When looking at the Denver, Colorado area, in the screenshot below, you can see the difference in coloration as KDEN is located in Class B airspace so the airport is surrounded by a darker blue circle and then Front Range airport (KCFO) is located in Class D airspace so the surrounding circle is light blue. To operate a drone anywhere in this airspace, you will need a LAANC authorization. An example of Class B airspace is KDEN in Denver, Colorado which is surrounded in a 10-mile radius of the airport by a dark blue circle indicating the Class B controlled airspace on the map. Dark Blue = Class B controlled airspaceĬlass B airspace is generally airspace from the surface to 10,000 feet MSL surrounding the nation’s busiest airports in terms of airport operations or passenger enplanements. Read more about operating a drone near airports in uncontrolled airspace here.

This means to operate a drone up to 400 feet AGL near Logan and Hoy Airstrip you do not need an FAA LAANC authorization because they are in Class G uncontrolled airspace. In the screenshot above, you will see Logan and Hoy Airstrip both have a grey airplane icon on the map indicating that they are public aerodromes located in Class G uncontrolled airspace. When a grey airplane and helicopter icon is seen on the map without a circle surrounding it, that indicates a public aerodrome, helipad, or airport in Class G uncontrolled airspace as seen in the screenshot below. Drone operations in Class G uncontrolled airspace are permitted without an FAA LAANC authorization up to 400 feet AGL. The airplane and helicopter icon indicate areas on land or water intended to be used either wholly or in part for the arrival, departure, and surface movement of aircraft/helicopters in controlled and uncontrolled airspace.

Grey Airplane or Helicopter icon with no color surrounding = Class G uncontrolled airspace

Now let’s break down what type of airspace each map layer color indicates on the map.

Gridded sectional charts