Legends

Controlled airspace consists of areas in which some or all aircraft are subject to air traffic control, such as Class B, C, D, and E airspace. On sectional charts, vignettes - tinted lines with "hard" and "fuzzy" edges - show the lateral and vertical boundaries of Class E airspace, which goes up to, but does not include, 18,000 feet mean sea level.

A magenta (or purplish) vignette indicates that the floor of Class E airspace is 700 feet above the surface. You often find magenta vignettes around airports, and their shapes usually coincide with the instrument approach procedures at that airport, such as Elkhart-Morton County Airport in the example. A cyan (bluish) vignette indicates that the floor of Class E airspace is 1,200 feet above the surface.

The "fuzzy" side of the vignette wraps itself around the airspace floor, as it does around the airport. The "hard" - or sharply defined - side of the vignette indicates that it abuts a higher airspace floor. In the example, outside of the magenta vignette the floor of Class E airspace is 1,200 feet above the surface. Just to the left of the airport is a cyan vignette, and its "hard" edge abuts uncontrolled Class G airspace.

Class G airspace extends from the surface to - but does not include - 14,500 feet MSL over the contiguous United States and Alaska, including the waters 12 miles from the coast. The airspace between 14,500 and 17,999 feet MSL is Class E airspace.