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Airspace in Poland for VFR pilots
Classes C, D and G, zones around airports, RMZ and TMZ, P, R and D areas - what you may do on a VFR flight, how to read zone limits and how not to infringe airspace. With examples from FIR Warszawa.
Applies to: Poland (FIR Warszawa). Based on the SERA regulation (EU 923/2012) and AIP Poland, AIRAC cycle of 1 October 2026. Other countries have other rules. Before the flight always check the current AIP Poland, NOTAM and AUP/UUP.
How Polish airspace is divided
Applies to: Poland · Source: AIP Poland ENR 1.4, ENR 2.1 · as of 1.10.2026
All of Poland and part of the Baltic Sea form one flight information region: FIR Warszawa (EPWW), from the ground to FL660. It is made up of controlled and uncontrolled airspace and of flexible elements that are in force only when they are booked.
- From FL95 to FL660 - class C, controlled airspace.
- CTRs, TMAs and the military MCTRs and MTMAs below FL95 - class C or D. This is the controlled airspace around airports with air traffic control. CTRs in Poland are usually class D, TMA sectors class C or D.
- The rest of the airspace from the ground to FL95 - class G, uncontrolled. Most general aviation VFR flights take place here.
- Flexible elements: TSAs and TRAs and MRT routes, active only at the times given in the AUP/UUP, as well as P, R and D areas.
The class of a particular zone is given in the AIP (ENR 2.1.1 and AD 2). It changes from time to time, so check it in the current edition or on the map, by tapping the zone.
Classes C, D and G on a VFR flight
Applies to: Poland · Source: AIP Poland ENR 1.4 · as of 1.10.2026
The airspace class tells you what service you get from air traffic services and what is required of you. You can print the table: the printout shows the source and the date of the rules.
Airspace classes in Poland - VFR flights · AIP Poland ENR 1.4 · as of 1.10.2026
| Class | ATC clearance | Radio | Service for a VFR flight | Separation | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | yes | continuous, two-way | separation from IFR, traffic information on VFR | from IFR flights | 250 kt IAS below 10,000 ft AMSL |
| D | yes | continuous, two-way | traffic information on IFR and VFR | none | |
| G | no | not required* | flight information service (FIS) on request | none |
* Except in RMZs, where a continuous listening watch and, when needed, two-way contact apply. Classes A, B, E and F are not used in FIR Warszawa. Educational material: vfrmap.eu/en/academy/airspace-poland-vfr/.
The key difference: in class D the controller does not separate a VFR flight from other aircraft, but only gives traffic information. You are responsible for avoiding collisions yourself, just as in class G. A clearance means that ATC knows where you are, not that nobody will get in your way.
In class G you do not have to talk to anyone, but it is worth it: FIS (e.g. "Warszawa Information") gives information on traffic, weather and active zones, and if you get into trouble it will know where you are. The FIS sector frequencies are on the vfrmap.eu map and in the radio strip of the route profile.
How to read a zone label
Applies to: Poland · Source: AIP VFR ENR 1.4 · as of 1.10.2026
On the vfrmap.eu map every zone has a label along its boundary: the type, the lower and the upper limit. Each part says something different and each refers to a different altimeter setting.
| Notation | Meaning | Altimeter |
|---|---|---|
SFC / GND | from the surface of the ground | - |
3500 | altitude: 3500 ft above mean sea level (AMSL) | QNH |
1000AGL | height: 1000 ft above the terrain below you, rising and falling with the terrain | QNH + terrain elevation from the chart |
FL95 | flight level 95: 9500 ft at standard pressure | 1013.2 hPa |
In Poland at and below 6500 ft AMSL (the transition altitude) you fly on QNH. Below TMA sectors whose lower limit is at or below 6500 ft you set the QNH of the main airport of that TMA. Your altimeter then shows the same as ATC uses, and you compare the TMA lower limit directly with the reading.
Formula · conversions
1 ft = 0.3048 m · 1000 ft ≈ 300 m · 3000 ft ≈ 900 m · 6500 ft ≈ 1980 m
Close to the ground 1 hPa of pressure difference is about 27-30 ft of altitude. The altitude of a flight level: FL × 100 + (QNH - 1013) × 27 ft.
Example: with QNH 1003 hPa, FL95 lies at about 9500 + (1003 - 1013) × 27 ≈ 9230 ft AMSL, i.e. about 270 ft lower than the number suggests.
! Watch out for
- In a low, limits expressed in FL are lower above the ground. Leave a bigger margin below an FL limit when the pressure is low.
- An AGL limit follows the terrain: over a hill a "1000AGL" zone starts higher above sea level than over a valley.
- Treat flying exactly at the limit as flying in the zone. The altimeter has an error and the aircraft does not hold altitude to the foot: leave a margin.
