Commercial pilot · ACS CA.I.E
National Airspace System (Commercial)
The commercial pilot needs the same airspace knowledge as the private pilot, applied with the expectation that you fly more, in busier airspace, with people relying on you.
Why this one matters
Airspace violations are a common way for a commercial pilot to lose time, income and sometimes a certificate, and they also put airplanes into conflict. A commercial pilot knows the airspace along every route, checks TFRs every time, and treats special VFR as a tool with limits, not a way around the weather.
Can’t miss
- •VFR minimums (91.155(a)): Class B, 3 SM and clear of clouds. Class C, D and E below 10,000 MSL: 3 SM, 500 below, 1,000 above, 2,000 horizontal. Class E at or above 10,000 MSL: 5 SM, 1,000 below, 1,000 above, 1 SM horizontal. Class A: no VFR.(14 CFR 91.155(a))
- •Class G: at or below 1,200 AGL, day 1 SM clear of clouds, night 3 SM and 500/1,000/2,000. Above 1,200 AGL and below 10,000 MSL, day 1 SM and night 3 SM, both 500/1,000/2,000. Above 1,200 AGL and at or above 10,000 MSL: 5 SM, 1,000/1,000/1 SM.(14 CFR 91.155(a))
- •Entry: Class B needs an explicit clearance ("cleared into the Class Bravo"). Class C and D need two-way communication, which exists once the controller answers using your call sign.(14 CFR 91.129-91.131; AIM 3-2-3 to 3-2-5)
- •Equipment: two-way radio for B, C and D; Mode C and ADS-B Out in A, B and C, within the 30 nm Mode C veil (surface to 10,000 MSL), above the lateral limits of B and C, and in Class E at and above 10,000 MSL except at or below 2,500 AGL.(14 CFR 91.215, 91.225)
- •Special VFR: requested by the pilot, cleared by ATC, below 10,000 MSL, inside a B, C, D or E surface area, clear of clouds with 1 SM flight visibility (1 SM ground visibility to take off or land). At night the pilot must be instrument rated and current and the airplane equipped for IFR. Not for airplanes at the airports in Part 91 Appendix D, Section 3.(14 CFR 91.157)
- •Check TFRs and NOTAMs before every flight. Flying into a TFR can bring certificate action and interception.(14 CFR 91.137-91.145; 14 CFR 99.7)
- •Within 60 nm of the DCA VOR/DME, VFR pilots need the special awareness training; flying inside the DC SFRA also takes its Part 93 procedures.(14 CFR 91.161; 14 CFR Part 93, Subpart V)
What you should know
Classes, dimensions and requirements K1 · R1
- Class A: 18,000 MSL to FL600. IFR only, with Mode C and ADS-B Out.(AIM, Chapter 3 (airspace); 14 CFR 91.135)
- Class B: from the surface to usually 10,000 MSL, in tailored layers around the busiest airports. ATC clearance to enter; two-way radio; Mode C and ADS-B Out.(AIM, Chapter 3 (airspace); 14 CFR 91.131)
- Class B pilots: at least a private certificate, or a student, sport or recreational pilot with the training and endorsements of 61.94, 61.95, 61.101 or 61.325. At the airports in Part 91 Appendix D, Section 4, you need at least a private certificate to take off or land.(14 CFR 91.131(b); Part 91 Appendix D, Section 4)
- Class C: a 5 nm surface area up to 4,000 feet above the airport, and a 10 nm shelf from 1,200 to 4,000 feet above it (with a 20 nm outer area where approach control offers service). Two-way communication before entering; Mode C and ADS-B Out within and above it to 10,000 MSL.(AIM, Chapter 3 (airspace); 14 CFR 91.130)
- Class D: from the surface to usually 2,500 feet above the airport, shaped to its procedures. Two-way communication with the tower before entering. When the tower closes, it becomes Class E or G.(AIM, Chapter 3 (airspace); 14 CFR 91.129)
- Communication is established when the controller answers with your call sign, even if only to say "standby". "Aircraft calling, standby" is not.(AIM 3-2-4, 3-2-5)
- Class E: controlled airspace with no VFR communication requirement. Its floor is the surface (surface areas and extensions), 700 AGL, 1,200 AGL (including Victor airways, 4 nm each side), or 14,500 MSL elsewhere, up to but not including 18,000 MSL; it is also above FL600.(AIM, Chapter 3 (airspace))
- Class G: whatever isn’t A, B, C, D or E; usually from the surface to 700 or 1,200 AGL.(AIM, Chapter 3 (airspace))
- The full VFR weather table, by class and altitude, is in 91.155(a). Two exceptions: in Class G at night, inside a traffic pattern within ½ mile of the runway, 1 SM and clear of clouds; and in a surface area, no VFR below a ceiling under 1,000 feet, and 3 SM ground visibility to take off, land or enter the pattern, unless under special VFR.(14 CFR 91.155(b)-(d))
- Speed limits: 250 knots below 10,000 MSL; 200 knots at or below 2,500 AGL within 4 nm of a Class C or D primary airport, and under a Class B shelf or in a VFR corridor through it.(14 CFR 91.117)
Chart symbols K2
