EXPLANATION OF VFR TERMS AND SYMBOLS

This chapter covers the Sectional Aeronautical Chart (Sectional). These charts include the most current data at a scale of (1:500,000), which is large enough to be read easily by pilots flying by sight under Visual Flight Rules. Sectionals are named after a major city within its area of coverage.

The chart legend includes aeronautical symbols and information about drainage, terrain, the contour of the land, and elevation. You can learn to identify aeronautical, topographical, and obstruction symbols (such as radio and television towers) by using the legend.

A brief description next to a small black square indicates the exact location for many of the landmarks easily recognized from the air, such as stadiums, pumping stations, refineries, etc. A small black open circle with descriptive type indicates oil, gas or mineral wells. A small black circle with descriptive type indicates water, oil or gas tanks. The scale for some items may be increased to make them easier to read on the chart.

Aeronautical Information Services' charts are prepared in accordance with specifications of the Interagency Air Committee (IAC) and are approved by representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Defense (DoD).

WATER FEATURES (HYDROGRAPHY)

Water features are depicted using two tones of blue, and are considered either "Open Water" or "Inland Water." "Open Water," a lighter blue tone, shows the shoreline limitations of all coastal water features at the average (mean) high water levels for oceans and seas. Light blue also represents the connecting waters like bays, gulfs, sounds and large estuaries.

Exceptionally large lakes like the Great Lakes, Great Salt Lake, and Lake Okeechobee, etc., are considered Open Water features. The Open Water tone extends inland as far as necessary to adjoin the darker blue "Inland Water" tones. All other bodies of water are marked as "Inland Water" in the darker blue tone.

LAND FEATURES (TERRAIN) AND OBSTRUCTIONS

The elevation and configuration of the Earth's surface is important to pilots. Our Aeronautical Information Specialists are devoted to showing the contour of the earth and any obstructions clearly and accurately on our charts. We use five different techniques: contour lines, shaded relief, color tints, obstruction symbols, and Maximum Elevation Figures (MEF). 1.

Contour lines join points of equal elevation. On Sectionals, basic contours are spaced at 500' intervals. Intermediate contours are typically at 250' intervals in moderately level or gently rolling areas. Auxiliary contours at 50', 100', 125', or 150' intervals occasionally show smaller relief features in areas of relatively low relief. The pattern of these lines and their spacing gives the pilot a visual concept of the terrain. Widely spaced contours represent gentle slopes, while closely spaced contours represent steep slopes.

2.

Shaded relief shows how terrain may appear from the air. Shadows are shown as if light is coming from the northwest, because studies have shown that our visual perception has been conditioned to this view.

3.

Different color tints show bands of elevation relative to sea level. These colors range from light green for the lower elevations, to dark brown for the higher elevations.

4.

Obstruction symbols show man made vertical features that could affect safe navigation. The FAA maintains a database of obstacles. Aeronautical Specialists evaluate each obstacle based on charting specifications before adding it to a a visual chart. When a Specialist is not able to verify the position or elevation of an obstacle, it is marked UC, meaning it is "under construction" or being reported, but has not been verified.

The FAA uses a Digital Obstacle File (DOF) to collect and disseminate data. Because land and obstructions frequently change, the source data on obstructions and terrain is occasionally incomplete or not accurate enough for use in aeronautical publications. For example, when the FAA receives notification about an obstruction, and there is insufficient detail to determine its position and elevation, the FAA Flight Edit Program conducts an investigation.

The Flight Edit crew visually verifies the cultural, topographic, and obstacle data. Charts are generally flightchecked every four years. This review includes checking for any obstruction that has been recently built, altered, or dismantled without proper notification.

Sectional Charts and Terminal Area (TACs) typically show man-made obstacles extending more than 200' Above Ground Level (AGL), or more than 299' AGL in yellow city tint. Obstacles may be lit or unlit. Features considered to be hazardous obstacles to low-level flight are; smokestacks, tanks, factories, lookout towers, antennas, and wind turbines, etc.

Man-made features used by FAA Air Traffic Control as checkpoints use a graphic symbol shown in black with the required elevation data in blue. The elevation of the top of the obstacle above Mean Sea Level (MSL) and the height of the structure (AGL) is also indicated (when known or can be reliably determined by a Specialist). The AGL height is in parentheses below the MSL elevation. In extremely congested areas, the FAA typically omits the AGL values to avoid confusion.

Whenever possible, the FAA depicts specific obstacles on charts. However, in high-density areas like city complexes, only the highest obstacle is represented on the chart using the group obstacle symbol to maximize legibility.

