Transiting Controlled Airspace

Controlled airspace is airspace where air traffic control is provided to all aircraft. The boundaries of controlled airspace are clearly defined in the AIP and on aeronautical charts. Before your flight, you must plan which controlled airspace you will transit, what frequencies to use, what altitude you must fly, and what procedures apply.

Transiting controlled airspace means flying through it without landing. You are not departing from an aerodrome in that airspace or arriving at one; you are simply passing through. This is a common situation for cross-country flights that take you across multiple regions.

When you are in controlled airspace, you must remain in contact with ATC on the assigned frequency. You must comply with all ATC instructions regarding altitude, heading, and speed. You must report your position at requested intervals. You must respond immediately to any traffic information or instruction. This is different from uncontrolled airspace with FIS, where you are responsible for your own separation.