Sectional Symbols
Every symbol below is read straight off Legend 1 in the FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement — the same legend page handed out at the test center.
Airspace borders
| Class B | Solid blue line |
|---|---|
| Class C | Solid magenta line |
| Class D | Dashed blue line |
| Class E, surface area (sfc) | Dashed magenta line |
| Class E, floor 700 ft. above surface | Vignette (fading) magenta band |
| Class E, floor 1,200 ft.+ above surface, or abutting Class G | Vignette (fading) blue band |
| Class G | No boundary line |
| A bare number, e.g. "2400 MSL" | Where a Class E floor above 700 ft. begins |
FAA-CT-8080-2H, Legend 1, p. 1-1.
Airport symbols
| Open circle | Airport other than hard-surfaced runways |
|---|---|
| Circle with runway tick marks | Hard-surfaced runways 1,500–8,069 ft. |
| Circle with tick marks and a dot | Hard-surfaced runways >8,069 ft., or multiple hard-surfaced runways |
| "(R)" in a circle | Restricted/private use; permission required except emergency |
| "H" in a circle | Selected heliport |
| "U" in a circle | Ultralight flight park |
| Crossed-out circle | Abandoned hard-surfaced runway, 3,000 ft. or greater |
| Anchor symbol | Seaplane base |
FAA-CT-8080-2H, Legend 1, p. 1-1.
Obstructions
| Triangle marker | An obstruction (solid/grouped = a cluster) |
|---|---|
| Plain number, e.g. "935" | Obstruction's top elevation above MSL |
| Parenthetical number, e.g. "(425)" | Obstruction's height above ground level (AGL) |
| "UC" | Under construction, or unverified position/elevation |
FAA-CT-8080-2H, Legend 1, p. 1-1.
Special-use airspace
| Blue vertical hatching | Prohibited ("P"), restricted ("R"), warning ("W"), alert ("A") + number |
|---|---|
| Magenta hatching | Military operations area (MOA), charted by name |
| Blue dot pattern | Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) |
| Gray dashed line | National Security Area (NSA) |
| Dashed arrow, "IR" or "VR" + number | Military training route (IFR or VFR) |
FAA-CT-8080-2H, Legend 1, p. 1-1.
Radio aids to navigation
| Compass-rose-style circle | VOR (VHF Omni Range) |
|---|---|
| Circle with a central box | VORTAC |
| Circle with an offset box | VOR-DME |
| Hexagonal "NDB" symbol | Non-Directional Radiobeacon |
FAA-CT-8080-2H, Legend 1, p. 1-1.
Airport data & frequencies
| "CT – 118.3 ★" | Control tower frequency; ★ = part-time (check NOTAMs/Directory) |
|---|---|
| "NO SVFR" | Fixed-wing special VFR flight prohibited |
| Circled "C" | CTAF, used to self-announce at a non-towered field |
| "RP 23, 34" | Right-traffic runway(s); all others use standard left traffic |
| Underline under a frequency | No voice capability on that frequency |
| Crosshatching over a frequency | Shutdown status |
FAA-CT-8080-2H, Legend 1, p. 1-1.
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