Upside Down Wedding Cake Airspace
The reason is the way class b airspace is designed is in layers that progressively get wider the higher up from the surface you go.
Upside down wedding cake airspace. Only this time it is a 2 tiered cake. Atc always needs to see you and know your alt. Breaching this airspace can lead to serious legal action from the faa as it poses a direct threat to airliners.
It extends from the surface to 10 000 agl and drone operations within this area are usually strictly regulated or prohibited. These include major hubs such as new york los angeles and chicago. A drone pilot with a part 107 license can fly near an airport but only if permitted by air traffic control atc.
This airspace always has an upside down wedding cake appearance and gets lower as you approach the airport. Using mnemonics is an effective way to learn airspace classifications and nothing suits class b airspace better than the letter b. This upside down wedding cake orientation is a common characteristic across all restricted airspace associated with airports.
The extend of class b airspace becomes larger at higher altitudes essentially resembling an upside down wedding cake. A larger ring sits on top of that and a still larger ring above that. Upside down wedding cake shape surface to approx 10000 msl radius for top layer is typically 20 nm each layer marked with fractions with top and base in hundreds of feet msl.
The airspace is commonly depicted as resembling an upside down wedding cake. Class c only has one shelf instead of the two associated with class b. We understand that the first level extends from the ground upward.
Upside down wedding cake tailored for each airport solid blues lines or circles a 30 nm mode c vail atc clearance 2 way common mode c transponder required busiest airports weather. Like class b airspace class c airspace also has an upper shelf think upside down wedding cake again. I have long believed that in terms of airport advocacy we need to subscribe to a three tiered model.