Minimum vectoring altitudes not published?

[TangoWhiskey]

I've always been told they're not available to us, but apparently they are online, at least for the major terminal areas:

https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/digital_products/mva_mia/mva/

You need to do some creative looking at a sectional to figure out where the overlay is, but in the DFW area, for example, it was pretty straightforward--look for the circles with higher vectoring mins, then look at the chart to find the towers or terrain that is about 1000' lower than the MVA.

 

[mscard88]

Correct, they are not published. Didn't know you could find them online though. When a controller tells you that's as low as he can vector you it's because of the MVA for that area.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Wow, thanks for finding that Troy....atc's been holding out on me!

 

[midlifeflyer]

Correct, they are not published. Didn't know you could find them online though.

I guess it depends on your definition of the word "published."

My guess is Merriam-Webster would say FAA documents placed on the parts of the FAA website available to the public is encompassed by the standard English definition of the word.

I wonder how new that is. Must be fairly recent or someone else would have come across it by now.

 

[luvflyin]

I guess it depends on your definition of the word "published."

My guess is Merriam-Webster would say FAA documents placed on the parts of the FAA website available to the public is encompassed by the standard English definition of the word.

I wonder how new that is. Must be fairly recent or someone else would have come across it by now.

It was about half a year ago I first saw them. I thought it was here that I heard about it, maybe it was another forum. It does take some time to "self geo reference" to charts. Knowing the location of the Radar antennae helps. Some places where there is lot of varying terrain they use more straight lines instead af arcs around the antennaeuū

 

[Brad Z]

They were mentioned on the red board last June. They're pretty useless as depicted, without georeferencing or details.

 

[airdale]

When I am cleared for takeoff at the home drome, my initial assigned altitude is what I know to be the local MVA. Not sure if that is the case everywhere.

 

[roncachamp]

When I am cleared for takeoff at the home drome, my initial assigned altitude is what I know to be the local MVA. Not sure if that is the case everywhere.

It's not. The initial assigned altitude must not be lower than the Minimum IFR Altitude, it's often higher.

 

[aterpster]

Correct, they are not published. Didn't know you could find them online though. When a controller tells you that's as low as he can vector you it's because of the MVA for that area.

They aren't much good in mountainous areas because they aren't geo-referenced.

 

[Seanaldinho]

Take a look at the Seattle MVA map...

Controllers have to know that thing by heart.

I believe Oaklands is pretty terrible too.

 

[roncachamp]

Take a look at the Seattle MVA map...

Controllers have to know that thing by heart.

No, they don't have to know it by heart. It can be displayed on the scope at the push of a button.