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 (uncontrolled) airspace place primary responsibility for obstacle clearance and thorough preflight planning on the pilot due to minimal specific regulatory guidance.
Obstacle Departure Procedures (ODPs) are designed for obstacle avoidance at airports with Instrument Approach Procedures (IAPs) but are only legally binding for commercial operators, requiring other pilots to understand their use or plan their own departure.
Pilots remain responsible for obstacle avoidance during IFR departures, particularly in Class G and even after initial "radar contact," with ATC only assuming this responsibility when providing explicit radar vectors.

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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.