2.3 Class C and Class D Airspace

FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate Exam

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1 Introduction to the FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate

FAA Part 107 Exam Overview Study Strategy and Test-Taking Tips

2 1. Regulations (14 CFR Part 107)

1.1 Applicability and Definitions (Subpart A) 1.2 Remote Pilot Certification (Subpart C) 1.3 Operating Rules Overview (Subpart B) 1.4 Registration and Marking Requirements 1.5 Remote Identification (Part 89) 1.6 Operations Over People (Subpart D) 1.7 Night Operations and Civil Twilight 1.8 Waivers and Authorizations (Subpart E) 1.9 Accident Reporting and Recordkeeping 1.10 Preflight Familiarization and Actions

3 2. Airspace Classification & Requirements

2.1 National Airspace System Overview 2.2 Class B Airspace 2.3 Class C and Class D Airspace 2.4 Class E and Class G Airspace 2.5 Reading Sectional Charts 2.6 LAANC and Airspace Authorization 2.7 TFRs and NOTAMs 2.8 Latitude, Longitude, and Navigation

4 3. Weather

3.1 Weather Theory and Atmospheric Basics 3.2 Wind, Turbulence, and Wind Shear 3.3 Clouds, Visibility, and Fog 3.4 Reading METAR Reports 3.5 Reading TAF Reports 3.6 Weather Hazards for Drone Operations 3.7 Weather Information Sources

5 4. Loading and Performance

4.1 Weight, Balance, and Center of Gravity 4.2 Density Altitude and Performance 4.3 Load Factor and Maneuvering 4.4 Battery Performance and Management 4.5 Performance Calculations and Limitations

6 5. Operations

5.1 Crew Resource Management (CRM) 5.2 Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM) 5.3 Emergency Procedures 5.4 Physiological Factors Affecting Pilots 5.5 Radio Communication and Frequencies 5.6 Airport Operations and Traffic Patterns 5.7 Maintenance, Inspection, and Condition 5.8 Special Operations and Considerations 5.9 Flight Planning and Risk Mitigation 5.10 Sectional Chart Interpretation Exercises

2.3 Class C and Class D Airspace

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

Class C is drawn with solid magenta lines: a 5 NM core plus a 10 NM outer shelf, usually to 4,000 ft AGL.

Class D is drawn with dashed blue lines, roughly a 4 NM cylinder to about 2,500 ft AGL.

Both Class C and Class D require prior ATC authorization for Part 107 operations.

Class D exists only while its tower is open; when the tower closes it may revert to Class E or G.

LAANC is available at most Class C and Class D airports for near-real-time approval.

Last updated: June 2026

Class C and Class D Airspace

Class C and Class D wrap airports that are busy but below the traffic levels that justify Class B. Distinguishing them by chart color, shape, and the tower-hours rule is a frequent exam task.

Class C Airspace

Class C ("Charlie") surrounds airports with an operational control tower, radar approach control , and a qualifying volume of IFR operations or passenger boardings.

Dimensions (standard model):

Inner core (surface area): surface up to about 4,000 ft AGL, extending 5 NM from the airport.

Outer shelf: from roughly 1,200 ft AGL up to 4,000 ft AGL, extending 10 NM from the airport.

Outer area: an uncharted 20 NM zone where radar service is available on request but no charted boundary exists.

Chart depiction: solid magenta lines with altitude labels in hundreds of feet MSL; SFC under the inner core marks the surface floor.

Part 107: prior ATC authorization required (LAANC or DroneZone), within all stated conditions.

Class D Airspace

Class D ("Delta") surrounds airports that have an operational control tower but do not meet Class B or C criteria.

Dimensions:

Surface up to about 2,500 ft AGL (tailored locally).

Roughly a 4 NM radius, usually a simple cylinder.

Irregular cutouts exist where airspace is carved out for nearby airports.

Chart depiction: dashed blue lines ; the ceiling appears inside a blue boxed number in hundreds of feet MSL — [25] means a 2,500 ft MSL ceiling.

Part 107: prior ATC authorization required (LAANC or DroneZone).

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Class C Class D
Chart depiction Solid magenta Dashed blue
Typical shape Core + outer shelf Single cylinder
Surface radius 5 NM ~4 NM
Typical ceiling ~4,000 ft AGL ~2,500 ft AGL
Radar service Required Not required
Part 107 authorization Yes Yes
LAANC availability Most locations Most locations
Satellite Airports Inside Larger Airspace

Smaller airports often sit beneath a Class B, C, or D shelf. When operating near one:

Check both the satellite airport and the overlying controlled airspace.

You may need authorization keyed to the primary airport's ATC even when working next to the small field.

The UAS Facility Map already accounts for both, so trust the grid altitude for the cell you are in.

The Tower-Hours Rule (Heavily Tested)

Class D exists only while the control tower is in operation . When the tower closes for the night:

The airspace may revert to Class E surface area (if a Class E surface designation exists) — and you still need authorization .

Or it may revert to Class G — and no authorization is needed .

Tower operating hours are published in the Chart Supplement (formerly the Airport/Facility Directory).

Worked scenario: You plan a 9 p.m. shoot just inside a Class D boundary. The Chart Supplement shows the tower closes at 8 p.m. and the field has a Class E surface area at night. Result: the airspace is now Class E surface area, so you still need authorization. If no Class E surface area existed, it would be Class G and you could fly without one.

Common Traps

Reversing the colors: solid magenta = Class C, dashed blue = Class D. Mixing these is the single most common chart error.

Assuming a closed tower automatically means free airspace — it may become Class E surface area, which still requires authorization.

A Color Mnemonic That Survives Test Stress

The color scheme trips up more candidates than any other chart fact, so lock it with a pattern rather than rote memory. Class B and C are drawn solid because their boundaries are firm and continuously active; Class D and Class E surface areas are dashed because they can change state (Class D follows tower hours, Class E surface areas exist around airports without a tower). Then pair the colors: blue rides with the towered, higher-tier airspace (B solid blue, D dashed blue), while magenta rides with the radar core and the non-tower surface area (C solid magenta, E surface dashed magenta).

If you can reconstruct that grid, you can answer any color question without guessing.

How the Two-Way-Radio Rule Differs for Drones

Manned pilots must establish two-way radio communication before entering Class C or D, and the exam may quote this to imply a drone must do the same. It does not. A Part 107 drone has no radio requirement; the authorization obtained through LAANC or DroneZone is what satisfies the access requirement. The distinction matters because chart questions sometimes embed manned-aircraft entry rules as plausible-sounding wrong answers. The only thing a Part 107 pilot needs to enter Class C or D is a valid airspace authorization plus compliance with all standard operating rules.

Worked Scenario

You want to film a high-school stadium that sits 3 NM from a Class D field. The Chart Supplement shows the tower operates 0700-2100 local, and a Class E surface area is designated when the tower is closed. For a 2 p.m. shoot the field is Class D : get a LAANC or DroneZone authorization. For a 10 p.m. shoot the tower is closed and the field becomes a Class E surface area (dashed magenta): you still need authorization. Only if no Class E surface area were designated would the after-hours airspace drop to Class G and free you from an authorization.

Always read the Chart Supplement hours before assuming the airspace class for your planned time.