University Tronics and Computers

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ROLLING HEAD: NATIONAL AIRSPACE SYSTEM

National Airspace System Structure Scott Limback Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 10/03/2013

Dr. John E. Anderson Management for Aeronautical Science MGMT 203

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The National Airspace System is the most complex system in the world as well as the safest. The current system has been around since World War II. The National Airspace System is controlled by the FAA and consists of many different sections within the FAA. The airspace is divided into four different categories which are controlled airspace, uncontrolled airspace, special-use airspace and other airspace. (Houston, 2013, About.com) Controlled airspace consists of the busy airspace around large airports, airspace along an aircrafts route of flight and airspace above eighteen thousand feet. Controlled airspace is divided further into five different classes consisting of A, B, C, D, and E airspace. Each of these airspaces consist of consecutively smaller area’s. Class A airspace consists of the airspace above eighteen thousand feet. Class B airspace is the busy airspace around the US’s largest airports. It consists of the airspace from ground level up to ten thousand feet and usually has two or more layers including the ground level. Each of these layers progressively grow in diameter as the altitude increases. Class C airspace has an operational control tower, an operational radar approach has IFR operations capability. Class C airspace is normally from ground level up to four thousand feet above the airport. The class D airspace usually reaches from ground level up to twelve thousand five hundred feet and has an operational

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control tower. Class D airspace will also have an Instrument Approach Procedure (IAPS) published. The last class of controlled airspace is class E which is all other controlled airspace that does not fall into class A, B, C or D airspace....