Your Vor is History

The only reason for VORs is for airways and instrument approaches. With GPS navigation taking over, its difficult to cost-justify ground-based navigation sources like VORs, many of which are nearing the end of their lives. T and Q routes are popping up, reducing the need for VOR-based airways, and many of us would prefer to fly a GPS-based approach than all the other types. Face it: GPS is in; VORs are out.A few years ago, the FAA wanted to axe half the VORs, but users have collectively pushed back. The current plan is to trim the 967 existing VORs by 300, in three phases of 100 each by 2025.But, its a chicken-or-the-egg thing. They cant get rid of the VORs until they get rid of the airways and the approaches. GPS-direct navigation is common already. So, eliminating airways should be reasonably simple. That leaves approaches as the limitation and the short-term solution. So, for now, the FAAs focus is on eliminating ground-based approaches.

Key Takeaways:

• The FAA is actively transitioning from expensive, aging ground-based navigation systems (VORs and associated approaches) to a more efficient and safer GPS-based navigation environment.
• A systematic process is underway to cancel underutilized or redundant ground-based approaches (e.g., NDBs, VOR/DME RNAV) and replace them with a rapidly increasing number of GPS-based (LPV, LNAV/VNAV) precision approaches.
• Despite general support for GPS, the decommissioning process faces industry pushback regarding specific VOR approach cancellations, necessitating careful planning to address operational needs like non-WAAS aircraft requirements, alternate minimums, and the Minimum Operational Network (MON).

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