Airspace

Airspace Operation Definitions VFR - Visual Flight Rules are the rules that apply to pilots and aircraft flying by means of visual reference to the ground IFR - Instrument Flight Rules are the rules that apply to pilots and aircraft flying by means of reference to instruments in the cockpit AGL - Above Ground Level, indicates that the Altitude is reported relative to the Ground at that location ASL - Above Sea Level, indicates that the Altitude is reported relative to Sea Level MEA: Minimum En-route Altitude indicates the minimum safe altitude for IFR aircraft in the area to avoid terrain ATC - Air Traffic Control NM - Nautical Mile (= 1.1508 miles) Canadian Airspace Classifications As a RPAS pilot you will be flying an aircraft within Canadian Airspace while sharing the same airspace with other aircraft. So it is imperative to understand which class of airspace you are operating in, and the rules associated with that Airspace. Not knowing what airspace you are in can lead to serious consequences as airspace is not just "wide open" and it is rigorously classified and regulated to avoid collisions. In Canada Domestic Airspace Classification uses letters: Class A Class B Class C Class D Class E Class F Class G The rules associated with any particular airspace applies to its Class regardless of what name it might be called. E.g. Airspace around an airport might be a "Control Zone" but a "Control Zone" can be of several different Classes -(B, C, D etc) It is the class that will determine the rules associated with that Airspace. Airspace is 3 Dimensional. When identifying airspace on a Map be sure to know where its vertical limits are as multiple Classes of Airspace can be "stacked" on top of each other at different altitudes.