Categories and types of airspace

• There are two categories of airspace or airspace areas: Regulatory (Classes A, B, C, D, E, G,

Restricted areas, and Prohibited areas) and Non-Regulatory( Military operations areas,
Warning areas, Alert areas, and Controlled firing areas).
• Within these two categories, there are four types: controlled, uncontrolled, special use,
and other.

Prohibited Areas
• Prohibited Areas exist for security or other reasons associated with national welfare,
where aircraft are not permitted to fly. On Sectional Charts, this airspace is depicted with a
blue hashed shape.
Restricted Areas
• Restricted Areas contain the existence of unusual, often invisible, hazards to aircraft, such
as artillery firing, aerial gunnery, or guided missiles. Sectional Charts depict this airspace in
the same manner as prohibited areas, using a blue hashed shape However, the identifier
starts with the letter R instead of P.
Warning Areas
• Warning Areas contain activity that may be hazardous to nonparticipating aircraft. They
exist to warn nonparticipating pilots of potential danger, but do not prevent or limit other
aircraft from operating within that area.
Military Operating Areas
• Military Operating Areas, or MOAs, contain activities such as air combat tactics, air
intercepts, aerobatics, formation flying, and low-altitude tactics. Whether or not an MOA is
in use, VFR traffic may still fly through the area. However, extreme caution should be used
when flying through an active MOA. Sectional Charts depict these areas using magenta
hashed lines.
Alert Areas
• Alert Areas are used to inform pilots of areas that may contain a high volume of pilot
training, or an unusual type of aerial activity. Nonparticipating aircraft should use extra
caution when operating within these areas. These areas are depicted on Sectional Charts
using magenta hashed lines.
Controlled Firing Areas
• Controlled Firing Areas, or CFAs, contain activities that are in a controlled environment,
could be hazardous to aircraft. They do not get charted.
Temporary Flight Restrictions
• Temporary Flight Restrictions are short-term blocks of airspace used to temporarily
prevent/limit nonparticipating aircraft from entering that area.
Air Defense Identification Zones
• Air Defense Identification Zones, or ADIZs, serve as the boundary between domestic US
airspace and international airspace. Sectional Charts depict these with a magenta line and
dots. Generally, aircraft must file an IFR or Defense VFR flight plan for any operations that
enter or exit an ADIZ.
Military Training Routes
• Military Training Routes, or MTRs, are routes around the country where military aircraft
practice maneuvers and high speed operations sometimes at very low levels. On Sectional
Charts, MTRs are depicted by gray shaded lines.
VFR Flyways
• A VFR Flyway is defined as a general flight path, for use by pilots into, out of, through or
near complex terminal airspace. These routes do not require an ATC clearance and are not a
specific course that is flown, but merely a route that will keep the aircraft clear of the Class
Bravo airspace.
VFR corridor
• A VFR Corridor is defined as airspace through Class B airspace, with defined vertical and
lateral boundaries, in which aircraft may operate without an ATC clearance or
communication with air traffic control. Essentially a corridor is like a hole through the class B
airspace.
VFR transition route
• A VFR Transition Route is a published route through Class B airspace for VFR traffic flying
through the area. Before flying a VFR transition route and entering class B airspace, a pilot
must receive clearance from ATC to do so.
Terminal radar service area
• A Terminal radar service area, or TRSA, is essentially a class D airport surround by optional
or voluntary class C-type radar service. TRSAs are depicted by black lines on a sectional
chart.
National security area
• National Security Areas are established at locations where there is a requirement for
increased security and safety of ground facilities.
U.S. Wildlife Refuges, Parks, and Forest Service Areas
• The areas above U.S. Wildlife Refuges, Parks, and Forest Service Areas are depicted by a
blue line and dotted border and are usually labeled with name of the area. Pilots are
requested to maintain a minimum altitude of 2,000 feet above the surface of these areas.