A quickie,


Class A (Alpha Airspace)

Generally the airspace from FL180 upto and including FL600 including the airspace overlying the waters within 12NM of the coast of the 48 contiguous states and Alaska.


So the question here really is.... what is BEYOND 12NM off the coast of the United States??

What airspace is that? Looking at the sectional chart I see class E (Echo) beyond 12NM off the coast of CA...

so do we class airspace beyond 12NM 'International airspace' if so... what really...is this.....

Errr, no, as far as I know, even though it's class E (in the States) beyond the 12NM off shore, it's still USA airspace. For instance, in Colombia, above FL180 and up to FL600 it's Alpha airspace, but even off shore it's still Alpha airspace. Maybe somebody from the States could answer this question way much better than I could

Can you try to reformulate your question, it isn't very clear?
Were in California do you see Class E, and up to which AGL?

haha of course, I tend write questions late at night when I have time chill by a computer, and reading some of my posts sometimes, I slap myself later, mind you, it's late now!


Basically I was interested in knowing what is beyond 12NM off the cost of america

I was reading...

FAA PILOT'S HANDBOOK OF AERONAUTICAL KNOWLEDGE.

Chapter 13.

Class Alpha Airspace from FL180-600 within 12NM of the coast of the 48 states... etc

I was just wanting to know what was beyond that.

what happens if I fly 12NM off the coast of america?

what is international airspace.... how do I learn bout it, what are the rules, etc

If your lower base (for want of a better word) is, as in the case above, FL180 then below that you are in uncontrolled airspace (provided it does not form part of a lower airspace like B, D,C,G,E etc) [free air, if you like] in British Speak Uncontrolled Airspace but in American I don`t know if they refer to it as uncontrolled airspace or not - I should but I can`t remember. Over the continental United States and with Alpha airspace being the highest, usually, you then move across to B, E and G, generally speaking. Usually, if you are outside of any airspace like Class A either laterally or by being below it (or indeed above E or G or even C or D etc) but below the higher stuff !) then you are in uncontrolled airspace, from a Brit point of view.

Additionally there are international boundaries and ADIZs etc., and somewhere it will be written where are the sovereignty limits of your country - what I mean is - you may be way out in uncontrolled airspace but still within an ADIZ limit, which does not answer your question. I don`t think your question is an Airspace question, I think it could be a sovereignty limitation question, then you will find your international airspace.

Also try an ICAO search engine. Here is a LINK for you too, although I don`t know if this will answer your Q.
http://www.flytandem.com/airspace.htm

Ok, this is actually quite a complex question, because it deals with 2 parameters which are sometimes independant of each other. Airspace and ATC control.
Broadly, your manual mentions something about something happening when you go off the coast of the US. That is BROADLY, because it doesn't always happen.
What they intend on saying here, is that at the BROAD 12nm point the accepted standard of floor and ceilings of Class G and E are changed.
G when not depicted is at 1200ft AGL, here the boundary of your new height will be depicted (not always so clearly) by a wiggly line denoting a change in the floor of E, and ceiling of G. By the way looking at a Los Angeles sectional you would be hard pressed to find them, may I suggest you look at a Miami sectional instead (you can do so here).

Now there is a reason for this change, it is primarily due to airspace control. Out in open sea, ATC releases that airspace below the new floor of E to G, meaning you can almost do whatever it is you want in there, they simply don't expect IFR traffic to fly this low, hence positive control of a flight at this height is not their problem anymore. In simple words, you are VFR or you are simply not.
Class A remains unchanged, at least to the next point, which would be sovereignty over water.
Now, as Fastyjetty mentioned, the simple fact that you are in Government Free airspace does not mean that no one is looking at you, and that you can zoom in and out all day, quite the contrary, and this is were the ADIZ nightmare starts. Familiar with it? No? Well that's the place where you have a date with ATC in accordance with 14 CFR 99 (yes, more of this title 14 stuff) within a specific time frame (15 min prior zone ingression IAC with the DVFR you filed).

That should have answered your question. Noting in the process that Airspace/ATC/Radar Control/Air defense are most times in coherence with each other, but are actually independant.

A little mind boggle for you: Did you know that you could have an active controlled tower at a class G airport??? Sounds ridiculous doesn't it! Just another example of what seems and what is.

Errr, yes, I did know that. We get a lot of that here in Colombia; you are in contact with ATC on a FIS dependence (XXX Control), and in radar contact, suddenly they tell you "Report 10NM out of XXXX airport for freq change, even for IFR flights (once they are descending below class A).

The explanation Harmattan is very...simple, I got it quite easily. Thanks!

Cheers,
Eddie

Yes, I bet you do. But, in the land of Alvaro Uribe, it just might be to widen the government's eyes on drug traffic rather than for accident prevention. Although I doubt that the cartels or the FARCs are making any sort of announcements on CTAF, or zone control frequency, even more so when you have the not so covert "Broncos" flown by CIA mercs buzzing around for them.
Me llamas y vengo para Colombia el momento que la situation se arregla por alla. Pero por el momento me veo contento solamente con las photos que me mandan mis amigos desde Bogota!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! It's not that bad over here, you know...

Suspicious aircraft interception program from the Colombian Air Force seems to be a good practice, they take out one or two smuggler planes once in a while, they are bombing illegal runways, and the effects are starting to be visible. Some 5 months ago, some bad dudes had to land and C206 in the Pacific Coast beach, three Embraer Tucanos were on their asses...I wouldn't like to be in that situation

Puedes venir aqui cuando quieras, te aseguro que pasaras un buen rato!