To read a sectional chart as a drone pilot, start with the legend, then find the airspace around your launch site from its line style and color: solid blue is Class B, solid magenta is Class C, dashed blue is Class D and dashed magenta is a Class E surface area. Under 14 CFR 107.41, all four require prior authorization from air traffic control. Next, read the altitude figures (they are in feet above mean sea level, usually in hundreds of feet), check nearby airports, obstacles and special use airspace, and confirm temporary flight restrictions separately, because most are not printed on the chart.
This walkthrough explains how to read a sectional chart step by step using the FAA Aeronautical Chart Users’ Guide, gives you a repeatable preflight routine and covers how sectional chart questions appear on the Part 107 knowledge test, which began including image-based chart questions on October 26, 2026.
What Is a Sectional Chart?
A Sectional Aeronautical Chart is the FAA’s standard map for flying under visual flight rules. According to the Chart Users’ Guide, sectionals are drawn at a scale of 1:500,000, are named after a major city within their coverage area and are updated every 56 days. The FAA publishes them as free digital files on its VFR Raster Charts page.
Unless a chart says otherwise, altitudes are in feet above mean sea level (MSL), while Part 107 limits your drone to 400 feet above ground level (AGL) under Section 107.51(b), with an exception for flights within a 400-foot radius of a structure. Much of chart reading for drone pilots comes down to converting MSL figures into heights above the ground at your site. Always confirm that the chart you are using is the current edition; the FAA advises pilots to discard obsolete charts.
How to Identify Airspace on a Sectional Chart
Airspace is the most important information on the chart for a remote pilot, because it tells you whether you need authorization before you fly. Section 107.41 requires prior ATC authorization in Class B, Class C or Class D airspace, or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport.
| Airspace | How it is drawn | Authorization under 107.41 |
|---|---|---|
| Class B | Solid blue lines; each sector’s ceiling and floor shown in solid blue figures | Required |
| Class C | Solid magenta lines; ceiling and floor shown in solid magenta figures | Required |
| Class D | Dashed blue line; ceiling shown as a boxed figure | Required |
| Class E surface area | Dashed magenta line around the airport | Required |
| Class E starting at 700 feet AGL | Magenta vignette (a fuzzy shaded band) | Not required below the 700-foot floor, which is Class G |
| Class G | Not outlined; it is the airspace below the Class E floor | Not required |
Reading Ceiling and Floor Numbers
Class B and Class C sectors are labeled with the ceiling over the floor in hundreds of feet MSL, with the last two zeros removed. A label of 100 over 40, for example, means the sector runs from 4,000 feet MSL to 10,000 feet MSL. SFC means the floor is the surface. A floor preceded by a plus sign means the sector begins above that altitude, and a Class C ceiling of T means it extends up to, but not including, the floor of the Class B above it. For Class D, a minus sign in front of the boxed figure means from the surface up to, but not including, that altitude.
Class E and Class G: Where Most Drone Flights Happen
The Chart Users’ Guide states that Class E airspace exists at 1,200 feet AGL unless designated otherwise. A magenta vignette marks areas where the Class E floor drops to 700 feet AGL, and a blue vignette marks other floors that border uncontrolled airspace. Inside a magenta vignette, the airspace from the ground up to 700 feet AGL is Class G, so a flight at or below 400 feet AGL stays beneath the Class E floor. Some Class D and Class E surface areas operate part-time, and the chart notes direct you to the Chart Supplement for their hours.
How to Read an Airport Data Block
Each airport symbol comes with a block of text. On sectionals, airports with control towers and their data are printed in blue, and all other airports are printed in magenta. The data block shows the airport name, location identifier, elevation in feet, the length of the longest runway in hundreds of feet and the primary control tower frequency. A star next to the tower frequency indicates part-time operation, and a circled C follows the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF).
Even outside controlled airspace, this information matters. Section 107.43 prohibits operating in a manner that interferes with operations and traffic patterns at any airport, heliport or seaplane base. The FAA Remote Pilot Study Guide notes that a remote pilot is not required to talk to manned aircraft near a non-towered airport, but advises monitoring the tower frequency or CTAF to get a good idea of what traffic to expect. The airport elevation also helps you convert the MSL figures around it into heights above the ground.
Obstacles, Terrain and Maximum Elevation Figures
Sectionals typically show man-made obstacles that extend more than 200 feet AGL. Next to each obstacle, the top elevation is given in feet MSL, with the height above the ground in parentheses below it. In congested areas the FAA may omit the AGL value or show only the tallest obstacle with a group symbol.
