Class E Airspace for Drones, Explained
Class E is the trickiest class on the Part 107 test: some of it starts at the surface and needs authorization, most starts at 700 or 1,200 feet and does not.
Class E is controlled airspace, but for a drone it comes in two very different forms. A Class E surface area starts at the ground around an airport, and 14 CFR §107.41 requires prior ATC authorization inside its lateral boundaries. Most other Class E starts at 700 or 1,200 feet above the ground, well above a 400-foot drone, and needs nothing. Telling the two apart is a favorite exam question.
Which Class E needs authorization?
The rule names one kind: "the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport". The AIM describes these surface areas as Class E around an airport without an operating control tower, from the surface up. A Class E surface area can also replace a Class C or D surface area when a part-time tower closes.
The AIM also describes Class E extensions, which begin at the surface and extend a surface area to contain instrument approaches. It says surface area arrival extensions become part of the surface area. Treat a dashed magenta outline, including its extensions, as airspace that needs authorization.
700 ft / 1,200 ft
the AGL floors of Class E transition airspace shown by magenta and blue vignettes
How do you read Class E on a sectional chart?
| What you see | What it means | Drone at 400 ft AGL |
|---|---|---|
| Dashed magenta line around an airport | Class E surface area, from the surface | Needs authorization |
| Fuzzy magenta band (vignette) | Class E starts at 700 ft AGL on the shaded side | Below it, in Class G |
| Fuzzy blue band (vignette) | Class E starts at 1,200 ft AGL on the shaded side | Below it, in Class G |
| No marking at all | Class E usually starts at 1,200 ft AGL or at 14,500 ft MSL | Below it, in Class G |
The Chart User's Guide confirms the colors: controlled airspace floors of 700 feet AGL are defined by a magenta vignette, and blue vignettes mark other floors that abut Class G.
What does Class E look like on the test figures?
The FAA's figures show both kinds. On Figure 26, Jamestown Regional (JMS) is surrounded by a dashed magenta Class E surface area, and the FAA's sample question about inspecting a tower inside it answers "authorization from ATC". On Figure 22, the note next to Coeur d'Alene reads "See NOTAMs/Directory for Class E (sfc) eff hrs", which means the surface area is part-time and the Chart Supplement lists its hours.
Outside the hours of a part-time Class E surface area, the airspace reverts to whatever the Chart Supplement says, often Class G. When in doubt, check the airport's entry before you fly.
What the exam asks about Class E
The element is UA.II.A.K1, sub-element d. Expect to identify a dashed magenta surface area, read a vignette's floor, and decide whether a point at drone altitude is in Class E or Class G. The Class G post covers what is below the floors, the sectional chart guide covers the symbols in context, and the airspace classes overview puts Class E next to the others.
Dashed magenta means authorization. A vignette means the floor is above you.
The FAA's own Millville sample question on a dashed magenta surface area is worked through in how to read an unfamiliar sectional chart.
Practice telling surface areas from vignettes on the chart excerpts the test uses.
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