Question to FAA Controllers: Airspace Bravo and above

[hzottel]

I have a question to all controllers: What is above Class Bravo (10000ft) to Class Alpha (18000ft) airspaces? For example: LAX or LAS Class Bravo go to 10000ft (as all B's) for understandable reasons. But what is above? Class E would mean I can fly uncontrolled anywhere over LAX at 10500ft although there would be Airliners nonstop climbing out of Bravo to Alpha, especially in the east and north. That would be very dangerous... Same in LAS. Thanks for clarification!

[slatch]

Airspace above Class B and Below Class A is Class E........Class B is between 7000 ft and 12000 ft and below depending on the Airport. Of course they all have a 30 mile Mode C veil. So yes you can fly 500 ft above Class B and not talk to us. Is it smart? well if you know the stars and sids it can be okay. If you dont there could be issues. Always wise to monitor the appropriate atc freq. If your paying attention you will recognize when our the traffic being quoted.

[hzottel]

Thanks Slatch!
Just find it unbelievable that airliners fly 'unprotected' through Class E between FL100 and FL180 where they could hit a small aircraft flying VFR... Wondering that there are never any accidents or airporxes...

[piperboy84]

At least LAX CAT is protected up to 10,000. What about carriers flying out of neighbouring Long Beach, John Wayne and Burbank which I believe are all Class C which tops out a lot lower than LAX's . That's a long climb thru Echo to Alpha unprotected (other than the transponder requirement) . I don't believe you have a similar set up in the UK as CAT traffic leaving the protection of a terminal area to climb for alpha will do so in an airway which means any other traffic will be under positive control. I could be wrong and encourage correction if I am

[vector4fun]

If you were cruising along at 14,500', directly over the large airport would likely be the safest place to be. Where you'd meet all the climbing/descending traffic would be 30-40 miles from the airport. When I've flown out of LAX, we've always departed west over the Pacific, and been climbing out of 10k crossing shoreline back eastbound.

[givdrvr]

KLGB is Class D when the ATCT is open. LAX Class B floor is overlying KLGB at 5000. There is a gap between the top of the Class D and the Class B but turbine a/c do not need to reach FL180 to exit Class E airspace initially. Directly over LAX at 14500 would seem to a safe spot but the LOOP8 DP at LAX makes this a highly risky spot to loiter without ATC advisories since departures are climbing between 10000 and FL180 over the airport. Numerous heavy aircraft= high wake encounter risk. My opinion only your mileage may vary.

http://155.178.201.160/d-tpp/1608/00237LOOP.PDF

[tower_controller]

Yes, there's nothing to stop a VFR pilot from cruising over the top of Bravo at 10,500 or around the edge of it at 12,500. Smart VFR pilots will request flight following, and most controllers will grant it, since they'd rather exchange traffic both ways than call traffic on a VFR target whose intentions are unknown.

[hzottel]

Thanks for all the replys! It's not that I am planning to do so but just find it unbelievable that the airliners e.g. out of LAX to the north or east fly absolutely unprotected from 10000ft to FL180. A wonder that nothing ever happened... Don't want to think what happens when a 757 hits a C172 mid air.
But seems to be no problem, otherwise there would be at least a Charly corridor for the big ones to climb/decent.

[vector4fun]

They are in no way "unprotected". They are still receiving radar traffic advisories, still have TCAS on board, FAA still requires Mode-C, (soon to be ADS-B) above 10,000'. Not any different than all the airliners exiting/entering Class C airspace at smaller airports all over the US.