(Refer to Figure 69, area 7.) When an aircraft lands at Alice Intl (ALI), what airspace class is it in?
A) Class G
B) Class E
C) Class D
The answer to this question is A.
Alice Intl (ALI) sits within the thick, magenta vignette / shape, which indicates Class E airspace…but what altitude does that Class E airspace actually start at? Not until 700 ft. AGL, right? So the actual airport, which is at ground level, is in Class G uncontrolled airspace. We’re not a huge fan of this question, but it’s a good example of how the FAA is tricky with their wording. They’re asking what airspace is the actual airport in, as if you were flying a drone near it, you wouldn’t actually need additional permission since you’re in Class G uncontrolled airspace.
You also have to ignore the blue, notched circle which does not indicate an airspace class. It’s actually a compass reference point surrounding a VHF OMNI-DIRECTIONAL RADIO (VOR) RANGE and is called a compass rose. Many students think this is Class D controlled airspace, but it’s not!
