Understanding Aviation Sectional Charts

In the June/July issue of RotorDrone Pro, I covered the various types of airspace with which remote pilots should be familiar and able to identify on aviation sectional charts. Knowledge thereof is essential to stay legal and safe while flying but also necessary to ensure passing the remote pilot exam. Yet airspace is only one part of sectional chart knowledge that remote pilots need to have in to legally, safely, and effectively operate their drones. While there is an almost endless supply of symbols, colors, and alphanumeric data on sectional charts, let’s take some time to explore some of the most common, useful, and impactful symbology that you may encounter. Because of its coverage in a previous article, I will forgo discussions about airspace types; however, it is prudent to recognize that being able to identify airspace on a sectional chart is an essential skill for all remote pilots.

wo resources can be beneficial to remote pilots wanting to learn about sectional symbology. One is the “Aeronautical Chart User’s Guide” (ACUG)), the official government publication about sectional charts and everything on them, You can find it at faa. gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/digital_products/aero_guide. The other is an electronic chart provider, such as SkyVector (). Both resources are great places to become familiar with the wide range of things you may see on a sectional chart. Please note that all sectional charts have