Sectional chart symbology basics

A VFR sectional chart packs an enormous amount into color and symbol. The essentials:

• Airports — blue or magenta airport symbols. Blue = the airport has a control tower; magenta = non-towered. Ticks around the circle mean fuel is available. The data block lists name, elevation, longest runway length, and CTAF/tower frequency.
• Airspace colors — blue for Class B (solid) and Class D (dashed); magenta for Class C (solid) and surface Class E (dashed magenta). Faded magenta shading marks Class E starting at 700 ft AGL; faded blue marks Class E at 1,200 ft AGL.
• Terrain — color shading and contour lines show elevation; the maximum elevation figure (MEF) in each quadrangle (large blue numbers) gives the highest obstacle/terrain rounded up.
• Obstacles — towers shown as small symbols with their top MSL (bold) and AGL (parentheses) heights; obstacles above 1,000 ft AGL get a taller symbol.
• Navaids — VORs as compass-rose hexagons with frequency boxes; airways (Victor routes) as light-blue lines.

Learning the legend pays off fast. Two habits help most: always check the MEF for terrain clearance along your route, and confirm the floor and ceiling of any airspace your course passes through (shown as a fraction next to the boundary). The current chart's legend panel decodes every symbol — keep it handy until it's second nature.

*Reference and training only. Use current charts for navigation.*