Obstacles under construction are indicated by placing the letters UC adjacent to the obstacle type.

Obstacles with high-intensity strobe lighting systems may operate part-time or by proximity activation and are shown as follows:

Concentrated obstructions of wind turbine farms shall be portrayed by an overlying hatched area and dotted outline to represent the approximate parameters of the farm. One or more single turbine symbols will populate the farm. A boxed elevation figure representing the MSL elevation of the highest wind turbine within the area shall be placed inside the farm or, if space is limited, just outside. Pilots are reminded that wind turbine blades and/or blade tips are not lighted. Wind turbine obstruction lights are located on top of the nacelle (generator) at the hub of wind turbines, which in some cases can be 200-300’ below the rotating blade tips.

5.

The Maximum Elevation Figure (MEF) represents the highest elevation within a quadrant, including terrain and other vertical obstacles (towers, trees, etc.). A quadrant on Sectionals is the area bounded by ticked lines dividing each 30 minutes of latitude and each 30 minutes of longitude. MEF figures are rounded up to the nearest 100' value and the last two digits of the number are not shown.

MEFs over land and open water areas are used in areas containing man-made obstacles such as oil rigs. In the determination of MEFs, the FAA uses extreme care to calculate the values based on the existing elevation data shown on source material. Aeronautical Information Specialists use the following procedure to calculate MEFs:

MEF - Man-made Obstacle

When a man-made obstacle is more than 200' above the highest terrain within the quadrant:

1.

Determine the elevation of the top of the obstacle above MSL.

2.

Add the possible vertical error of the source material to the above figure (100’ or 1/2 contour interval when interval on source exceeds 200’. U.S. Geological Survey Quadrangle Maps with contour intervals as small as 10’ are normally used).

3.

Round the resultant figure up to the next higher hundred-foot level.

Example:

• Elevation of obstacle top (MSL)
• Possible obstacle error equals
• Raise to the following 100’ level
• Maximum Elevation Figure (MEF)

MEF - Natural Terrain Feature or Natural Vertical Obstacle

When a natural terrain feature or natural vertical obstacle (e.g. a tree) is the highest feature within the quadrangle:

1.

Determine the elevation of the feature.

2.

Add the possible vertical error of the source to the above figure (100’ or 1/2 the contour interval when interval on source exceeds 200’).

3.

Add a 200’ allowance for uncharted natural or manmade obstacles. Chart specifications don’t require the portrayal of obstacles below minimum height.

4.

Round the figure up to the next higher hundred-foot level.

Example:

Elevation of obstacle top (MSL) 13161 Possible vertical error +100

Obstacle Allowance +200 equals

13461 Raise to the following 100’ level 13500 Maximum Elevation Figure (MEF)

Pilots should be aware that while the MEF is based on the best information available to the Specialist, the figures are not verified by field surveys. Also, users should consult the Aeronautical Information Services website to ensure that your chart has the latest MEF data available.

LAND FEATURES - MOUNTAIN PASSES

The Mountain Pass symbol does not indicate a recommended route or direction of flight, and pass elevation does not indicate a recommended clearance altitude. Hazardous flight conditions may exist within and near mountain passes. For high-traffic mountain passes, VFR Checkpoints may be provided to increase situational awareness by indicating key landmarks inside confined terrain. A collocated VFR Waypoint and Checkpoint may be provided to assist with identifying natural entry points for commonly flown mountain passes.

RADIO AIDS TO NAVIGATION

On VFR Charts, information about radio aids to navigation (NAVAID) are boxed, as illustrated. Duplication of data is avoided. When two or more radio aids in a general area have the same name with different frequencies, Tactical Air Navigation

(TACAN) channel numbers, or identification letters, and no misinterpretation can result, the name of the radio aid may be indicated only once within the identification box. Very High

Frequency/Ultra High Frequency (VHF/UHF) NAVAID names and identification boxes (shown in blue) take precedence. Only those items that differ (e.g., frequency, Morse Code) are repeated in the box in the appropriate color. The choice of separate or combined boxes is made in each case on the basis of economy of space and clear identification of the radio aids.

A NAVAID that is physically located on an airport may not always be represented as a typical NAVAID symbol. A small open circle indicates the NAVAID location when collocated with an airport icon.

The type of NAVAID will be identified by: "VOR," (VHF Omni-Directional Range) "VORTAC" (VOR Tactical Aircraft Control), "VOR-DME," (VOR-Distance Measuring Equipment) or “DME” (Distance Measuring Equipment) positioned on and breaking the top line of the NAVAID box.