Zones around airports: CTR, TMA, ATZ
Applies to: Poland · Source: AIP Poland ENR 2.1, ENR 2.1.1, AIP VFR ENR 2.1 · as of 1.10.2026
CTR - control zone
A CTR (control zone) starts at the ground and protects the approaches to and departures from a controlled airport, e.g. Warszawa-Okecie or Krakow-Balice. Before entering you need a tower (TWR) clearance. Arrivals and departures are usually routed via VFR reporting points published in the AIP VFR. The military variant is the MCTR: the rules are similar, and the service is provided by a military control unit.
TMA - terminal control area
A TMA (terminal control area) lies above and around the CTR. It does not start at the ground but at a lower limit that rises with distance from the airport. On the map it looks like several sectors, in cross-section like an upside-down cake (Fig. 1). An example from the AIP: Warszawa TMA sector A has limits 2000 ft AMSL - FL225, and sector B 3500 ft AMSL - FL225, both class C.
Below a TMA you fly in class G, without a clearance. You only have to watch your altitude: climbing even a few dozen feet above the sector's lower limit is already an entry into controlled airspace. Many TMA sectors also have an RMZ below them.
ATZ - aerodrome traffic zone
An ATZ (aerodrome traffic zone) is a zone around an uncontrolled airfield, e.g. a flying club one. In Poland an ATZ is class G and does not require an ATC clearance. Many Polish ATZs, however, are active according to the AUP, i.e. only at the times given in the airspace use plan, and in some radio contact is required. Example: at the Babice ATZ boundary you must establish radio contact, and the frequency in use is given by Warszawa FIS or AFIS. The altitudes, frequency and hours of every ATZ are in chapter ENR 2.1 of the AIP VFR.
RMZ and TMZ: radio and transponder
Applies to: Poland · Source: AIP Poland ENR 2.2.1 · as of 1.10.2026
RMZ - radio mandatory zone
In Poland an RMZ (radio mandatory zone) is a class G zone, most often around airports and below TMA sectors, e.g. RMZ CTR Warszawa/Okecie or RMZ TMA Poznan.
- Before entering you make an initial call to the appropriate FIS or AFIS unit: the station called, your call sign, aircraft type, position, altitude and the purpose of the flight.
- In the zone you keep a continuous listening watch and establish two-way contact when needed.
- If an airfield with its own frequency lies in the RMZ, the traffic in its vicinity (circuit, take-off, landing) is conducted on the airfield frequency.
- Without a radio a flight in an RMZ is possible after notifying FIS or AFIS by phone, not earlier than an hour before the flight.
- In the Warszawa RMZ above 1000 ft AMSL continuous two-way contact with the FIS of the sector concerned is required.
Each RMZ has its own hours: some are in force round the clock, others e.g. only during the hours of the airfield's AFIS or outside the tower's hours. RMZs do not apply in active TSAs, TRAs, MRTs and in ATZs in which no AFIS is provided.
TMZ - transponder mandatory zone
A TMZ (transponder mandatory zone) requires a working transponder in mode A and C, unless the ATS unit decides otherwise. Such zones are, among others, around Gdansk, Krakow and Katowice.
An exception: the RMZ DORSZ and TMZ DORSZ also apply in active D areas, TSAs, TRAs, MRTs and ATZs, and flying in them without a radio or transponder requires the permission of the military duty service.
P, R and D areas, TSA and TRA
Applies to: Poland · Source: AIP Poland ENR 5.1, ENR 5.2.1 · as of 1.10.2026
| Area | What it means | Example from the AIP | When it applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| P - prohibited | flight prohibited | EPP1 Pionki: 3 km circle, GND - 3500 ft AMSL | usually H24 |
| R - restricted | flight only under specified conditions | EPR8 Babia Gora National Park: no flights by powered aircraft, GND - FL90 | usually H24 |
| D - danger | activities dangerous to flights, e.g. firing | EPD11 over the Baltic Sea, GND - FL500 | according to the AUP and NOTAM |
| TSA - temporary segregated area | other aircraft cannot fly through | - | according to the AUP/UUP |
| TRA - temporary reserved area | crossing with an ATC clearance or the user's permission | - | according to the AUP/UUP |
In Poland many R areas are national parks. The ban usually applies to powered aircraft, and in some also to balloons, so a glider may have different rules from an aeroplane. Always read the text of the restriction in AIP ENR 5.1.
TSAs and TRAs and MRT routes are in force only when they are booked. The same zone can be free in the morning and active in the afternoon. How to check the AUP/UUP is described in the article TSA and TRA: checking the AUP/UUP before VFR.
Weather: VMC minima in short
Applies to: Poland · Source: SERA.5001, SERA.5005, AIP Poland ENR 1.2 · as of 1.10.2026
The airspace class also decides what weather you need for a VFR flight:
| Altitude | Class | Flight visibility | Distance from cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| FL100 and above | C | 8 km | 1500 m horizontally, 1000 ft vertically |
| below FL100, above 3000 ft AMSL or 1000 ft above terrain (whichever is higher) | C, D, G | 5 km | 1500 m horizontally, 1000 ft vertically |
| 3000 ft AMSL or 1000 ft above terrain (whichever is higher) and below | C, D | 5 km | 1500 m horizontally, 1000 ft vertically |
| G | 5 km* | clear of cloud, with the surface in sight |
* By day in class G, in this layer, 1500 m is enough at speeds up to 140 kt IAS or when the probability of meeting other traffic is low (AIP Poland ENR 1.2). At night 5 km applies.