- Solid blue: Class B. Solid magenta: Class C. Dashed blue: Class D. Dashed magenta: Class E to the surface. Faded magenta: Class E from 700 AGL; faded blue: Class E from 1,200 AGL. Numbers like 100/40 give the ceiling and floor in hundreds of feet MSL.(Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Airspace)
- Check the sectional legend and the Chart Supplement for airport details, part-time airspace, hours and frequencies.(Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Airspace)
Special use and other airspace K3
- Prohibited area: no flight without the using agency’s permission. Restricted area: no entry when active without the controlling agency’s authorization (ATC routes IFR traffic around or through). Warning area: hazardous activity over international waters beyond 3 nm. MOA: VFR may enter, with caution; ask the controlling agency. Alert area: heavy training traffic; be extra vigilant. Controlled firing area: not charted, activity stops when an aircraft approaches. National security area: avoid voluntarily; it can be temporarily prohibited by NOTAM.(AIM 3-4-1 to 3-4-8; 14 CFR 91.133)
- Other airspace areas: military training routes (IR and VR; four-digit numbers at or below 1,500 AGL, three-digit above); terminal radar service areas (TRSA, participation voluntary); ADIZs (flight plan, transponder, two-way radio, position reports); parachute jump areas; and Class E surface areas and extensions.(AIM 3-5-1 to 3-5-7)
- TFRs come and go (VIP movement, fires, disasters, airshows). One is standing: within 3 nm and 3,000 AGL of qualifying stadium events, from 1 hour before to 1 hour after. Check NOTAMs for every flight.(14 CFR 91.137-91.145; 14 CFR 99.7)
- Washington, DC: the special awareness training is required for VFR within 60 nm of the DCA VOR/DME, not just inside the SFRA; the SFRA adds Part 93 procedures (a flight plan or filing, an assigned transponder code, communications).(14 CFR 91.161; 14 CFR Part 93, Subpart V)
Special VFR K4
- Special VFR lets you operate in the surface area of controlled airspace below basic VFR minimums. Every condition: you request it (ATC won’t offer it); an ATC clearance; below 10,000 MSL; within the lateral boundaries of a B, C, D or E surface area; clear of clouds; at least 1 SM flight visibility; to take off or land, 1 SM ground visibility (or flight visibility if none is reported).(14 CFR 91.157(a)-(c); AIM 4-4-6)
- Night (sunset to sunrise): the pilot must be instrument rated and instrument current, and the airplane equipped for IFR under 91.205(d).(14 CFR 91.157(b)(4); 91.205(d))
- Fixed-wing special VFR is not allowed at the airports listed in Part 91 Appendix D, Section 3; that list controls, not the airspace class.(14 CFR 91.157; Part 91 Appendix D, Section 3)
- The clearance covers only the surface area: outside its boundary, basic VFR minimums apply again.(AIM 4-4-6)
Scenarios
Decide what you would do first, then see the worked answer.
A new TFR appears for a stadium event near your route.
What do you do? See the worked answer
Check its times and dimensions in the NOTAM, and route around it.
14 CFR 91.137-91.145
You call approach before a Class C and hear "Aircraft calling, standby."
Can you enter? See the worked answer
No: they didn’t use your call sign, so communication isn’t established. Stay outside until they do.
AIM 3-2-4
Day, 800 feet AGL in Class G, visibility 1½ miles, a cloud layer above.
Are you legal VFR? See the worked answer
Yes: at or below 1,200 AGL by day, Class G needs 1 SM and clear of clouds. At night it would take 3 SM and the cloud clearances.
14 CFR 91.155(a)
Common mistakes
Knowing only the Class E numbers.
Class B, G and the high-altitude rows are different.
Instead: Learn the 91.155 table by class and altitude.
Skipping the TFR check on a familiar route.
TFRs pop up with little notice.
Instead: Check NOTAMs for every flight.
Treating special VFR as easy.
Clear of clouds with 1 mile is little margin.
Instead: Use it with your own, higher minimums.
Now train it
Say it out loud, hear it asked, and take the quick check in this lesson’s practice pack. It tracks your shaky spots.
Got it?
When it feels solid, practice national airspace system (commercial) out loud with our examiner.
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Sources
- Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C): Airspace
- Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM): Chapters 3 and 4
- 14 CFR: 91.117, 91.129-91.135, 91.137-91.145, 91.155, 91.157, 91.161, 91.215, 91.225, Part 91 Appendix D, Part 93 Subpart V, 99.7
- Commercial Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B): Area I, Task E
Study aid, not FAA guidance. Regulations change; check the current text at eCFR and the ACS. Checked against current sources 2026-11-13.