ATC Basics: VFR Charts & Publications - Sectional chart

Who are sectional aeronautical charts designed to be used by?

Slow & medium speed aircraft (flying under VFR)

How often are sectional aeronautical charts published?

56 days

What type of navigation are sectional aeronautical charts primarily used for?

Pilotage

What is the scale of the sectional charts?

1:500,000

If a city name is shown on a chart, what does that mean for their airport?

Biggest city in the section (likely class B)

How much latitude and longitude is in one quadrangle?

0.5 degrees latitude, 0.5 degrees longitude

12⁵ is an example of what figure?

Maximum elevation figure (MEF)

What section indicates the elevation of the highest known feature (either terrain or obstructions) to be found within that section of the chart?

MEF (Maximum elevation figure)

Is the MEF shown in AGL or MSL?

MSL

How much spacing do basic terrain contour lines have?

500ft intervals

How often does color change in the highest terrain & contour information?

Every 1,000ft

If an airport symbol is blue, what does that mean?

It has a tower

If an airport symbol is pink, what does that mean?

It doesn’t have a tower

What type of airport is shown here?

Airport with a surface that isn’t hard

What type of airport is shown here?

Airport with all runways 1,500-8,069ft

What type of airport is shown here?

Airports with at least one runway that’s longer than 8,069ft

What does the dot indicate in these airports?

The airport has an approximate NAVAID location

What does this symbol mean?

Private runway

What does this symbol mean?

Military airport

What does this symbol mean?

Heliport

What does this symbol mean?

Airport with unverified runway conditions

What does this symbol mean?

Abandoned airfield

What does this symbol mean?

Ultralight flight park

What do the ticks show in these airports?

Fuel is available

Where is the FSS frequency in a airport data box?

Above the box

What does the CT number mean on an airport data box?

Control tower frequency

If there’s a star beside the control tower frequency, what does that mean?

Tower operates part time

What is the ATIS & what does it do?

Automatic Terminal Information Service; gives pilots information on the safety & features of the airport and runways

What does the number on the far left of the airport data box mean?

Field elevation

If an airport data box has an L (without a star), what does that mean?

Continuously lit

If an airport has a *L in its data box, what does that mean?

Pilot controlled lighting

What does the number after the lighting mean in an airport data box?

Length of the longest runway

What’s the frequency shown to the right of the field elevation in an airport data box, and what does it do?

UNICOM; gets you in touch with airport amenities

If an airport data box has RP, what does that mean?

Right pattern (special patterns exist other than the normal left pattern)

What does AOE mean?

Airport of entry (customs)

If there’s an AWOS or ASOS frequency shown in an airport data box, what does that mean?

Automatic Weather Observing System (or Automatic Surface Observing System)

What type of NAVAID is shown here?

VOR

What type of NAVAID is shown here?

VOR-DME

What type of NAVAID is shown here?

DME

What type of NAVAID is shown here?

VORTAC

What type of NAVAID is shown here?

NDB

What type of NAVAID is shown here?

NDB-DME

What type of NAVAID is shown here?

Other facilities (FSS outlet, etc)

What does this symbol mean?

Shutdown status

What does this symbol mean?

Part time status

What color & pattern would class B airspace be?

Solid blue

What color & pattern would class C airspace be?

Solid magenta

What color & pattern would class D airspace be?

Dashed blue

What color & pattern would class E airspace be if it starts from the surface?

Dashed magenta

What color & pattern would class E airspace be if it starts at 700AGL?

Solid, feathered magenta

What color & pattern would class E airspace be if it starts at 1200AGL?

Solid, feathered blue

For low altitude federal airways on direct routes between NAVAIDs, what unit of measurement is used to depict their distances?

Nautical miles

What does this symbol show?

Class D ceiling

What does this symbol indicate?

Total mileage between NAVAIDs on direct airways

What does this symbol indicate?

Airway for helicopters

What does this symbol indicate?

RNAV waypoint

What does this symbol indicate?

Prohibited, restricted, or warning area

What does this symbol indicate?

Alert area or MOA

What does this symbol indicate?

ADIZ

What does this symbol indicate?

Mode C requirement

What does this symbol indicate?

Obstruction that’s 1,000AGL or higher

What does this symbol indicate?

Obstruction above 200ft & below 1,000ft (up to but not including)

What does this symbol indicate?

Wind turbine

What do these symbols indicate?

Lighted obstructions

What do these symbols indicate?

Group obstruction

Do obstructions indicate their altitude above sea level or above ground level?

Both

What does this symbol indicate?

Stadium

What does this symbol indicate?

VFR Waypoint

What does this symbol indicate?

Power transmission line

When a chart refers to its reverse side, what is it referring to?

The back if it were folded

In what orders are airports with control towers listed?

Alphabetically

In what order are class B, class C, TRSA, and selected radar approach control frequencies listed?

By quadrant and defined by compass sectors

In what color order are SUAs listed?

Blue then magenta (higher priority first)

In what order are prohibited, restricted, and warning areas listed?

First by priority (P then R then W) then numerically

In what order are MOAs listed?

Alphabetically (because they have a name)

What type of information is listed in SUAs? (4 things)

1. Location

2. Vertical limits

3. Time of use

4. Controlling agency

If an airspace is outlined in a big white box on a sectional chart, what does that mean?

Terminal chart is available