Understanding USA Airspace for Paraglider, Hang Glider and Ultralight pilots 

I've been getting a few people hitting me up asking about airspace in their backyard. I'm happy to answer those questions but might notice them faster if you buy me a coffee ;) www.buymeacoffee.com/TyGunnlaugsson

Thanks for this video. I already knew most of it, but you're the only knowledgeable person I've seen actually explain the difference in applicability to part 103 operators between the class E to the surface designated for an airport vs the 700ft AGL class E that is "around" many airports.

OH. MY. GOODNESS!!!! BEST "Airspace" Video on YT!!!! Thanks A LOT!!!! I'm just now getting into PPG and this is SUPER helpful!

Great Tutorial !!! 😀😀😀 As a Student Pilot myself, it's great to see this topic from the perspective of a Hang Glider. I liken this to driving on the Highway. I don't drive a motorcycle, but I think it's important that auto drivers see the perspective of the road from a cyclist's Point of View. 😀😀😀 I realize that many Hang Gliders are NOT familiar with Air Space, thus it's important that pilots be aware of them and POSSIBLE mistakes they may make. Safety for All !!! 😀 This video is helpful on several layers. Thanks for making this.

I used to fly hang gliders and had a part 107 UAV license which required me to take an FAA test which covered a lot of this chart information. Your video is a great refresher, especially with your concentration on topics for HG and Paragliders, especially the where to fly topic. Excellent video, thanks for posting!

Excellent presentation. Your airspace chart is the best I have seen yet.

Probably the best I have seen on this subject. Thanks for posting

Such a fantastic explanation. I just became a paramotor pilot and this is by far the best and simplest explanation around! Thank you so much Ty. Really great and helpful! Fly safe!

SO I just watched about 2 hours of vids discussing airspace, and your video nailed it. Funny, I didn't even notice you had a cursor, but I could tell what you were talking about, probably due to the other vids I watched. I saw a mention recently that you can in fact register your wing (might have meant paramotor/ultralight) so that you can have a callsign to call ATC, possibly opening up some of the areas that require communications. Really excellent vid, thanks so much!

Awesome! Fantastic work, Ty! Congrats! I always have problems understanding new concepts when they are visually explained and this helped me a lot. Too bad i couldn't follow many of the things you mentioned because i was watching on my cellphone, but i will try and watch again on bigger screen. Thanks a lot!

This is a great video! Saved, rewatched regularly, and very much appreciated as a fellow paraglider pilot too! ✨🙌🏼✨Thank you!

What a great video! Thank you so much... I'm prepping for my P2 test and this helped a lot! Thank you 🙏🏼

This is such a great video! Thank you for putting this together and sharing.

Thanks Ty, I appreciate the time and effort you put into this. I was actually referred to this video by the FAA!! I would love to see a sequel that deal specifically with class E details as there are several types and the language is tricky to infer. My understanding is that extensions to B/C/D are valid for free flight VFR but dedicated surface class E for an airport with no other air space separating it is no go. This agrees with what you said in your video but there are other details that weren't specifically mentioned. It would be good to see what "permission" looks like and how that phone call might go or whether it may be a radio transmission via airband mid-flight. The airways are just going to get busier in the coming years and we need to get smarter with dealing with powered private and commercial pilots to preserve what freedoms we have!

Thank you for sharing this! You should consider posting the ppt as well :) great resource!

Thanks for posting. Very helpful

Thanks Ty, great review. Thank you for making and posting this video.

Thanks Ty for the explanation. Sometimes the Class E has multiple interpretations and gets confusing. I was confused about this by some comments I've heard. I live just down the road from F46 and asked the manager if I could fly out of the airport. She was very nice and confirmed I could but they do require a radio because of the amount of traffic at the airport. I wouldn't fly without a radio anyway. The confusion came when some said I had to fly 700ft or lower once crossing over the Class E around the airport. This made no sense since the down wind is 1000ft. This would cause all sorts of issues with close calls and potential collisions. Some people have even told me we can't fly Class E at all (I think from people who don't consider Part 103 flyer's as pilots). Your video made it simple to understand. I'm also glad you mentioned the Class E to surface that yes we can fly into that airspace as long as we have prior permission. I know of some ultralights that have done this, called ahead (by phone not radio) and all have received clearance. It seems that these airports are more than willing to accommodate Part 103 pilots and in some cases actually enjoy allowing the ultralight pilots show off their choice of flying machine. I think the best way we can preserve our sport is to show all pilots no matter what they fly that we follow the rules and regulations to ensure everyone can fly safely and still use the facilities and services like any other pilot.

thank you!! it really helped me.

Excellent - this was helpful. Thank you!

