On Your Own in Class G

According to 14 CFR 91.173, an IFR flight plan and clearance are only required for flight in controlled airspace, yet most of us have to at least occasionally depart airports within Class G airspace, essentially the only uncontrolled airspace we use. Class G usually ends at 700 or 1200 feet AGL, though there are remote places where its all the way up to 14,500 feet. Other than this, there is little guidance in the regulations…

Editorial Staff

Thursday, July 31, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

IFR departures from Class G airspace place sole responsibility for obstacle clearance on the pilot, as regulations offer little guidance and ATC only assures it upon providing specific radar vectors.
Obstacle Departure Procedures (ODPs) are crucial for obstacle avoidance and are strongly recommended for all IFR departures, even if only legally required for commercial operators, necessitating careful preflight planning.
Thorough preflight planning for IFR departures, especially when originating in Class G, is as critical as for approaches, due to less regulatory guidance and initial lack of ATC-provided obstacle clearance.

See a mistake? Contact us.

According to 14 CFR 91.173, an IFR flight plan and clearance are only required for flight in controlled airspace, yet most of us have to at least occasionally depart airports within Class G airspace, essentially the only uncontrolled airspace we use. Class G usually ends at 700 or 1200 feet AGL, though there are remote places where it’s all the way up to 14,500 feet. Other than this, there is little guidance in the regulations or elsewhere regarding our responsibilities and protections in Class G airspace, so we have to piece it together ourselves.