Inside the blue zipper line, Class E airspace begins at the indicated altitude.
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Class E airspace consists of all controlled airspace that is not associated with Class A, Class B, Class C, or Class D airspace. This airspace is typically found around airports that do not have an operating control tower or en route airspace above 700 feet AGL or 1,200 feet AGL.
Perhaps the most misunderstood airspace category, Class Echo (E) starts at 14,500'MSL and extends up to but not including 18,000' (bottom of Alpha Airspace) over the entire continental United States unless otherwise depicted. It also exists above Alpha (above 60,000').
Class E airspace extensions begin at the surface and extend up to the overlying controlled airspace. The extensions provide controlled airspace to contain standard instrument approach procedures without imposing a communications requirement on pilots operating under VFR.
The FAA requires ADS-B Out capability in the continental United States, in the ADS-B rule airspace designated by FAR 91.225: Class A, B, and C airspace; Class E airspace at or above 10,000 feet msl, excluding airspace at and below 2,500 feet agl; Within 30 nautical miles of a Class B primary airport (the Mode C veil);
When you are flying under VFR (Visual Flight Rules), which you will be flying under 99.9% of the time as a private pilot, you do not need a clearance to enter into Class E airspace.
Class E airspace has no requirements for communication when flying VFR. You only have to maintain two-way communication in Class E airspace when flying IFR.
Class E airspace is often confusing though because it's not clearly depicted on the sectional chart, like the ATC-controlled Classes B, C or D. While Class E airspace is considered “controlled airspace”, you do not need an ATC clearance to fly in it.
250 knots below 10,000' MSL within class echo airspace. While operating in the traffic pattern at an airport without an operating control tower, it is recommended that the pilot maintain an airspeed of no more than 200 KIAS.
Class E Transition AreasIt often surrounds individual airports or groups of airports. So why does the Class E airspace suddenly drop from 1,200 feet AGL to 700 feet AGL in these areas? Think of it like Class B or C airspace, it drops down to protect aircraft on approach or departure from an airport.
On a map, Class G's ceiling is the floor of Class E airspace. And, it's always exclusive. For example, if Class E starts at 700 feet AGL, Class G goes up to, but doesn't include, 700 feet AGL. Class G airspace is most easily found on a sectional map when a fading, thick blue line appears.
In the 1900s, Hungarian physicist Theodore von Kármán determined the boundary to be around 50 miles up, or roughly 80 kilometers above sea level. Today, though, the Kármán line is set at what NOAA calls “an imaginary boundary” that's 62 miles up, or roughly a hundred kilometers above sea level.
VFR in Class E airspace below 10,000 feet requires the pilot to maintain 1,000 feet above and 500 feet below distance from clouds. In this instance, the maximum altitude to maintain VFR is 3,500 feet AGL.