To take off, land or enter the circuit at an airport in a control zone you need at least a 1500 ft cloud base and 5 km ground visibility at that airport. In worse weather ATC may authorise a special VFR flight, in Poland only by day. These are legal limits, not recommendations: agree higher personal minima with your instructor.
Examples: what do you need?
A few typical situations around Warsaw. Altitudes on QNH, data according to the AIP of 1.10.2026.
| Situation | Airspace | What do you need? |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise at 1500 ft in class G, away from airports, outside an RMZ | G | nothing but VMC - listening to FIS recommended |
| Cruise at 1800 ft below Warszawa TMA sector A (lower limit 2000 ft) | G below the TMA | nothing, but only a 200 ft margin - descend |
| Cruise at 2500 ft in the area of Warszawa TMA sector A | TMA, class C | a Warszawa APP clearance - without it, an infringement |
| Flight in the Warszawa RMZ at 1500 ft | RMZ, class G | continuous two-way contact with FIS (above 1000 ft) |
| Entering the Modlin CTR on the way to land | CTR, class D | a TWR clearance, usually via a reporting point |
| A route through a TSA active according to the AUP | TSA | crossing impossible - go around the zone |
| A flight over Babia Gora National Park in an aeroplane at 5000 ft | EPR8 | prohibited for powered aircraft up to FL90 |
✓ A quick check before every flight
For each leg of the route ask four questions: what class is at my altitude? do I cross an RMZ or TMZ? are the temporary zones on the route active according to the AUP/UUP? which QNH will I set and what margin do I have below the lowest limit? The route profile on the vfrmap.eu map shows the airspace crossed at the planned altitude.
The most common infringements and how to avoid them
- Climbing into a TMA. After take-off it is easy to go above a sector's lower limit. Plan the cruise altitude with a margin below the lowest sector on the route.
- Entering a CTR without a clearance. Plan the route to avoid the CTR, or plan the entry via a reporting point in advance and call the tower early.
- An active TSA, TRA or ATZ. A zone that was free yesterday may be booked today. Check the AUP/UUP before the flight and listen to FIS in flight.
- The wrong pressure on the altimeter. A 4 hPa difference is over 100 ft. Get the current QNH from the ATIS, a METAR or FIS.
- No initial call in an RMZ. Before you enter an RMZ, make the initial call. RMZ limits are labelled on the map.
- Out-of-date data. Zone limits change every AIRAC cycle (28 days). Before the flight compare the route with the current AIP and NOTAM.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a clearance or a radio for a VFR flight in class G?
You do not need an air traffic control clearance. A radio is mandatory in RMZs and a transponder in TMZs. Outside them radio contact is not required, but it is worth listening to FIS, which gives information on traffic and active zones.
How high does class G airspace reach in Poland?
From the ground to FL95, outside the CTRs and TMAs around controlled airports and outside active TSAs, TRAs and MRTs. From FL95 to FL660 the airspace is controlled, class C.
Is there class E airspace in Poland?
No. According to AIP Poland ENR 1.4 only classes C, D and G are used in FIR Warszawa. Classes A, B, E and F are not used.
Can I fly through an active TSA or TRA?
An aircraft not taking part in the operations planned in an active TSA cannot fly through it (apart from rescue and similar flights coordinated with ATS). An active TRA can be crossed with an ATC clearance when the TRA has a controlled airspace class, or with its user's permission in other cases (AIP Poland ENR 5.2.1).
What is an RMZ?
An RMZ is a radio mandatory zone. In Poland it is class G airspace in which you make an initial call to FIS or AFIS before entering and keep a continuous listening watch. Without a radio the flight is possible after notifying by phone beforehand.
Sources
- AIP Poland, AIRAC cycle of 1.10.2026: ENR 1.2 (VFR rules), ENR 1.4 (airspace classes), ENR 2.1 and 2.1.1 (FIR, TMA), ENR 2.2.1 (RMZ, TMZ), ENR 5.1 (P, R, D areas), ENR 5.2.1 (TSA, TRA) - ais.pansa.pl
- AIP VFR Poland: ENR 1.3 (VMC minima), ENR 1.4 (altimeter setting), ENR 2.1 (ATZ) - ais.pansa.pl
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 923/2012 (SERA) - eur-lex.europa.eu
Educational material. It does not replace flight training, the current AIP Poland, NOTAM or the regulations. The examples describe the situation on 1 October 2026 and are not information about current zone activity. Spotted a mistake? Write to info@vfrmap.eu.