Aero Academic
Aero Academic
Controlled airspace around the nation's busiest airports, requiring an explicit ATC clearance to enter.
Class B airspace surrounds the busiest airports in the United States — major hubs like Los Angeles, Chicago O'Hare, and Atlanta. It is typically depicted as an upside-down wedding-cake shape on a sectional chart, with progressively larger rings of controlled airspace as altitude increases, tailored to the individual airport's traffic flows.
Unlike Class C or D airspace, where two-way radio contact is generally sufficient, a pilot must receive an explicit ATC clearance ("cleared into the Class Bravo") before entering Class B airspace — simply establishing radio contact is not enough. Minimum equipment requirements include a two-way radio, a transponder with automatic altitude reporting (Mode C), and ADS-B Out.
Student pilots need specific endorsements from an instructor before they may operate solo within Class B airspace or land at its primary airport, and some Class B airports are excluded from student solo operations entirely under 14 CFR 91.131.