.
Very, very nicely presented.
Thanks good explanation
Great info. Maybe an obvious question.. Is it legal to fly a drone up to 699ft over a class E airport? Or are there rules around airports such as that?
Good vid. Really helps explain this stuff.
Thanks, man!
You really got it. COOL!
This was amazing. I finally got it!!!!!!!!!!
thanks for the effort in making this.
Three kinds of class G . G beginning at 700 agl, beg. 1200 and mountain class G.
Thanks so much for the video. Can you share the model of your headset?
Very helpful