You are a great instructor

I completely agree that this is an exceptionally informative presentation, but I also agree with you that you should either redo it or edit it with a MUCH BIGGER and maybe red mouse pointer. I watched this on a 65" 4k TV and most of the time could not see your pointer. Mostly when I did find your pointer it was only because I followed what you were saying and then found where you were talking about, but only about 1/4 of the time. Would give you a 10 if it weren't for that. Thank you for taking the time to help people understand this complicated subject. I also like how you often pose the questions to the viewer which cues the viewer that this is a moment to think about something.

Super helpful 👍 thank you

Great info brother! Fly far!

depending on the ultralight you can fly in G and E airspace if it is plane or rotor because you can land and take off at the small no tower airports if it is public or you have private permission. if you have a 2 way radio on your ultralight motorized vehicle you can go into class D as well with radio permission. i know of folks that have ultra light planes at class E and D airports and fly in and out of them... now hang gliders are a different story unless you have a radio and have visual flight rules satisfied(The pilot must be able to operate the aircraft with visual reference to the ground, and by visually avoiding obstructions and other aircraft), but heck it says this all in your first slide under entry requirements: G no requirements, E no VFR , D equipment 2 way radio with 2 way communications prior to entry and VFR and C if you have a transponder and an altimeter as well. also you do not need an instrument rating you just need instruments because to have a rating that would mean you have at the very least a glider rating and you do not need any rating to fly an ultralight plane and all i have ever seen have at least instruments and most have a two way radio as well. so your talking only hang gliders/paragliders and should not mention ultralights because that makes it sound like your talking about ultralight planes and rotor vehicles that can be allowed in E&D&C airspace and you just lumped them in with paragliders and hang gliders when they actually have exceptions that make them different including higher weight limits. so yea i guess i wrote all of this simply because your video tag says: Understanding USA Airspace for Paraglider, Hang Glider and ULTRALIGHT PILOTS, and in my opinion you left out the ultralight pilots... oh and the only one you need an instrument rating for is class A. B you just need to at least be working towards a private pilot license.

Thanks. Great video.

Great video !

Nice! Thank you!

Great stuff here!

Thanks Straight Ahead

Well done.

Nice Info

Nice Job 👍 Thx 🙏

Thank You

Nice vid man! Yewww!

Good vid, I wish your pointing device was more visible or larger. You'll get a lot of views with this, but it made me fall asleep.

Thank you for the very informative video. I have watched it several times. I suggest you use a more recognizable symbol for your pointer as the current one does not show up well and causes the viewer to lose track of where you are pointing. Also, it would be much easier for the viewer to hear and understand the airspace classes if you used the phonetic pronunciation of the letter and not the letter itself (Bravo not B class).

Thank You So Much ;)

Such an amazing tutorial. Finally a decent explanation of this craziness for us new pilots. I JUST WISH YOU USED A BIGGER MOUSE POINTER haha I’m squinting trying to follow it

thanks, mate.

thanks

As the others have said Ty, excellent job!!! I do have a comment for you; the AOPA Air Safety Foundation, "Air Safety Adviser, Regulations No 1, Airspace for Everyone", indicates that the surface- based Class E airspace terminates at 1200' AGL (see figure 3). As I interpret the AOPA document, this is an important distinction that part 103 aircraft are allowed to fly above these airports as long as they are above 1200' AGL. Please comment on this if you will.

ty !!!

Great video, Ty. Quick question: Isn't there a Mode C requirement in Class E above 10,000? Like wise, even though there is often Class G and E under the shelves of Class B and C airspace, aren't there some Mode C requirements in those specific circumstances?

GREAT info, Thanks! One Question though.... I got VR43 (military Training Route) over my house (LZ) . F-15s flying out of Seymour Johnson AFB use it a couple times every week, and they fly under 250ft, over 250kts. Very difficult to get out of their way. Is there a website where I can get the schedule of when VR43 will be used?

great vid,, im just getting into ultralight planes,, i know nothing about how to read a air map, is there any books/ vids you would recommend? thanks for your help

Thank you so much for this explanation! Could you do a similar one for recreational drone usage? Thanks!!!!!

Great video , just a humble recommendation. Please use a bigger pointer that’s going to make a lot easier to understand. Thanks again!

AWESOME VIDEO! What happens if class B shows shows 70/+10 what does that mean? THANKS!

So those blue arrows that leave the VORs, are they common flight paths that are likely to be busy?

Great video! Looking for another videos, what will help me with my Glider Pilot FAA test. What can you advice?

Thanks for the video. A different point of view but Can anything be done if we have someone flying a powered parachute constantly in our backyard at our roof level? We are in the county but He always circles over our roof, looks in our windows when he swoops down super low and turns his motor on when he’s over our property.. he has it turned off when he approaches so we don’t even hear him. It just seems like such an invasion of privacy?

you left out the Mode C if im not misunderstanding something i think you are required to have a transponder and ADSB so flying under the class B shelf Is technically not allowed without it

Great presentation, the only thing I would suggest is you should make your mouse bigger. It’s hard to see on my iPad.

Does what you talked about also apply to sail planes?

Thank you Ty Gunnlaugsson. The American flying rules will apply every where in the Western world?

