Which airspace is established from the surface to 4,000 feet above the airport elevation with an operational control tower?

The correct answer is Class D airspace. Class D airspace is specifically established around airports that have an operational control tower and typically extends from the surface up to 2,500 feet above the airport elevation, though some circumstances may allow it to go higher. However, it does not extend to as high as 4,000 feet unless it is configured unusually or overlaps with adjacent airspace classifications.

Understanding Class D airspace requires awareness of its purpose, which is to provide air traffic control services to manage the increased traffic around an airport with a control tower, ensuring safe operations in the vicinity of the airport. This differs from Class B and Class C airspaces, which have different requirements and altitude limits. Class E airspace is more commonly associated with areas extending upward from the surface or certain defined altitudes but does not have the same operational structures as Class D. Therefore, Class D is the airspace that fits the criteria of being established from the surface to the specified ceiling in the presence of an operational control tower.