Sectional Chart Symbols

Airports

Towered Airport (Hard Surface)

A blue airport symbol indicates a public-use airport with a control tower. Hard-surfaced runways 1,500 to 8,069 feet are shown as a small filled circle.

Airports

Non-Towered Airport (Hard Surface)

A magenta airport symbol indicates a public-use airport without an operating control tower. Pilots use the CTAF for self-announcing.

Airports

Runway Layout Depiction

Airports with runways 8,069 feet or longer (or any with a hard-surfaced runway over 1,500 feet) are shown as a top-down diagram of the actual runway pattern, oriented to magnetic north.

Airports

Private/Restricted Airport

An "R" inside a circle marks a private or restricted-use airport. Permission from the owner is required before landing. Often shown with the "Pvt" notation.

Airports

Rotating Beacon (Star)

A small star above the airport symbol or name indicates a rotating beacon operating from sunset to sunrise. The beacon helps pilots identify the airport at night.

Airports

Seaplane Base

An anchor-like symbol marks a seaplane base. Color follows the same convention: blue for towered, magenta for non-towered.

Airports

Heliport

A circle containing a stylized "H" identifies a heliport. Heliports are shown in blue if towered or magenta if non-towered.

Airspace

Class B Airspace

Solid blue lines, often in concentric rings forming an upside-down wedding cake. Surrounds the busiest airports. Surface to typically 10,000 feet MSL. Requires ATC clearance to enter.

Airspace

Class C Airspace

Solid magenta lines, typically two concentric rings (5 NM core to surface, 10 NM shelf from 1,200 AGL). Two-way radio communication required to enter.

Airspace

Class D Airspace

A dashed blue line surrounds airports with an operating control tower that are not Class B or C. Typically extends to 2,500 feet AGL. Requires two-way radio communication.

Airspace

Class E (Surface)

A dashed magenta line indicates Class E airspace beginning at the surface. Typically found around airports with instrument approaches but no control tower.

Airspace

Class E (700 ft AGL)

A faded/shaded magenta band marks the lateral boundary of Class E airspace beginning at 700 feet AGL. Below this, the airspace is Class G.

Airspace

Class E (1,200 ft AGL)

A faded/shaded blue band shows where Class E airspace begins at 1,200 feet AGL. Below this altitude the airspace is Class G (uncontrolled).

Airspace

Mode C Veil

A thin solid magenta circle (typically 30 NM around primary Class B airports) within which an operable Mode C transponder is required, surface to 10,000 feet MSL.

NAVAIDs

VOR

A hexagonal symbol marks a VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) navigation station. The compass rose surrounding it shows magnetic radials.

NAVAIDs

VORTAC

A VOR symbol with three filled "lobes" indicates a VORTAC — a VOR co-located with a TACAN. Provides civilian VOR/DME and military TACAN services.

NAVAIDs

VOR/DME

A VOR symbol enclosed in a square box indicates a VOR co-located with Distance Measuring Equipment, providing both bearing and slant-range distance information.

NAVAIDs

NDB

A circle of magenta dots represents a Non-Directional Beacon, a low-frequency radio navigation aid usable with an ADF receiver. Increasingly rare as ground-based navaids retire.

NAVAIDs

Compass Rose

The 360-degree ring around a VOR symbol, oriented to magnetic north, used to read radials. Tick marks at every 5 degrees with larger marks every 10 and 30 degrees.

Obstacles

Obstacle Under 1,000 ft AGL

A small inverted "V" with a dot symbol marks an obstacle less than 1,000 feet AGL. Numbers nearby give MSL height (top) and AGL height (in parentheses).

Obstacles

Obstacle 1,000+ ft AGL

A taller inverted "V" with a dot represents an obstacle 1,000 feet or more AGL. These are significant terrain hazards to enroute aircraft.

Obstacles

Lighted Obstacle

Lightning-bolt-like rays radiating from the top of an obstacle symbol indicate it is lighted at night. Required for obstacles over 200 feet AGL near airports.

Obstacles

Group Obstacle

Two adjacent inverted-V symbols depict a cluster of obstacles such as a wind farm or multiple towers in close proximity. Height shown is the tallest in the group.

Special Use

Prohibited Area (P-)

Blue hatched borders enclose airspace where flight is prohibited. Designations like P-40 (Camp David) or P-56 (Washington DC). Entry is forbidden without special authorization.

Special Use

Restricted Area (R-)

Blue hatched borders with an "R-" designation. May contain hazards to aircraft (artillery, aerial gunnery). Entry only with permission from the controlling agency when active.

Special Use

Military Operations Area (MOA)

A magenta hatched border encloses an MOA. VFR aircraft can transit MOAs but should exercise caution and contact the controlling agency for current activity status.

Special Use

Alert Area (A-)

Magenta hatched border. Indicates high concentration of pilot training or unusual aerial activity. Both transiting and resident pilots are responsible for collision avoidance.

Special Use

VFR Checkpoint

A magenta flag symbol identifies a recognizable landmark used as a position-reporting point, especially when entering Class B or C airspace.

Topography

Maximum Elevation Figure (MEF)

Large blue numbers in each quadrangle represent the highest known terrain or obstacle elevation, in thousands and hundreds of feet MSL. The "2" and "5" of "25" mean 2,500 feet.

Topography

Spot Elevation

A small dot followed by a number marks a spot elevation — the height of a specific terrain feature in feet MSL. Helpful for quick terrain awareness.

Topography

Power Transmission Line

A series of small dots in a line, sometimes with elevation markers. Power lines can be hard to see from the air — especially dangerous at low altitudes.

Topography

Railroad

A solid black line with regular cross-tick marks. Railroads are excellent linear references for VFR pilotage navigation.