What Are Flying Classes For?
Unlike land traffic, air space is a very complicated transportation channel. There are no highway lanes and no physical structures to direct and divert air crafts. Since there are no equivalents to road signs and traffic lights in air space, it must be controlled and managed to avoid collisions. One of the forms of air space control and management is the designation of flying classes. Flying classes are to air space what traffic rules are to land transportation. Learn the basics of flying classes and get to know why this subject is very vital especially for pilots, captains and flight personnel.
Prior to break out of the Second World War, air space traffic was not really a big concern especially in first world countries like the United States. This is particularly true since air craft owners and flyers are only limited to the rich and the military. When air crafts became a huge part of international tension, more and more people were trained for flight combats thus increasing the interest of ordinary men in flying. As an effect of the World War II, United States air space became literally crowded. There was more air borne flight trainings conducted and add to that the growing popularity of air shows. This signaled the US government and the international community to formulate what is now called the classifications of airspace or popularly called the flying classes.
The five flying classes are the Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D and Class E. In the international community set by the ICAO or the International Civil Aviation Organization, the Classes extend to F and G. These flying classes are defined according to the specified range of altitude an air craft is allowed to fly. The Class A air space for instance is the division of air space from 18,000 ft to 60,000 ft. Class B air space is the division from the surface of the earth to 10,000 ft. Of all the flying classes, Class B is considered to be the busiest particularly in Chicago and LA.
Class C however is the division of air space from earth surface to 4,000 ft. A Class C air space is located in Alaska via the Anchorage International Airport. Class D is the air space between the surface and 2,500 ft. Class E on the other hand is air space not specified by Classes A to D.
Some countries however do not use all of the above mentioned classes. In Germany, particularly, Class A and B are not used. It is definitely important to know these flying classes especially for amateur flyers. If you are an owner of private plane or a glider, make sure to check your location's flying class.
