Canada, NS, AirMap confusion

borislip · Sep 8, 2018

I've been trying to check if its generally ok to fly in Canda, Nova Scotia, and has been using AirMap to check, ending up not flying because it claims the entire area is pretty much covered by a "Maritime Control Area Extension 1" . Now, Googling about it, i found out those extensions start at 2200' AGL unless stated otherwise, so i've opened a sectional, and i DON'T see it being stated otherwise at all.

What am i missing. I though i could trust this app, really, but seems like maybe not, after all.

Can someone, better than me at reading sectional, take a look anywhere on Nova Scotia shores, well away from the airports, and tell me what the heck do i miss?

Aerial-Pixel · Sep 9, 2018

I'm not familiar with Nova Scotia airspace but you should be able to fly in a CAE. Below is an excerpt from the Nav Canada Airspace Handbook:
CONTROL AREA EXTENSION: Controlled airspace of defined dimensions within the low level airspace extending upwards from 2200 feet above the surface of the earth unless otherwise specified. CAEs extend to the base of overlying controlled airspace. Even if described with an ASL floor, the base of a CAE shall not extend lower than 700 feet AGL.

borislip · Sep 9, 2018

Aerial-Pixel said:
... the base of a CAE shall not extend lower than 700 feet AGL.

Got it! Not being familiar with it, and barely able to read sectional charts in general, i've been thinking "i am surely missing something", while trying to see where the heck is it marked to extend down to SFC, not seeing it anywhere, and actually seeing 2200 AGL...

I guess i should post this on an AirMap forum for them to fix.

Thanks a lot!

bushie · Sep 9, 2018

Not sure about Canada but I certainly would not rely on AirMap here in Australia. It just shows circles around nearly every airfield, heli pad or dirt strip. In-fact you are allowed to fly outside the fence in most cases unless you become aware of flight operations. I only use airMap for boundaries of national parks.