FAA Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA)Navigation and AirspaceEasy
A student pilot asks her flight instructor what is required before she may fly her Cessna 172 into the Class B airspace surrounding a major airport. The instructor should explain that the pilot must obtain which of the following before entering the airspace?
- AA discrete transponder code assigned by Flight Service before departure
- BPermission from the airport operator granted in writing
- CA specific ATC clearance into the Class B airspace
- DTwo-way radio contact with ATC, but a clearance is not required
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. A specific ATC clearance into the Class B airspace
14 CFR 91.131 requires that an aircraft receive an explicit ATC clearance to enter Class B airspace; simply establishing two-way communication is not sufficient, unlike Class C or D airspace.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Flight Service does not assign transponder codes; ATC does, and this alone is not the entry requirement.
- B. Airport operator permission is not an FAA airspace entry requirement.
- D. This describes the requirement for Class C/D airspace, not Class B.
Class B Airspace Entry
Class B airspace requires a specific ATC clearance prior to entry, along with an operable Mode C transponder and, for student pilots, specific endorsements.
- ATC clearance required, not just radio contact
- Mode C transponder required within and above the airspace
- Student pilots need specific training and logbook endorsement per 91.131
Memory trick: 'B' is for 'By Clearance Only'