Chart Quiz
by Brendan Quinn-Narkin - Commercial Pilot, Certified Flight Instructor
Hi. I'm Brendan. I have been a commercial pilot and certified flight instructor since 2002. If you are a student pilot or private pilot, it is important to understand airspace and aeronautical charts. You can count on your examiner or flight instructor (on a flight review) asking you many questions related to airspace and charts. Take a look at this chart and see if you can answer the questions that follow.
Hi. I'm Brendan. I have been a commercial pilot and certified flight instructor since 2002. If you are a student pilot or private pilot, it is important to understand airspace and aeronautical charts. You can count on your examiner or flight instructor (on a flight review) asking you many questions related to airspace and charts. Take a look at this chart and see if you can answer the questions that follow.
Questions
1) What type of airspace is found at 1,000' above the Monterey Peninsula airport? What are the rules for flying VFR (visual flight rules) in this airspace?
2) What type of airspace is found at 20,000' directly above the Monterey airport? What are the rules for flying in this type of airspace?
3) You are flying over the Pacific Ocean and you decide that you want to land at the Monterey airport. Should you contact the tower for landing clearance? If not, why? Whom should you contact and on what frequency?
4) What is the length of the longest runway at Monterey?
5) What is the tower frequency and what is the frequency for ground control?
6) Why is the Monterey airport colored blue on the chart but the Marina airport to the north is colored magenta?
7) What does RP 28L, 28R mean in the airport data?
1) What type of airspace is found at 1,000' above the Monterey Peninsula airport? What are the rules for flying VFR (visual flight rules) in this airspace?
2) What type of airspace is found at 20,000' directly above the Monterey airport? What are the rules for flying in this type of airspace?
3) You are flying over the Pacific Ocean and you decide that you want to land at the Monterey airport. Should you contact the tower for landing clearance? If not, why? Whom should you contact and on what frequency?
4) What is the length of the longest runway at Monterey?
5) What is the tower frequency and what is the frequency for ground control?
6) Why is the Monterey airport colored blue on the chart but the Marina airport to the north is colored magenta?
7) What does RP 28L, 28R mean in the airport data?
Scroll down for the answer key when done...
Answers:
1) Class C airspace. To fly VFR in class C airspace you must communicate with ATC and have a transponder with altitude reporting capability.
2) Class A airspace. You may not fly VFR in class A airspace. All flights must be IFR.
3) No. When arriving VFR at an airport with class C or B airspace you first establish communication with approach control. Approach will then hand you off to the tower when you get close to the airport. In this case you would contact NORCAL APPROACH on 127.15.
4) 7600 feet
5) The tower frequency is 118.4. You actually can't tell the ground control frequency from looking at this chart. The ground control frequency is not shown with the rest of the airport data on a chart. You can find it on the side panel of the chart or in the airport facility directory.
6) Blue airport symbols on a chart indicate that the airport has a control tower. Magenta airports are non-towered.
7) Both runways 28L and 28R have a right hand traffic pattern.
If you'd like to learn a lot more about aeronautical charts, airspace and radio communication, I'd recommend my flight training video course on the next page.
It takes you step--by-step through the process of planning a flight from the Reid-Hillview airport in San Jose, CA to the Half Moon Bay Airport.
You see every minute of the flight there and the return flight, including beautiful inflight footage, and you hear all of the radio communication with ATC.
You'll learn tips for better flight planning, radio communication, and landings.
I'll even let you try the complete course for three days to ensure that it's beneficial to you, before you pay!
The Flight Training Video Course
Brendan Quinn-Narkin
(408) 858-7405
[email protected]
