Aircraft Speed Limits Explained

Richie Lengel

Friday, October 14, 2016 at 07:43 PM ET

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Do you know the specifics on aircraft speed limits? Alamy

Key Takeaways:

Aircraft generally operate at 250 KIAS or less below 10,000 feet MSL, with lower limits (e.g., 200 KIAS) in specific areas such as Class B/C/D airport environments and during procedure turns; above 10,000 feet MSL, speeds are unrestricted up to Mach 1.
Air Traffic Control (ATC) does not have the authority to clear pilots to violate regulatory speed limits, such as the 250 KIAS restriction below 10,000 feet MSL, and pilots are responsible for adhering to these limits and can refuse unsafe speed adjustments.
Specific maximum airspeeds apply to holding patterns, which vary based on altitude (e.g., 200 KIAS at or below 6,000 feet MSL, up to 265 KIAS above 14,000 feet MSL).

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Speed Limits:

In the United States — Mach 1
10,000 feet msl or above — Unrestricted (but not more than Mach 1)
Below 10,000 feet msl — 250 kias
Class B airspace — Unrestricted at or above 10,000 feet msl, 250 kias below 10,000 feet msl
Beneath Class B or in VFR corridor through Class B — 200 kias
Procedure turn — 200 kias
Class C or D airspace (at or below 2,500 feet agl within 4 nm of the primary airport) — 200 kias (unless a higher speed is specifically approved by ATC)
Class E or G airport traffic pattern — 200 kias (recommended)

91.117(d) — If the minimum safe airspeed for any particular operation is greater than the maximum speed prescribed in this section, the aircraft may be operated at that minimum speed. Note: There is no requirement to advise ATC when exceeding a speed for this reason.