Which statement best describes the equipment requirement within Class B airspace and within 30 miles of the primary airport?

Which statement best describes the equipment requirement within Class B airspace and within 30 miles of the primary airport?

• A. 4096-code transponder with Mode C encoding altitude
• B. GPS with WAAS is mandatory
• C. VOR/DME required
• D. ADF required for all operations

Answer: (A)

In Class B airspace (and out to 30 miles from the primary airport), radar surveillance with altitude information is required to allow ATC to separate all aircraft effectively. That means your aircraft must have an operable radar beacon transponder that reports altitude to ATC. The standard way this is achieved is with a transponder that uses a 4096-code and encodes altitude in Mode C. So the key requirement is a transponder with altitude reporting capability, which is why this option best describes the equipment requirement. GPS with WAAS, VOR/DME, and ADF are not mandated specifically for Class B access. GPS can be very useful, and other navigation aids have their own roles, but they do not define the Class B equipment requirement in the way that a Mode C altitude-encoding transponder does.

In Class B airspace (and out to 30 miles from the primary airport), radar surveillance with altitude information is required to allow ATC to separate all aircraft effectively. That means your aircraft must have an operable radar beacon transponder that reports altitude to ATC. The standard way this is achieved is with a transponder that uses a 4096-code and encodes altitude in Mode C. So the key requirement is a transponder with altitude reporting capability, which is why this option best describes the equipment requirement.

GPS with WAAS, VOR/DME, and ADF are not mandated specifically for Class B access. GPS can be very useful, and other navigation aids have their own roles, but they do not define the Class B equipment requirement in the way that a Mode C altitude-encoding transponder does.