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Minimum Altitudes

Mark Baker at the AOPA Fly-In earlier this year. Mark Baker AOPA
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • While IFR training focuses on numerous charted altitudes, the article highlights lesser-known "uncharted" altitudes like Minimum Vectoring Altitude (MVA) and Minimum Instrument Altitude (MIA).
  • MVAs are used by radar controllers primarily in terminal areas, allowing for lower altitudes due to radar guidance, whereas MIAs are used in en-route (Center) airspace and do not require radar.
  • Although MVA/MIA charts are publicly available from the FAA, they are intended for controller use, are difficult to interpret directly, and are not integrated into pilot EFBs due to "Not for Navigation" disclaimers and liability concerns.
  • Awareness of MVA/MIA can empower pilots to ask ATC for lower altitudes in specific situations (e.g., icing), providing potential options beyond those published on standard pilot charts.
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Instrument training is littered with acronyms and abbreviations. Altitudes like MEA, MCA, MOCA, OROCA can end up being the bane of students. And that’s just the en-route altitudes. When we get into the terminal environment, we then have the procedural MEAs on SIDs and STARs and, of course, the minimum—and sometime maximum—altitudes for the various segments of instrument approaches, from TAA to procedure turn to intermediate leg to FAF crossing to MDA (or DA) and finally the missed approach altitudes.

Charted IFR Altitudes

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