Which airspace extends from the surface to 1,200 feet AGL 5 nautical miles around the airfield and 1,200 to 4,000 feet AGL within 10 NM, represented by solid cranberry colored rings?

• A. Class D
• B. Class E
• C. Class C
• D. Class B

Answer: (C)

Class C airspace is a two-layered structure around busy airports, shown on VFR charts by solid magenta (cr cranberry) rings. The inner core extends from the surface up to 4,000 feet AGL within 5 nautical miles of the airport, and the outer shelf sits from 1,200 feet AGL up to 4,000 feet AGL out to 10 nautical miles. The combination of two rings and the cranberry color is what identifies Class C on charts, so the described airspace matches Class C. This differs from Class B (solid blue lines and typically larger, multi-tiered stacks), Class D (dashed blue lines), or Class E areas around airports that aren’t depicted with solid magenta rings. Remember, entry into Class C requires two-way radio communication with ATC and squawking a discrete transponder code.