Part 107 Airspace Study Guide

Airspace Classification and Operating Requirements is 20% of the current FAA Part 107 knowledge test — second only to Regulations (UAG_Information_Bulletin.pdf, p. 4) — and maps to ACS Area of Operation II, split into Task A (Airspace Classification) and Task B (Airspace Operational Requirements) (uas_acs.pdf, pp. 9–10). This guide covers the regulatory side of both tasks. For chart-reading mechanics — line styles, obstacle numbers, pinch-zoom practice — see How to Read a Sectional Chart; the two guides are meant to be read together.

Task A: Airspace classification

Airspace is either regulatory or nonregulatory, and splits into four types: controlled, uncontrolled, special use, and other airspace (remote_pilot_study_guide.pdf, p. 5). The classes a remote pilot needs to know:

Class	Typical dimensions	ATC authorization for sUAS?
B	Surface to 10,000 ft. MSL, around the busiest airports	Required
C	Surface to 4,000 ft. above airport elevation; usually a 5 NM core + 10 NM shelf from 1,200–4,000 ft.	Required
D	Surface to 2,500 ft. above airport elevation	Required
E (surface-based)	At the airport surface	Required within the Class E surface area
E (other)	Typically 700 ft. or 1,200 ft. AGL and up	Not required outside a surface area
G	Surface to the base of the overlying Class E	Not required

(remote_pilot_study_guide.pdf, pp. 5–6; 14-cfr-107.txt, § 107.41.)

The rule behind the right-hand column is 14 CFR § 107.41: no person may operate a small UA in Class B, C, or D airspace, or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport, without prior authorization from air traffic control. Outside those areas — the rest of Class E, and all of Class G — no ATC authorization is required at all (14-cfr-107.txt, § 107.41; remote_pilot_study_guide.pdf, p. 6).

Special-use airspace

Special-use airspace confines certain activities or imposes limitations on operations that aren’t part of them (remote_pilot_study_guide.pdf, p. 6):

• Prohibited areas — charted “P” plus a number (e.g., P-40 around Camp David) — flight is prohibited outright, established for security or national-welfare reasons.
• Restricted areas — charted “R” plus a number — contain hazards to nonparticipating aircraft (artillery, aerial gunnery, guided missiles); penetrating one without permission from the controlling agency can be hazardous.
• Warning areas — charted “W” plus a number, starting 3 NM off the U.S. coast — similar hazards to a restricted area, but the government doesn’t hold sole jurisdiction over the airspace.
• Military operation areas (MOAs) — named, not numbered (e.g., “Camden Ridge MOA”) — separate military training activity from IFR traffic; non-participating IFR traffic can be cleared through if ATC can provide separation.
• Alert areas — charted “A” plus a number — flag high training volume or unusual aerial activity; all pilots in the area share collision-avoidance responsibility.
• Controlled firing areas (CFAs) — not charted at all, since activity is suspended whenever a spotter or lookout detects an approaching aircraft.

(remote_pilot_study_guide.pdf, pp. 6–8.)

Figure 23 shows Class C airspace around Savannah, Georgia, alongside a labeled MOA — “BULLDOG C MOA,” noted “EXCLUDES AIRSPACE 1500’ AGL AND BELOW.” That note is a floor, not a ceiling: it removes 1,500 ft. AGL and below from the MOA, so a small UA flown at 300 ft. AGL inside the charted boundary is below the MOA’s floor and isn’t actually inside it (sport_rec_private_akts.pdf, Figure 23, p. 2-22). The same figure also carries a note — “See NOTAMs/Directory for Class C eff hrs” — meaning Class C, and the § 107.41 authorization requirement that comes with it, is only in effect part-time at some airports; a remote pilot has to check current hours rather than assume the designation always applies (sport_rec_private_akts.pdf, Figure 23, p. 2-22; 14-cfr-107.txt, § 107.41).

Restricted areas can overlap, and when they do, the chart note tells you which one actually governs. Figure 26 labels an area “RESTRICTED R-5402” with the note “R-5402 EXCLUDES AIRSPACE WITHIN R-5401 AND R-5403A WHEN ACTIVE.” That means wherever R-5402 overlaps R-5401 or R-5403A, the other area is the one that applies the moment it’s active — R-5402 doesn’t cover that airspace at all in that window. The rest of R-5402, outside the overlap, is unaffected (sport_rec_private_akts.pdf, Figure 26, p. 2-25).

