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Sectional chart symbols for the Part 107 test
The airspace and chart markings that come up most in Part 107 chart questions, in plain words. Every line is taken from the FAA Aeronautical Chart Users' Guide (effective 9 July 2026); the page is given so you can check it.
Airspace
| What you see | What it means | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Blue dashed line around an airport | Class D airspace. A minus sign before the top figure means up to, but not including, that altitude. | p. 16 |
| Magenta dashed line around an airport | Class E airspace that starts at the surface. | p. 17 |
| Magenta figures stacked in Class C airspace | Ceiling over floor, in hundreds of feet MSL (the last two zeros are left off). A ceiling of "T" means up to the floor of the Class B above. | p. 16, 27 |
| Solid blue figures in Class B airspace | Ceiling and floor of each sector, in hundreds of feet MSL. A plus sign means the floor is "upward from above" that altitude. | p. 16 |
| Magenta vignette (soft shaded band) | Controlled airspace (Class E) starts at 700 feet above the ground on the shaded side. | p. 17 |
| Blue vignette | Class E floors other than 700 feet next to uncontrolled airspace. Where nothing is shown, Class E starts at 1,200 feet AGL. | p. 17 |
| Solid magenta line labeled "MODE C & ADS-B OUT 30 NM" | Mode C required from the surface to 10,000 feet MSL within 30 NM of the primary Class B airport. | p. 17 |
| Blue areas with a type and number (P-, R-, W-) | Prohibited, Restricted and Warning areas; listed in the chart margin. | p. 17, 20 |
| Military Operations Areas (MOAs) and Alert Areas | Shown in magenta on the chart and listed in the chart margin. | p. 20 |
Airports
| What you see | What it means | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Blue airport symbol and data | The airport has a control tower (CT). Magenta means no tower. | p. 15, 23 |
| Airport elevation in the data block | Highest point of the usable landing area, in feet MSL. | p. 14, 15 |
| Runway length figure | Longest runway in hundreds of feet (8,070 ft is shown as 81); usable length may be less. | p. 14, 15 |
| Lighting code | Runway edge lights, which may not be on the longest runway. A dash means no edge lights. | p. 14, 15 |
| Symbol before a frequency in the data block | Marks the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF). | p. 15, 24 |
Terrain and obstacles
| What you see | What it means | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Two numbers by an obstacle | Top: elevation of the top in feet MSL. Below, in parentheses: height above the ground (AGL). | p. 11 |
| "UC" next to an obstacle | Under construction. | p. 11 |
| Large number in each quadrant (MEF) | Maximum Elevation Figure: highest terrain or obstacle in that 30 by 30 minute quadrant, rounded up to the next 100 feet, last two digits left off. | p. 12 |
Good to know
- Class G airspace extends up to 14,500 feet MSL; sectional charts do not show Class A (18,000 feet and up). (p. 16, 17)
- Sectional charts are updated every 56 days, so check the edition date on the chart you use.
Source: FAA Aeronautical Chart Users' Guide, effective 9 July 2026. Page numbers are the guide's printed page numbers.
These questions are original and written from public FAA documents. Chartpass is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the FAA. Chart excerpts are FAA public domain material and are not for navigation.