A Chief Remote Pilot has to be able to read the airspace environment before approving any operation. In practice that means answering four questions with confidence:
Australia’s airspace is divided into five classes — A, C, D, E and G. (Australia does not use Class B or Class F, which is why the list skips those letters.) Each class carries its own operating rules and requirements.
If you can’t interpret the airspace, you can’t properly assess the operation.
Airspace classification sets four things: the level of air traffic service provided, whether aircraft need a clearance, how aircraft are separated from one another, and what additional procedures apply.
For an RPAS operation, those flow straight through to your planning: how you scope the operation, what approvals you’ll need, what communication is required, and where the risk sits in your assessment.
High-level en-route airspace used by high-performance aircraft.
RPAS relevance: Not typically relevant to standard RPAS operations, but worth understanding as part of the overall airspace structure.
Class C surrounds major controlled aerodromes and high-traffic terminal areas where ATC provides a radar service.
RPAS relevance:
Class D surrounds non-capital controlled aerodromes where a procedural (rather than radar) control service is provided.
RPAS relevance:
A CRP must be able to identify Class D airspace, understand its operational constraints, and determine when approvals or controls are required.
Class E is controlled airspace that exists primarily to provide a service to IFR aircraft.
RPAS relevance: Less common at the low levels most RPAS operate at, but important when you’re thinking about the vertical structure of the airspace above an operation.
Class G is uncontrolled airspace.
RPAS relevance: Most RPAS operations occur in Class G. But Class G is not a free pass. It still demands aerodrome awareness, CTAF procedures where applicable, NOTAM review, weather assessment, and active risk management.
Class G does not mean unrestricted — it means uncontrolled.
Airspace is not flat; it is layered vertically. For example, Class G may exist at the surface while controlled airspace begins above it, and steps in that controlled airspace often exist around aerodromes.
Charts show the class of each block of airspace, its lower limit (for example, SFC = surface), and its vertical boundaries.
The lower limit is the point most candidates get wrong. Where a chart shows controlled airspace with a lower limit, that figure is the lower limit of that class of controlled airspace — not the floor of all airspace at that location. If no other class is shown below the noted limit, then Class G exists beneath it, down to the surface. So a block marked with a lower limit of, say, 4,500 ft is controlled airspace above 4,500 ft, with uncontrolled Class G below.
Failing to identify the lower limit, or not understanding what it signifies, is one of the most common mistakes in CRP assessment — it leads operators to either assume airspace is controlled when it isn’t, or miss controlled airspace stepping down over their operation.
A CRP must be able to read both the lateral and the vertical structure of the airspace.
Aviation charts use standard conventions to show airspace:
Charts display the airspace class along with its lateral and vertical limits.
A professional operator should be able to identify the airspace affecting an operation, judge proximity to controlled airspace, and recognise when approvals are required.
Special Use Airspace (SUA) is not an additional class of airspace. It sits within the standard A–G structure and marks areas where specific activities are conducted that pose a higher risk to more routine aviation — Danger Areas, Military Operating Areas, and Restricted Areas.
Because of that elevated risk profile, operations in or near these areas deserve more attention during planning, and access to the area may be restricted.
Danger Areas are locations where hazardous activity may occur — for example military training, parachuting, blasting, live firing, or flying training.
RPAS operations: Generally permitted, but must be risk assessed. Entry does not require approval, but the risk must be actively managed.
MOAs are used for military operations.
RPAS operations: Approval is required, and conditions may apply. Do not operate without first confirming the requirements and obtaining approval.
Restricted Areas limit access for safety or security reasons. They carry a conditional status that tells you how likely access is:
RPAS operations: Approval is required and conditions must be followed. Treat Restricted Areas as controlled environments — not standard airspace.
Airspace is not always active. This applies to controlled airspace and Special Use Airspace alike — Class C and Class D airspace, as well as SUA, may only be active at certain times.
Controlled aerodromes are a good example. Canberra and Melbourne Essendon are Class C aerodromes that are not controlled 24 hours a day, and none of Australia’s Class D aerodromes operate 24 hours a day. When a control tower is not active, the airspace it manages reverts to the classification shown in ERSA for those hours — which changes the requirements that apply to your operation.
Airspace may be permanently active, active during set hours, or activated by NOTAM. Common codes include:
Where to confirm activation times:
Knowing the airspace is only half the job — you also need to know whether it’s active at the time you intend to fly.
A Chief Remote Pilot should be able to:
This is a core competency assessed in CRP scenarios.
We frequently see operators:
In Class G uncontrolled airspace — but this still requires full operational assessment.
Yes — with the appropriate approvals and procedures.
No — but they require careful risk assessment.
Not always — but approval is required and conditions apply.
Airspace assessment is one of the most important responsibilities of a Chief Remote Pilot.
If the airspace is not properly understood:
