3 ms·

Yeah, from what I hear Class Bravo airspace is one of those areas that you can flying toward in a Cessna 172, ask to enter, and be pretty much told "no thanks,

Yeah, from what I hear Class Bravo airspace is one of those areas that you can flying toward in a Cessna 172, ask to enter, and be pretty much told "no thanks, not right now". (N.B. Not a pilot, you're all safe).

cpncrunch 11y ago
You can definitely fly in class B in a Cessna. There have been articles on AOPA about this, e.g.: http://flighttraining.aopa.org/magazine/2013/June/feature-little-fish.html http://flighttraining.aopa.org/magazine/2013/June/feature-li... Barry Schiff even wrote an article about flying into LAX in a 172: http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2014/July/Pilot/proficient http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2014/July/Pilot/... I sometimes fly from YYJ (class C) and they're quite adept at fitting the Cessnas in between the 737s and dash-8s. There's no low-level class B here in Canada (only above 12500ft), but the Vancouver class C terminal zone is probably equivalent to the class B around SFO.
- facetube 11y ago
  Interesting, thanks for the links.
swingbridge 11y ago
Not really, a licensed private pilot can fly into class bravo airspace in something like a 172. Happens all the time and the NYC controllers are actually quite good with this. Flew with a pilot friend and ATC took him right over Manhattan and JFK in a little Cessna. However if you act like one of these drones and fly in with no radio comms and no transponder, that's when they scramble the fighter jets.
- tobinfricke 11y ago
  This is true, but ATC can also deny your request to enter Bravo.
tobinfricke 11y ago
This is correct. To enter Class Bravo airspace, one must have clearance from Air Traffic Control. Pilots are free to request clearance through Class Bravo, but it's not always granted. For example, flying a Cessna 172 out of San Carlos Airport in the San Francisco Bay Area, it's very convenient to travel through the nearby Bravo airspace of San Francisco airport. Sometimes it's granted, other times we have to go around. Furthermore, having obtained a Bravo clearance, you must pay close attention to and promptly obey any instructions from ATC (which can be of the form "turn left 10 degrees immediately for traffic avoidance"). By contrast, controllers have no means to track drones or communicate with their pilots.

cpncrunch 11y ago

You can definitely fly in class B in a Cessna. There have been articles on AOPA about this, e.g.: http://flighttraining.aopa.org/magazine/2013/June/feature-little-fish.html http://flighttraining.aopa.org/magazine/2013/June/feature-li... Barry Schiff even wrote an article about flying into LAX in a 172: http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2014/July/Pilot/proficient http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2014/July/Pilot/... I sometimes fly from YYJ (class C) and they're quite adept at fitting the Cessnas in between the 737s and dash-8s. There's no low-level class B here in Canada (only above 12500ft), but the Vancouver class C terminal zone is probably equivalent to the class B around SFO.

facetube 11y ago
Interesting, thanks for the links.

swingbridge 11y ago

Not really, a licensed private pilot can fly into class bravo airspace in something like a 172. Happens all the time and the NYC controllers are actually quite good with this. Flew with a pilot friend and ATC took him right over Manhattan and JFK in a little Cessna. However if you act like one of these drones and fly in with no radio comms and no transponder, that's when they scramble the fighter jets.

tobinfricke 11y ago
This is true, but ATC can also deny your request to enter Bravo.

tobinfricke 11y ago

This is correct. To enter Class Bravo airspace, one must have clearance from Air Traffic Control. Pilots are free to request clearance through Class Bravo, but it's not always granted. For example, flying a Cessna 172 out of San Carlos Airport in the San Francisco Bay Area, it's very convenient to travel through the nearby Bravo airspace of San Francisco airport. Sometimes it's granted, other times we have to go around. Furthermore, having obtained a Bravo clearance, you must pay close attention to and promptly obey any instructions from ATC (which can be of the form "turn left 10 degrees immediately for traffic avoidance"). By contrast, controllers have no means to track drones or communicate with their pilots.