Is there something wrong

[drgwentzel]

Flyers,

Please read the AIM 3-1-5. Please tell me if anything sticks out as wrong.

Just wondering if I'm missing something.

Gene

 

[PBristolJr]

FAR 71.33 defines the limits of Class A as

a) That airspace of the United States, including that airspace overlying the waters within 12 nautical miles of the coast of the 48 contiguous States, from 18,000 feet MSL to and including FL600 excluding the states of Alaska and Hawaii, Santa Barbara Island, Farallon Island, and the airspace south of latitude 25°04'00" North.

(b) That airspace of the State of Alaska, including that airspace overlying the waters within 12 nautical miles of the coast, from 18,000 feet MSL to and including FL600 but not including the airspace less than 1,500 feet above the surface of the earth and the Alaska Peninsula west of longitude 160°00'00" West.

(c) The airspace areas listed as offshore airspace areas in subpart A of FAA Order 7400.9S (incorporated by reference, see §71.1) that are designated in international airspace within areas of domestic radio navigational signal or ATC radar coverage, and within which domestic ATC procedures are applied.

So there are actually limited places where it is possible to be VFR above 18,000.

 

[Captain]

Here's the link to the FAA's current AIM:

AIM 3-1-5


What specifically do you see askew?

 

[roncachamp]

Flyers,

Please read the AIM 3-1-5. Please tell me if anything sticks out as wrong.

Just wondering if I'm missing something.

Nothing sticks out as wrong to me, but I'll bet your issue is VFR operations in the flight levels. Not all US airspace FL180 and above is Class A.

 

[roncachamp]

FAR 71.33 defines the limits of Class A as

a) That airspace of the United States, including that airspace overlying the waters within 12 nautical miles of the coast of the 48 contiguous States, from 18,000 feet MSL to and including FL600 excluding the states of Alaska and Hawaii, Santa Barbara Island, Farallon Island, and the airspace south of latitude 25°04'00" North.

(b) That airspace of the State of Alaska, including that airspace overlying the waters within 12 nautical miles of the coast, from 18,000 feet MSL to and including FL600 but not including the airspace less than 1,500 feet above the surface of the earth and the Alaska Peninsula west of longitude 160°00'00" West.

(c) The airspace areas listed as offshore airspace areas in subpart A of FAA Order 7400.9S (incorporated by reference, see §71.1) that are designated in international airspace within areas of domestic radio navigational signal or ATC radar coverage, and within which domestic ATC procedures are applied.

So there are actually limited places where it is possible to be VFR above 18,000.

Not really all that limited, but it's hard to get to most of it. The upper limit of Class A airspace is FL600, it's Class E above that. Note that FAR 71.33 excludes all of Hawaii.