A non-tower satellite airport, within the same Class D airspace as the primary airport, requires radio communications to be established with which facility?

• A. Satellite airport's control tower
• B. Primary airport's control tower
• C. Approach control
• D. Center

Answer: (B)

In Class D airspace, you must establish two-way radio communications with the controlling facility before entering. If a satellite airport lies within the same Class D as the primary airport and the satellite does not have its own control tower, the controlling facility for that shared airspace is the primary airport’s control tower. You contact that tower for clearance and instructions just as you would at the primary field. The satellite’s own tower would only be relevant if it existed; otherwise, there’s no separate tower to contact. Approach control and center deal with different airspace and functions, not the immediate entry into a Class D area around a non-towered satellite field. So the primary airport’s control tower is the correct facility to establish communications with.