Other airspace areas

The remaining category covers features that aren’t a classification or a special-use boundary (remote_pilot_study_guide.pdf, pp. 9–11):

• Military training routes (MTRs) — “IR” for IFR routes, “VR” for VFR routes, each followed by a number; routes with no segment above 1,500 ft. AGL get a four-digit number, routes with a segment above 1,500 ft. AGL get a three-digit number.
• Temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) — issued by FDC NOTAM, beginning “FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS,” to protect people and property from a hazard, support disaster relief, prevent unsafe congestion over an incident, or protect the President, Vice President, or other officials, among other purposes. Check for an active TFR before every flight.
• Terminal radar service areas (TRSAs) — the primary airport becomes Class D airspace; the rest of the TRSA overlies other controlled airspace, usually Class E starting at 700 or 1,200 ft.
• National security areas (NSAs) — flight may be temporarily prohibited by 14 CFR part 99 regulation, disseminated by NOTAM; pilots are asked to voluntarily avoid these areas even when flight isn’t formally prohibited.
• Local airport advisory (LAA) areas, parachute jump operations, and published VFR routes round out the category — none require ATC authorization for a small UA by virtue of the designation alone, but all are worth checking before flying nearby.

Task B: Airspace operational requirements

Beyond the authorization rule in § 107.41, a remote pilot has to manage the airspace environment actively, not just classify it:

• Basic weather minimums and ATC authorization limitations — the § 107.51 visibility/cloud-clearance numbers from the Regulations guide are themselves airspace-operational requirements, and any ATC authorization granted under § 107.41 can carry its own operating limitations set by the controlling facility (14-cfr-107.txt, §§ 107.41, 107.51).
• Operations near airports — no operating in a way that interferes with traffic patterns or approach corridors at any airport, heliport, or seaplane base, even in uncontrolled airspace where no authorization is required at all (14-cfr-107.txt, § 107.43; AC_107-2A.pdf, para. 5.10.1).
• The NOTAM system — NOTAMs disseminate time-critical information not yet charted, including TFRs; a remote pilot in command must check NOTAMs for the planned area and time before flight (remote_pilot_study_guide.pdf, p. 13; AC_107-2A.pdf, para. 5.10.3).
• Potential flight hazards the ACS specifically names include common aircraft-accident causal factors, avoiding flight beneath unmanned balloons, emergency airborne inspection of other aircraft, precipitation static, laser operations (and reporting illumination of an aircraft), avoiding flight near thermal plumes such as smoke stacks and cooling towers, and flying in the wire environment per SAFO 10015 (uas_acs.pdf, UA.II.B.K4a–g).
• Lighting — anti-collision lighting for night/twilight operation, awareness of ground structures and their lighting (or lack of it), manned-aircraft lighting conventions, and sUAS lighting requirements are all part of this task, and connect directly to the night-operation rule in § 107.29 covered in the Regulations guide (uas_acs.pdf, UA.II.B.K6–K10).

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Drill this guide’s material with Airspace practice questions, drill chart-reading skills in the sectional chart drill, or go back to Regulations for ACS Area I.

Frequently asked questions

Which airspace classes require ATC authorization to fly a drone?

Class B, C, and D, plus the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport. Outside those — the rest of Class E, and all of Class G — no ATC authorization is required (14-cfr-107.txt, § 107.41).

Do I need authorization to fly in Class G airspace?

No. Class G is uncontrolled airspace, and § 107.41 only requires ATC authorization for Class B, C, D, and Class E surface areas (14-cfr-107.txt, § 107.41).

What's the difference between a restricted area and a military operations area (MOA)?

A restricted area (charted "R" plus a number) involves hazards like artillery or guided missiles, and penetrating it without permission from the controlling agency can be dangerous. An MOA separates military training activity from IFR traffic, and non-participating IFR aircraft can still be cleared through one if ATC can provide separation (remote_pilot_study_guide.pdf, pp. 6–7).

How do I find out if there is a temporary flight restriction (TFR) where I want to fly?

TFRs are issued by FDC NOTAM, so checking NOTAMs for your planned area and time before every flight is how you catch one (remote_pilot_study_guide.pdf, pp. 9–10; AC_107-2A.pdf, para. 5.10.3).