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VFR Chart question. BRAVO AIRSPACE (+) plus sign

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2019 5:55 am
by MikeN87
Sorry to take the easy way out here, but I’ve been looking for an answer to this question for a while and I’m hoping someone will have the answer here.

In the New York bravo airspace just south of KJFK there is a shelf marked 7000 over +500. And there are a couple more instances in the combined bravo of Newark, LaGuardia, and Kennedy where a plus sign is in front of the ceiling of a shelf. What does this + mean? Does anyone here know? I can’t seem to find an answer to this anywhere.

Thx
Mike

Re: VFR Chart question. BRAVO AIRSPACE (+) plus sign

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2019 6:27 am
by kullery
“Floors extending "upward from above" a certain altitude are preceded by a (+).”


See https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_ ... mplete.pdf page 17

Re: VFR Chart question. BRAVO AIRSPACE (+) plus sign

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2019 9:13 am
by MikeN87
I must be slow or something. I still don’t get it. The simplest way I could put it is if I want to stay out of the bravo I fly above the top number or below the bottom number. If the + sign means “upward from above” what does that mean? If I see +05 for the bottom number, is the bravo above 500’ or below 500’

Re: VFR Chart question. BRAVO AIRSPACE (+) plus sign

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2019 9:20 am
by kullery
It simply means that the 500 foot elevation is NOT included in that air space......only the space ABOVE (+) 500 feet is included. It's very much a technicality because a given altitude can not simultaneously exist in multiple airspace categories.

Re: VFR Chart question. BRAVO AIRSPACE (+) plus sign

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2019 6:02 pm
by MikeN87
So if i'm understanding this correctly, I could fly at 500' and NOT be in the bravo. Only 501' up to 7,000' is the bravo. Is that correct? I doubt that there is a pilot/autopilot/or altimeter that's that accurate. I'd be happy if I could hold +/- 50' lol

Re: VFR Chart question. BRAVO AIRSPACE (+) plus sign

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2019 7:42 pm
by Keith Smith
Correct. It's a technical distinction that makes no difference in practice. It's typically used to avoid overlapping airspaces. I'm not sure why they bother as there are tons of instances of overlapping airspace, so pilots already have to be aware of the rules which govern which airspace has priority over the others.