DMEs are shown without the compass rose.

AIRPORTS

Airports in the following categories are charted as indicated (additional symbols are shown later in this Section). Public use airports:

Hard-surfaced runways greater than 8069’ or some multiple runways less than 8069’

• Hard-surfaced runways 1500’ to 8069’
• Other than hard-surfaced runways
• Seaplane bases

Military airports:

Foreign airports:

Hard-surfaced runways are depicted the same as public-use airports.

U.S. military airports are identified by abbreviations such as AAF (Army Air Field), AFB (Air Force Base), MCAS (Marine Corps Air Station), NAS (Naval Air Station), NAV (Naval Air Facility), and NAAS (Naval Auxiliary Air Station). Fuel Available:

Fuel availability indicated by use of tick marks around the basic airport symbol. Consult Chart Supplement for details and availability.

Other airports with or without fuel:

Airports are plotted in their true geographic position unless the symbol conflicts with a NAVAID at the same location. In such cases, the airport symbol will be displaced, but the relationship between the airport and the NAVAID will be retained. When a waypoint is collocated with a towered airport, the waypoint symbol will not be charted and the waypoint name followed by (WP) will be shown leadered to the waypoint true location. When depicting a seaplane base, the eye of the anchor symbol will be charted as close to the docking area as possible, with the remainder of the symbol in the water. Airports are identified by their official FAA designated name.

The elevation of an airport is the highest point on the usable portion of the landing areas.

Runway length is the length of the longest active runway, including displaced thresholds and excluding overruns. Runway length is shown to the nearest 100', using 70 as the rounding point; a runway 8070' in length is charted as 81, while a runway 8069' in length is charted as 80. If an airport has waterways, it will be indicated by a seaplane base symbol and additional elevation, lighting, and length information under primary airport information.

Airports with Control Towers (CT) and their related data are shown in blue. All other airports and their related data are shown in magenta. The symbol indicates that runway lights are on from dusk to dawn. indicates that the pilot must consult the Chart Supplement to determine runway lighting limitations, such as: available on request (by radio-call, letter, phone, etc), part-time lighting, or pilot/airport controlled lighting. Lighting codes refer to runway edge lights. The lighted runway may not be the longest runway available, and lights may not be illuminated along the full length of the runway. The Chart Supplement has a detailed description of airport and air navigation lighting aids for each airport. A dash represents no runway edge lights.

The symbol indicates the existence of a rotating or flashing airport beacon operating from dusk to dawn. The Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) thoroughly explains the types and uses of airport lighting aids.

Right traffic information is shown using the abbreviation 'RP' for right pattern, followed by the appropriate runway number(s) (RP 18). Special conditions or restrictions to the right pattern are indicated by the use of an asterisk (*RP) to direct the pilot to the Chart Supplement for special instructions and/or restrictions.

The type “OBJECTIONABLE” associated with an airport symbol indicates that an objectionable airspace determination has been made for the airport per FAA JO 7400.2 Section 4, Airport Charting and Publication of Airport Data. Objectionable airspace determinations are based upon a number of factors including conflicting traffic patterns with another airport, hazardous runway conditions, or natural or man-made obstacles in close proximity to the landing area. FAA Regional Airports Offices are responsible for airspace determinations. Address any challenges to objectionable airspace determinations to your FAA Regional Airports Office.

AIRSPACE

CONTROLLED AIRSPACE

Controlled airspace consists of those areas where some or all aircraft may be subject to air traffic control, such as: Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D, Class E Surface (SFC) and Class E Airspace.

Class A Airspace within the United States extends from 18,000' up to FL600. While visual charts do not depict Class A, it is important to note its existence.

Class B Airspace is shown on the Sectional Aeronautical Chart (Sectional) and Terminal Area Chart (TAC).

The MSL ceiling and floor altitudes of each sector are shown in solid blue figures with the last two zeros omitted. Floors extending "upward from above" a certain altitude are preceded by a (+). Operations at and below these altitudes are outside of Class B Airspace. Radials and arcs used to define Class B are prominently shown on TACs. Detailed rules and requirements associated with the particular Class B are shown. The name by which the Class B is shown as for example.

Class C Airspace is shown on Sectionals and TACs. The MSL ceiling and floor altitudes of each sector are shown in solid magenta figures with the last two zeros eliminated.

A ceiling value of “T” indicates the ceiling is to, but not including, the floor of the overlying Class B airspace. Surface.

