While in Controlled Airspace

[Lurch]

Having an argument over this phrase.

I was not onboard but this is what I was told

ABC is flying Westbound to Port Hardy and was given the following

"Maintain 16,000' while in Controlled Airspace"

Now I am unable to find uncontrolled airspace at 16,000 or above. There is a patch of uncontrolled airspace just west of the Comox MTCA, but the MSA is 15,200' so you are still 800' into controlled airspace.

"All low level controlled airspace above 12 500 feet ASL or at and above the MEA, whichever is higher, up to but not including 18 000 feet ASL will be Class B airspace."

Am I missing something or was this just a mistake on the part of ATC? Or possibly a misunderstanding from the pilot as to what they heard?

[turbo-prop]

Depends where your company plane is coming from? There are a few spots that are green to the east of Port Hardy which would be uncontrolled airspace below 18,000.

[photofly]

From 25 to 50nm east of YZT it's uncontrolled below FL180

Edit:actually that's grid east, not magnetic - my bad. But definitely north east, and south east there's lots.

[16SidedOffice]

What was the route being flown? There is ton's of uncontrolled airspace below FL180 in that part of BC. Check your LO chart.

[NotDirty!]

"All low level controlled airspace above 12 500 feet ASL or at and above the MEA, whichever is higher, up to but not including 18 000 feet ASL will be Class B airspace."

I think you missed the key word in that quote. IF there is controlled airspace above 12.5K, then it is class B; there could be (and is) lots of class G airspace below FL180.

[16SidedOffice]

"All low level controlled airspace above 12 500 feet ASL or at and above the MEA, whichever is higher, up to but not including 18 000 feet ASL will be Class B airspace."

I think you missed the key word in that quote. IF there is controlled airspace above 12.5K, then it is class B; there could be (and is) lots of class G airspace below FL180.

"at and above the MEA" can be a gotcha, as there are numerous airway segments around BC that are Class E above 12,500.

[photofly]

"All low level controlled airspace above 12 500 feet ASL or at and above the MEA, whichever is higher, up to but not including 18 000 feet ASL will be Class B airspace."

I think you missed the key word in that quote. IF there is controlled airspace above 12.5K, then it is class B; there could be (and is) lots of class G airspace below FL180.

"at and above the MEA" can be a gotcha, as there are numerous airway segments around BC that are Class E above 12,500.

Why is that a gotcha and why does it make any difference to the OP?

[16SidedOffice]

It may or may not make any difference to the OP, it was just drifting from the post above where it said "IF there is controlled airspace above 12.5K, then it is class B" which is often misunderstood and isn't always correct.

[ahramin]

"Maintain 16,000' while in Controlled Airspace"

The simple answer here is that most of BC is uncontrolled below 18 000'. See picture below, everything in green is uncontrolled below 18 000'.

There is a patch of uncontrolled airspace just west of the Comox MTCA, but the MSA is 15,200' so you are still 800' into controlled airspace.

"All low level controlled airspace above 12 500 feet ASL or at and above the MEA, whichever is higher, up to but not including 18 000 feet ASL will be Class B airspace."

Where to begin ... I think the MSA of 15 200' you are referring to is the AMA in the top right corner of the picture. If this is the case, it's not an MEA, it's not an MSA, it's an AMA and has no effect on the airspace structure. As a side not, MSAs have no bearing on the limit between class B and E airspace. Only an MEA (found on airways), as stated in your quote above can raise the lower limit of class B airspace.

More importantly, the boundary between class B and E airspace has no bearing on the boundary of the controlled airspace. Whether it's class B or E it's still controlled airspace and you would still have to maintain 16 000'.

Sounds like you and your friends need to go back to basics, get the AIM and the LO charts out and review airspace rules, classifications, and LO charts. If you are flying around IFR and missing stuff like this who know what else is missing? Best to take your time and review the whole thing. Feel free to add questions to this thread, I'm sure you'll get good answers quickly.

[Aeros]

In the interest of splitting hairs, the reference to GASA is outdated. I'm assuming that it was the politically correct crowd that prompted the change but the GASA was renamed the AMA -- Area Minimum Altitude -- several years ago. The concept didn't change but the terminology was updated.

[ahramin]

Thanks Aeros, reference fixed.