Chart Basics
Sectional charts are updated by the FAA every how many days?
56 days
On sectional charts, elevations are always given in feet above what reference?
Mean Sea Level (MSL)
Airports with a control tower are depicted using what color on sectional charts?
Blue
What does an "R" label next to an airport symbol mean?
Private (or restricted/private airport)
What does "CT" followed by a frequency in an airport's information block indicate?
Control Tower frequency
What is the main type of aeronautical chart used by Part 107 drone pilots for reading airspace and other information?
Sectional charts (or VFR sectional charts)
What do the colors on a sectional chart primarily indicate about the ground?
Relief (or topography/terrain elevation changes)
Airports without a control tower are shown in what color?
Magenta
A symbol that looks like an anchor on a chart indicates what type of facility?
Seaplane base
What does the letter "L" (sometimes with a star) tell you about an airport?
Lighting is available (star means limited/part-time lighting)
While terminal area charts provide a more zoomed-in view around major airports, why are they less important today for most UAV pilots compared to using sectional charts online?
Because online tools like SkyVector.com allow unlimited zooming into sectional charts, eliminating the need for separate zoomed-in paper-style charts.
What does the large number found in each quadrant of a sectional chart represent?
Maximum Elevation Figure (MEF) – the highest elevation (terrain or obstacle) in that quadrant
What does a star symbol overlaid on an airport symbol indicate?
The airport has a rotating light beacon
What does a parachute symbol next to an airport indicate?
Parachute jumping/activity (or skydiving) in the area
The number after the lighting symbol (e.g., "60" or "110") represents what?
The length of the longest runway in hundreds of feet
What is the scale of a standard FAA sectional chart (expressed as a ratio)?
1:500,000 (or 1 to 500,000)
How is the Maximum Elevation Figure calculated and displayed (two parts: rounding and digits)?
Rounded up to the nearest hundred feet, and the last two digits are dropped (omitted)
Small tick marks around the outside of an airport's circle mean that what service is available?
Fuel
A small flag symbol on a chart (not an airport) represents what?
Visual checkpoint (or visual reference point)
A circled "C" with a frequency (often 123.0 or similar) stands for what?
CTAF (Common Traffic Advisory Frequency)
Name the website commonly used as a go-to resource for viewing and zooming into aeronautical charts online.
If you see "25" as the Maximum Elevation Figure in a quadrant, what is the actual highest elevation in that quadrant in feet MSL?
2,500 feet (or any elevation from 2,400 to 2,499 feet, since it is rounded up to the nearest 100 and the last two digits are dropped)
Why are runways longer than a certain length shown as actual runway layouts outside a circle rather than inside one, and what is that exact length threshold?
Because they cannot fit to scale inside the circle; the threshold is 8,069 feet
Name three less-common airport or landing facility types (other than standard civil airports) that have unique symbols on sectional charts, and give one example symbol for each.
Any three from: Heliport ("H"), Ultralight ("F"), Private ("R"), Seaplane base (anchor), Abandoned (crossed-out/X), Non-hard surface (empty/open circle)
If a control tower frequency has a star next to it and is followed by a circled "C" with the same frequency, what does this combination mean?
The airport has a part-time control tower; when the tower is closed, the same frequency is used as the CTAF