Houston

The Houston Class B Airspace

Houston has a relatively simple Class B airspace, especially considering that we have two Class B airports – George Bush Intercontinental (KIAH) and William P. Hobby (KHOU). For an example of a depiction of a very complex Class B airspace, check out the Terminal Area Charts for San Diego, Los Angeles, or San Francisco, CA.

In Houston's airspace, the rings are centered on the VOR's that are located at the two airports – the Humble VOR (IAH) at Intercontinental and the Hobby VOR (HUB) at Hobby. Therefore, if you have DME, you can use these VOR's to help keep you aware of where the Class B rings are, as the distance from the respective VOR is listed on the TAC.

The Class B Surface Area extends about 8nm from each VOR, but there are some notches and tabs in the rings, so check the TAC to be sure. It has a progression of shelves the further out you go, with the floor of the outermost ring starting at 4,000ft. MSL. The ceiling of the Houston Class B is at 10,000ft. MSL.

There are no published preferred VFR Transition Routes through the Class B, but there is a VFR Corridor under the Class B airspace oriented East-West between the two airports, below 2,000ft. MSL. Refer to the Houston TAC for the exact dimensions, but in general, you can fly north of Interstate 10 and south of Interstate 610 below 2000ft. MSL without a Class B clearance.

Be advised, however, that this airspace is very busy, and you should fly with all of your aircraft lighting turned on and make regular position reports on 122.750 MHz, the frequency recommended for air-to-air position reports in VFR corridors by the Aeronautical Information Manual (3-2-3(2)(c)). Also, there are several VFR Flyways indicated on the back of the Houston TAC, under the various Class B shelves.