3.3 Special Use Airspace (Class F)

Special use airspace (Class F) is airspace within which activities must be confined because of their nature and/or within which limitations may be imposed upon aircraft operations that are not part of those activities.

It can be controlled, uncontrolled, or a combination of both.

When areas of Class F airspace are inactive, they assume the rules of the appropriate surrounding airspace.

1. Advisory vs. Restricted

• Class F Advisory (CYA): A hang glider can enter a CYA (if it could enter the underlying airspace if the CYA did not exist) but must exercise caution.
• Class F Restricted (CYR): A hang glider cannot enter an active CYR unless authorization has been obtained from the user agency.

2. Activity Codes

Each restricted and advisory area is uniquely identified. The letter in brackets in the identification (e.g. CYA 326(H)) identifies the activity within the airspace:

• A - Aerobatics
• F - Aircraft test area
• H - Hang gliding
• M - Military operations
• P - Parachuting
• S - Soaring
• T - Training

3. Example on a VNC

Below is one example of a CYA: CYA 516(P) in Southern Ontario.

As you can see, the VNC has all of the conditions associated with the CYA. In this case, the CYA is active for parachuting operations during daylight hours every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Holidays between 1 Apr and 31 Oct from the ground up to 12,500 ASL.

On occasion, it will be active on other days and/or will extend up to 14,000 ASL and that will be promulgated by NOTAM.

Note

There is an aerodrome in the middle of the CYA, which is consistent with parachuting operations. The aircraft has to take off from somewhere, and it is efficient to have the parachutists land where the aircraft takes off from.