The airspace directly overlying the town of Findlay is

• A. Surface area Class E airspace
• B. Class D airspace to 2,000 feet
• C. Class E starting at 700 feet AGL
• D. Class G to the surface

Answer: (A)

Starting at the surface: a Class E surface area means the airspace from the ground upward in that area is controlled to protect IFR procedures. This designation is used around airports or towns where instrument approaches exist but there may not be a tower or a higher-level Class B, C, or D ring. So over Findlay, the airspace directly above the town is controlled right from the surface, extending upward to the base of the overlying airspace.

This is different from an area that would be Class D (which would require a tower and typically has the surface boundary of the controlled airspace), or from airspace that only begins at a higher altitude (such as 700 feet AGL). It’s also not completely uncontrolled airspace all the way to the surface.

For pilots, this means IFR traffic is protected from the surface upward in that vicinity, and VFR operations must adhere to the standard VFR minimums applicable in that Class E airspace.