For European pilots who may not be familiar with the terms “Class Bravo” or “Class Charlie” airspace, Class Bravo (or Class B) is the American term for airspace from the surface to 10,000 feet that is normally found around the busiest and most congested airports (roughly 12 airports) while Class Charlie (or Class C) is the term for the airspace from the surface to just 4,000 feet above the primary airport (roughly 123 airports that have airspace that is less busy than Class Bravo airspace) and reaches out 10 miles. In order to fly in these airspaces, a pilot must first contact ATC and receive a clearance to enter the airspace (Be warned: Airspace violations in the USA can be taken very seriously and can even result in temporary license suspensions).
Back in May, we mentioned a useful podcast created by Jason Schappert and posted on his website that walks a pilot through the necessary procedures to enter “Class Bravo” airspace and includes an actual conversation between him and ATC. As a useful follow-up, Brian has recently posted an entry on his blog that includes the transcript of a conversation one might have with Air Traffic Control (ATC) and the Flight Service Station (FSS) while flying under Class Bravo airspace and into Class Charlie airspace. The transcript includes segments dealing with a Tower and Ground and will give any pilot who is currently flying across the pond or plans to an idea of what to say when entering and exiting Class Bravo and Class Charlie airspace.
