Class C airspace, when designated, extends from the surface to what altitude?

Class C airspace, when designated, extends from the surface to what altitude?

• A. 700 feet AGL or 1,200 feet AGL.
• B. 4,000 feet AGL.
• C. 18,000 feet MSL.
• D. Unlimited.

Answer: (A)

Class C airspace around a busy airport is built in two layers: an inner core that starts at the surface and rises to a ceiling of 4,000 feet above the airport’s elevation, and an outer shelf that begins at 1,200 feet AGL and also rises to that same ceiling. The important point is that the top of Class C is defined as 4,000 feet above the airport elevation, not a fixed altitude above mean sea level or a single number in feet AGL. So, the airspace extends from the surface up to 4,000 feet above the airport’s elevation, with the outer shelf from 1,200 feet AGL up to that ceiling. The 1,200 feet AGL figure marks the base of the shelf, and the 18,000 feet MSL figure would be Class A airspace, not Class C.

Class C airspace around a busy airport is built in two layers: an inner core that starts at the surface and rises to a ceiling of 4,000 feet above the airport’s elevation, and an outer shelf that begins at 1,200 feet AGL and also rises to that same ceiling. The important point is that the top of Class C is defined as 4,000 feet above the airport elevation, not a fixed altitude above mean sea level or a single number in feet AGL. So, the airspace extends from the surface up to 4,000 feet above the airport’s elevation, with the outer shelf from 1,200 feet AGL up to that ceiling. The 1,200 feet AGL figure marks the base of the shelf, and the 18,000 feet MSL figure would be Class A airspace, not Class C.