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Chapter 9 - Airspace: The Wild Blue, Green & Red Yonder 9-21

Compare Chico’s Class D airspace on
this sectional chart excerpt below with
the model to the left.

Fig. 29

During the day, you can usually Class D airspace. This provision is school at a satellite airport to take off
tell if the primary airport is below known as a letter of agreement. It’s or land in a specific direction without
basic VFR minimums by looking at somewhat like a prenuptial agree- first establishing communications
the airport’s rotating beacon. The ment that attempts to prevent the with the tower. Unless you know that
beacon, which flashes white and uppercuts, headlocks and general you are covered by this procedure,
green as it rotates, is normally acti- mayhem associated with divorce you should always establish and
vated at night to help identify an air- hearings. For example, a letter of maintain two way radio communica-
port with runway lights. When it’s agreement with the tower might tions with the tower prior to entering
activated during the day, it means allow pilots from a particular flight Class D airspace.
that an existing ceiling is less than
1,000 feet or the visibility is less than
three miles, or both. Either way, an Martha Lake airport (position 1) is a satellite airport
SVFR clearance (or an IFR clearance within Snohomish’s (position 2) Class D airspace.
if IFR rated) is required to operate
into or out of the surface-based con-
trolled airspace under these conditions.

Satellite Airports Within
Class D Airspace
On occasion, another airport lies
within the lateral boundaries of Class
D airspace, as seen in Figure 30.
Martha Lake airport (position 1), an
uncontrolled airport, lies within the 2
Class D airspace of Snohomish
County airport (position 2).
If you’re landing at Martha Lake,
you need to establish and maintain
two way radio communication with
the primary airport (Snohomish
Tower) prior to entering Class D air-
space. If you’re taking off from 1
Martha Lake airport, you must estab-
lish contact with Snohomish tower as
soon as practicable after departing.
Sometimes a special arrangement
is made with the control tower con- Fig. 30
cerning satellite airports within its