Each chart quadrant, bounded by lines every 30 minutes of latitude and longitude, carries a Maximum Elevation Figure (MEF). The MEF represents the highest elevation in that quadrant, including terrain and obstacles such as towers and trees, rounded up to the nearest 100 feet with the last two digits omitted. For drone work, obstacle and MEF figures are a quick check on towers, wind turbines and ridgelines near your operating area. The Chart Users’ Guide also reminds pilots that wind turbine blades are not lighted and that their obstruction lights sit on the nacelle, which can be 200 to 300 feet below the blade tips.
Special Use Airspace and Other Areas to Check
Special use airspace is labeled with a letter and number or a name. Prohibited, restricted and warning areas are shown in blue, while military operations areas (MOAs) and alert areas are shown in magenta. The chart margin lists their altitudes, times of use and controlling agencies.
- Prohibited areas (P-) and restricted areas (R-): Section 107.45 bars small drone operations in them without permission from the using or controlling agency.
- MOAs and alert areas: not off-limits under Part 107, but they indicate military training, a high volume of pilot training or unusual aerial activity, so check the times of use before flying.
- National Security Areas: shown with a broken magenta line; pilots are asked to avoid flying through them, and flight may be temporarily prohibited.
- Temporary flight restrictions: only TFRs related to national security are charted. Section 107.47 requires compliance with TFRs, so check current NOTAMs before every flight.
For more on restricted and prohibited areas, see our guide to no-fly zones and restricted airspace.
A Five-Step Sectional Chart Check Before Every Flight
Use the same routine each time you plan a job:
- Confirm the edition. Make sure the chart is current for the 56-day cycle.
- Locate your site and identify the airspace. Use the line styles and vignettes to decide whether you are in Class B, C, D, a Class E surface area or Class G.
- Convert altitudes. Compare MSL floors, airport elevations and obstacle heights with your planned height above the ground.
- Scan the surroundings. Note nearby airports, CTAFs, heliports, obstacles and special use airspace.
- Check what the chart cannot show. Review NOTAMs and TFRs, and if you are in controlled airspace, request authorization before you fly.
If your site is in controlled airspace, our guide to LAANC authorization explains how to request approval and how UAS Facility Maps fit into the process. Pair the chart check with a weather review using our guide on how to read a METAR and TAF.
Sectional Chart Questions on the Part 107 Test
Chart reading is a core part of the Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG) knowledge test. Questions have traditionally referred to figures in the FAA-CT-8080-2H Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement, which test centers still provide. According to the FAA’s September 2026 Airman Testing Community Advisory, beginning October 26, 2026, the UAG test includes image-based questions taken from current sectional charts that are not found in the supplement, and the specific images used on the live test cannot be previewed.
One FAA sample shows a sectional excerpt and asks what airspace surrounds an airport and whether ATC authorization is required; the correct answer is Class E associated with an airport surface area, with authorization required. The practical takeaway is to practice on real, current sectionals rather than memorizing supplement figures. Our in-person Part 107 test preparation works through chart excerpts with an instructor for exactly this reason.
Learn How to Read a Sectional Chart With an Instructor
Drone Universities has trained drone pilots since 2014. Our FAA Certified Flight Instructors read sectionals the way manned-aircraft pilots do, and they teach your team to apply that skill to real job sites anywhere in the United States, for individuals or groups. To book a session, request training online or call 1.818.255.0406. For the rule text on controlled airspace, see 14 CFR 107.41.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a sectional chart if I use a drone airspace app?
Apps are useful, but the knowledge test expects you to read a sectional, and Section 107.49 requires the remote pilot in command to assess local airspace and flight restrictions before flight. Knowing how to read the chart lets you verify what an app shows.
Are sectional charts free?
Yes. The FAA publishes digital sectional charts at no cost on its VFR charts page. Printed charts are available from FAA-approved print providers.
Do I need authorization to fly inside a magenta vignette?
Not for the vignette itself. It marks Class E airspace beginning at 700 feet AGL, so below that floor you are in Class G. You still need authorization if your site is inside Class B, C or D airspace or a Class E surface area.
What if I do not pass the Part 107 exam?
If you do not pass the FAA Part 107 exam after completing our training, we will either refund your training fee or retrain you at no additional cost.