Class C Airspace is identified by name:

Separate notes, enclosed in magenta boxes, give the approach control frequencies to be used by arriving VFR aircraft to establish two-way radio communication before entering the Class C (generally within 20 NM):

Class C operating less than continuous is indicated by the following note:

Class D Airspace is identified with a blue dashed line. Class D operating less than continuous is indicated by the following note:

Ceilings of Class D are shown as follows:

A minus in front of the figure is used to indicate "from surface to, but not including..."

Class E Surface (SFC) Airspace is symbolized with a magenta dashed line. Class E (SFC) operating less than continuous is indicated by the following note:

Class E Airspace exists at 1200' AGL unless designated otherwise. The lateral and vertical limits of all Class E, (up to, but not including 18,000') are shown by narrow bands of vignette on Sectionals and TACs.

Controlled airspace floors of 700' above the ground are defined by a magenta vignette; floors other than 700' that laterally abut uncontrolled airspace (Class G) are defined by a blue vignette; differing floors greater than 700' above the ground are annotated by a symbol and a number indicating the floor.

If the ceiling is less than 18,000' MSL, the value (preceded by the word "ceiling") is shown along the limits of the controlled airspace. These limits are shown with the same symbol indicated above.

UNCONTROLLED AIRSPACE

Class G Airspace within the United States extends up to 14,500' Mean Sea Level. At and above this altitude is Class E, excluding the airspace less than 1500' above the terrain and certain special use airspace areas.

SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE

Special Use Airspace (SUA) confines certain flight activities and restricts entry, or cautions other aircraft operating within specific boundaries. Except for Controlled Firing Areas, SUA areas are depicted on VFR Charts. Controlled Firing Areas are not charted because their activities are suspended immediately when spotter aircraft, radar, or ground lookout positions indicate an aircraft might be approaching the area.

Nonparticipating aircraft are not required to change their flight paths.

SUA areas are shown in their entirety (within the limits of the chart), even when they overlap, adjoin, or when an area is designated within another area. The areas are identified by type and identifying name/ number, and are positioned either within or immediately adjacent to the area.

* Alert Areas do not extend into Class A, B, C and D airspace, or Class E airport surface areas.

• OTHER AIRSPACE AREAS
• Mode C Required Airspace

(from the surface to 10,000' MSL) within a 30 NM radius of the primary airport(s) for which a Class B is designated, is depicted by a solid magenta line.

Mode C is required, but not depicted for operations within and above all Class C up to 10,000' MSL. Enroute Mode C requirements (at and above 10,000' MSL except in airspace at and below 2500' AGL) are not depicted. See FAR 91.215 and the AIM.

FAR 93

Airports and heliports under Federal Aviation Regulation 93 (FAR 93), (Special Air Traffic Rules and Airport Traffic Patterns), are shown by "boxing" the airport name.

FAR 91

Airports where fixed wing special visual flight rules operations are prohibited (FAR 91) are shown with the type "NO SVFR" above the airport name.

Miscellaneous Activity Areas are indicated with the symbols illustrated on p. 31. The charting of a symbol in the area of an airport indicates both miscellaneous activity and regular air operations may be present at these locations. Due to the wide range of hazards associated with these areas, pilots are expected to check NOTAMs prior to flight for additional information regarding the airspace.

National Security Areas indicated with a broken magenta line and Special Flight Rules Areas (SFRAs) indicated with the following symbol:, consist of airspace with defined vertical and lateral dimensions established at locations where there is a requirement for increased security and safety of ground facilities. Pilots should avoid flying through these depicted areas. When necessary, flight may be temporarily prohibited.

The Washington DC Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ) is related to National Security. It is depicted using the Prohibited/ Restricted/Warning Area symbology and is located within the SFRA. It is defined as the airspace within approximately a 13 to 15 NM radius of the DCA VOR-DME. Additional requirements are levied upon aviators requesting access to operate inside the National Capital Region.

Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) Areas Relating to National Security are indicated with a broken blue line . A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is a type of Notice to Airmen (NOTAM). A TFR defines an area where air travel is restricted due to a hazardous condition, a special event, or a general warning for the entire airspace. The text of the actual TFR contains the fine points of the restriction. It is important to note that only TFRs relating to National Security are charted.

Air Defense Identification Zones (ADIZs) are symbolized using the ADIZ symbol:. As defined in Code of Federal Regulations 14 (CFR 14) Part 99, an ADIZ is an area in which the ready identification, location, and control of all aircraft is required in the interest of national security. ADIZ boundaries include Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the Contiguous U.S.