So realistically even with the class e visibility restrictions I can’t imagine you can see any jets or cesna from 5 miles away who are not flying vor how close can they get to you before you will actually notice them and try to clear out of their way ? It all feels so unsafe

Excluding the extensions, the dashed magenta "E surface lateral boundaries" extend up to a "designated altitude" which is 700' (FAA defined those "extensions" as "not for an airport" - drive.google.com/file/d/1OazZnaVuP-rQh949MEJmrHBZK3gj-cq6/view?usp=sharing 18-1-2. CLASS E SURFACE AREAS tfmlearning.faa.gov/Publications/atpubs/AIR/air1801.html a.  A Class E surface area is designated to provide controlled airspace for terminal operations where a control tower is not in operation. ***Class E surface areas extend upward from the surface to a designated altitude ***

Thank you Ty for this great video. But, I am finding a discrepancy with regard to your description and graphical representation of 'Class E surface designated for an airport'. Looking at the latest FAA, Aeronautical Information Services, Aeronautical Chart Users Guide, effective as of April 25, 2019, page 57. Is this depicting 'Class E (sfc) designated for an airport' having an upper boundary of 700' AGL, and 'extensions' having a ceiling of 1200' AGL? The white circle, instead of a dashed magenta circle at 700' AGL, leaves it unclear to me on this graphic. The Class E (sfc) extensions do appear to have a clearly defined upper boundary at 1200' AGL, am I reading this correctly? Appreciate your efforts trying to educate us free flyers!

So can you take off/fly in the space inside class G airspace ( the fading thick line 700’ AGL) and outside of the dotted 1200’ AGL without approval? Or is this considered a controlled airspace too?

So what would be considered “congested areas over towns or city’s”? Does that mean absolutely no flying in towns and city’s or no flying in towns that have lots of people?

Good presentation... one thing though... your mouse pointer/cursor is so small that I could not see it when you were over the sectional map pictures and I could not follow exactly what you were describing. I am using a 41" monitor and the video is full screen... so I've done everything I can...

Is ADS-B now required at and above 10,000 feet, and if so, doesn't that mean no 103 ops are allowed there now ?

Can you do an explanation of the Washington DC area airspace? It's extremely confusing having 3 international airports, a dozen or more regional airports, special flight restrictions with some symbols that aren't even on the legend, TFRs, military bases, national parks, etc. I live near the Manassas Regional Airport (HEF) and just want to know where I can fly nearby.

Video put together very well... Please use a bigger cursor

Where do you go to see which Airport is what class. What websites have that information.

What does a blue line with blue dots inside mean? Outside of phoenix Arizona there are several areas marked this way.

Can you give examples of PPG pilots breaking the rules? I see lots of videos of them circling 100' away from hot air balloons, very close to buildings, and people on the ground.

Where can I get a chart for my area? I went to FAA.gov and couldn't find anything. Is there a website where I can look at my area for flying? (Manassas, Va.)

Is the upper limit of Bravo , Charlie and Delta space defined by MSL, or AGL?

You never cleared up what "within lateral boundaries of class e" mean. Does that only refer to the surface class e?

Hi there, can you recommend some apps for flying PPG?

Can anyone comment how valid this is for say Australia?

If I am flying a part 103 ultralight, why can’t I call-up the tower in a class D airport with my Yaesu aviation handheld and ask em for permission?

you fly in class D if you have an Aviation radio and get Clerance

Need much bigger cursor please. Good material. Thanks

There I was at 17999 feet.... Many a goob hang gliding story occurs at this altitude....LOL

Class E airspace goes up to 17999 feet. 18000 feet is the beginning of class A airspace.

Your pointing arrow is almost invisible. I try to follow it without success. Try to redo this video. It’s confusing enough without having to listen and try to find where you are talking about.

Good review, but you should have enlarged your cursor, it's very difficult to follow along with it.

You mentioned class E airspace above 60,000' MSL, above class A. Are there any holes in class A, or is there any way to "tunnel thru" class A to get there? Like if you had ultralight versions of all the comm gear they demand (& also a pressurized suit for high altitudes)... Is a paramotor technically physically capable of flying that high?

I wish you would redo this and please make your mouse pointer bigger, its very hart to see. This is almost useless, the pointer is like a tinny tiny dot and u move it around to fast. Please redo this.

Yeah, can't see a damn thing your pointing out, was hoping to get something out of this video.

103.15 is one of the idiocies responsible for the extremely low popularity of paragliding in the US compared to other countries. The ratio of paraglider pilots between e.g. Europe and America is 60 (sixty!) to one. When I fly in the Alps I fly over cities and villages and nobody gives a crap. "Congested areas", what a load of nonsense.

-gee, i thought flying was supposed to be fun and free-

Just a little suggestion, could you make your cursor size larger please, I have a little trouble with seeing just exactly what you are attempting to show. thank you . God bless America and Donald John Trump.