VFR in the KSNA Class Charlie

[Mark Hargrove]

I want to test my understanding of Class C rules:

We've departed KSNA for KONT on an assigned heading of 330 and an altitude restriction of 2400'. We've been handed off to SoCal departure already, and within just a couple of minutes or so SoCal tells us to "resume own navigation and maintain appropriate VFR altitudes".

True or false:

• Assuming we're still inside the KSNA Charlie 'core', if we've already reached 2400' then we MUST immediately begin a climb and cannot level off until we (a) reach the outer shelf at 5 DME from KSNA or until we're above the ceiling of the core, i.e., above 4400' (at which point VFR cruising altitude rules will apply)
• If we have not yet leveled at 2400' when ATC releases us to own navigation, we must continue our climb as above even if our planned cruising altitude was, say, 2700', even if it means temporarily going higher than we want until we reach the outer shelf, at which point we can descend back down to whatever we'd planned

--or am I worrying about nothing -- is it OK to level at 2700' even if I'm still inside the core after SoCal cuts me loose for "own navigation"?

-M.

[Andrew Doubleday]

The altitude is entirely at your discretion in this case - you could level at 2,700 and shouldn't be questioned about it at all.

[arb65912]

I also want to understand things properly so allow me another question.

Am I correct thinking that after receiving : "resume own navigation and maintain appropriate VFR altitudes", I would forget about class Charlie and I would just climb for my planned altitude as long as it would follow East-West VFR rule?

[Keith Smith]

Yes. "resume appropriate VFR altitudes" cancels any previous altitude restriction. If you're already talking to the controlling agency for the Class C (Socal Approach), then you have met the communication requirements for flying in that airspace. So, yes, you can essentially forget about the Charlie at that point.

[Mark Hargrove]

So the altitude restrictions as published on the chart are to let pilots what they need to know to stay OUT of the Charlie; once we're inside the Charlie and talking to ATC we're just subject to normal VFR flight rules if we're operating under "own navigation", and subject to their rules and restrictions if they've given us headings and or altitudes?

[Ryan Geckler]

Correct. The two requirements for operating inside Class C airspace are an operating Mode-C transponder and two-way radio communications with ATC. As long as we've said your callsign, you are good to go into the C.