National Defense Airspace Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) Areas are bounded with cross hatching: . These areas include airspace that is subject to routine TFRs published as NOTAMs that have a 12+ month duration.

Terminal Radar Service Areas (TRSAs) are shown in their entirety, symbolized by a screened black outline of the entire area including the various sectors within the area.

The outer limit of the entire Terminal Radar Service Areas (TRSA) is a continuous screened black line. The various sectors within the TRSA are symbolized by narrower screened black lines.

Each sector altitude is identified in solid black color by the MSL ceiling and floor values of the respective sector, eliminating the last two zeros. A leader line is used when the altitude values must be positioned outside the respective sectors because of charting space limitations. The TRSA name is shown near the north position of the TRSA as follows: . Associated frequencies are listed in a table on the chart border.

Military Training Routes (MTRs) are shown on Sectionals and TACs. They are identified by the route designator: . Route designators are shown in solid black on the route centerline, positioned along the route for continuity. The designator IR or VR is not repeated when two or more routes are established over the same airspace, e.g., IR201-205-227. Routes numbered 001 to 099 are shown as IR1 or VR99, eliminating the initial zeros. Direction of flight along the route is indicated by small arrowheads adjacent to and in conjunction with each route designator.

The following note appears on Helicopters, Sectionals and TACs except for Hawaiian Islands, which is different.

There are IFR (IR) and VFR (VR) routes as follows:

Route identification:

Route width varies for each MTR and can extend several miles on either side of the charted MTR centerline. Detailed route width information is available in the Flight Information Publication (FLIP) AP/1B (a Department of Defense publication), or through the 56 Day NASR Subscription from the National Flight Data Center (NFDC).

Special Military Activity areas are indicated on Sectionals by an underlying IFR Military Training Route with the lateral limits of the route shown by a gray Special Use Airspace symbol. A boxed note accompanies the area. The note contains radio frequency and route identifier information to use for obtaining area activity status.

The following guidance appears in the margin of applicable Sectional Charts.

FOREIGN AREAS

The data depicted in areas outside the U.S. is skeletonized on all VFR aeronautical charts. Only major airports, NAVAIDs, and airways are charted in foreign areas in screened black. Cultural features, hydrographic information and geographic relief are depicted in subdued and different shades of gray. A note regarding the expectation of the use of foreign charts and flight information publications is depicted along the boundary.

TERMINAL AREA CHART (TAC) COVERAGE

TAC coverage is shown on appropriate Sectionals by a 1/4" masked line as indicated below. Within this area pilots should use TACs, which provide greater detail. A note indicating that the area is on the TAC appears near the masked boundary line.

INSET AND SPECIAL CHART COVERAGE

Inset and Special Chart Coverage (.i.e., Grand Canyon Chart) is shown on appropriate Sectionals by a 1/8" masked line as indicated below. A note to this effect appears near the masked boundary line. (Additional examples shown in VFR Sectional and Terminal Charts > Navigational and Procedural Information > Chart Limits.)

CHART TABULATIONS

Airport Tower Communications are provided in a columnized tabulation for all tower-controlled airports that appear on the respective chart. Airport names are listed alphabetically. If the airport is military, the type of airfield, e.g., AAF, AFB, NAS, is shown after the airfield name. In addition to the airport name, tower operating hours, primary Very High Frequency/Ultra High Frequency (VHF/UHF) local Control Tower (CT), Ground Control (GND CON), and Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) frequencies, when available, will be given. Airport Surveillance Radar (ASR) and/or Precision Approach Radar (PAR) procedures are listed when available.

Approach Control Communications are provided in a columnized tabulation listing Class B, Class C, Terminal Radar Service Areas (TRSA) and Selected Approach Control Facilities when available. Primary VHF/UHF frequencies are provided for each facility. Sectorization occurs when more than one frequency exists and/or is approach direction dependent. Availability of service hours is also provided.

Special Use Airspace (SUA):

Prohibited, Restricted and Warning Areas are presented in blue and listed numerically for U.S. and other countries. A tabulation of Alert Areas (listed numerically) and Military Operations Areas (MOA) (listed alphabetically) appear on the chart in magenta. All are supplemented with altitude, time of use and the controlling agency/ contact facility, and its frequency when available. Users need to be aware that a NOTAM addressing activation will NOT be issued to announce permanently listed times of use. The controlling agency will be shown when the contact facility and frequency data is unavailable.