Airspace, ATC, and Radio Communications
Airspace questions on the glider exam test whether you can use the exemptions gliders enjoy without violating the airspace rules that still apply.
Classes and what they require
- Class B: explicit ATC clearance and a private pilot certificate or higher. Class C and D: two-way radio communication established before entry.
- Class E: no clearance for VFR, but VFR weather minimums apply -- 3 SM visibility, 1,000 above, 2,000 horizontal, 500 below.
- Class G: at or below 1,200 ft AGL in the daytime, 1 SM and clear of clouds.
- Prohibited and restricted areas, MOAs, and TFRs must be avoided or the controlling agency contacted; a MOA is hazardous only during published times.
Equipment exemptions
- Gliders without an engine-driven electrical system are excepted from the transponder and ADS-B Out rules (91.215 and 91.225), but not from the requirement to obtain a clearance for Class B, C, or D.
- No radio means no entry to Class B, C, or D; stay clear instead of entering and hoping.
- 123.3 and 123.5 MHz are the soaring frequencies; 122.8 and 123.0 are common UNICOM/CTAF frequencies. VFR is 1200, radio failure 7600, emergency 7700.
Worked example
A gliderport sits beneath Class E airspace that begins at 700 ft AGL, with a Class D airport 6 nm away. A radio-less glider can climb in the Class G airspace below 700 ft and then enter Class E above it without a clearance, provided VFR cloud clearances are met. It cannot enter the Class D surface area, because Class D requires established two-way radio communication, so the pilot stays outside the lateral limits.
Traps that cost marks
Assuming the transponder exemption also waives airspace authorization; thinking Class E requires a clearance; forgetting that Class G cloud clearance still applies; and relying on a radio that is off or on the wrong frequency.