Airspace ABCs

Situational Awareness Is Key To Safe And Successful Flights.

- Gus Calderon

On June 30, 1956, the first major midair collision in our nation’s history occurred over Grand Canyon National Park. On a clear day, a TWA Super Constellation and a United Airlines DC-7 collided in uncontrolled airspace, causing 128 fatalities. The deadliest U.S. commercial-airline disaster ever, this accident prompted Congress to pass the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 and create the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA is the national aviation authority responsible for regulating all aircraft operations and allocating the use of airspace within the United States. (As a reminder, drones are legally defined as aircraft, and their operation is subject to regulation by the FAA.)

The National Airspace System (NAS) includes all the airspace, navigation facilities, and airports in the United States and is shared by civilian and military aircraft. It is one of the most complex aviation systems in the world. Historically, the phrase “U.S. Airspace” has been depicted on printed aeronautical charts used by pilots for navigation. Current aeronautical charts are now available online and may be viewed at skyvector.com. There are various ways of obtaining airspace information, and we’ll get into those later.

Types of National Airspace

Knowing the types and locations of airspace before flying your drone as well as complying with FAA regulations are critical to flight safety. It is important to know the FAA may designate or change the airspace at any time due to an emergency or security situation. It is essential to know what types of operations are restricted and permitted before you fly a drone in the national airspace.