Assignment of Headings to Departures & Missed Approaches

POC: Facility Advisory Board	Date: 2008-01-31
Code: ZLA	Version: 1.20

To quickly navigate to a particular airport, click the link below

BFL

BUR

CMA

CRQ

FUL

HHR

HND

LAS

LAX

LGB

LSV

MYF

NKX

NTD

NZY

ONT

OXR

PMD

PSP

RIV

SAN

SBA

SDM

SMO

SNA

TOA

VCV

VGT

VNY

1. PURPOSE.

This Policy establishes criteria for issuing headings below the applicable minimum vectoring altitude (MVA) to departures and missed approaches from certain ZLA airports.

2. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

The Office of Primary Responsibility for this Policy is the ZLA Facility Advisory Board. This Policy was originally drafted by Eric Stearns, ZLA Facility Engineer, on June 1, 2007. This Policy shall be maintained, revised, updated or cancelled by the ZLA Facility Advisory Board or any organization that supersedes, replaces or assumes the FAB responsibilities. Any suggestions for modification/amendment to this Policy should be sent to the FAB for review.

3. DISTRIBUTION.

This SOP is intended for use by controllers staffing any position that is authorized to issue headings to departing aircraft.

4. BACKGROUND.

In most cases, aircraft must be at an altitude at or above the MVA for the controller to assign a heading. The only exception to this rule for IFR aircraft is covered by 7110.65 5-6-3. It provides that "diverse vector areas" (term defined by the pilot/controller glossary) may be established to permit the assignment of headings to departures operating below the MVA. Each airport included in section 5 has been evaluated for acceptable departure headings. The headings provide a buffer from obstacles to accomodate unfavorable crosswinds and give a margin of error for pilots.

The FAA has published a document titled "United States Standard for Terminal Instrument Procedures" (TERPS). This document covers all aspects of instrument approaches and departures. The TERPS require that pilots climb at a minimum of 200' per nautical mile; pilots are informed of this requirement in AIM 5-2-7. Obstacles around the airports included in the next section have been evaluated to ensure that the pilot will safely clear them with the required 200' per nautical mile climb gradient, using the approved headings, to a distance of 46 NM from the departure airport (unless he/she will cruise at a lower altitude, at 46 NM, the pilot should be at least 9200' above the departure airport elevation). Headings are evaluated from each possible departure runway. In some cases, because of the nature of the obstacle analysis, a heading will be approved off one runway and not for another runway at the same airport.

A few of the airports below have takeoff minimums associated with them in order to use the DVA heading provided. These takeoff minimums are established because of obstacles close to the runway that the pilot will be expected to see and avoid. If the ceiling or visibility is reported as less than the takeoff minimums, use of the DVA headings off that runway are not authorized.

5. REQUIREMENTS.

IFR departures or missed approaches may be issued any heading in the allowable ranges below. The headings assume that the shortest direction of turn will be assigned; a pilot may not be issued an instruction that will require a turn greater than 180 degrees after takeoff. If an aircraft has been assigned an appropriate DVA heading initially, it may subsequently be issued any other heading within that same range while below the MVA. Some runways will have multiple ranges of headings established. In that case, pilots assigned a heading from one range, may not be assigned a heading from another range until above the MVA. For example, ONT has two ranges of authorized headings off runways 26L and 26R. One is heading 210 clockwise through runway heading; the second is 120 clockwise through 150. In this case, if the pilot was initially assigned runway heading, he may still be assigned any heading between 210 and runway heading while below the MVA. He may not be assigned a heading in the 120-150 range until above the MVA. Once a pilot is assigned a heading (or course) outside of the initial DVA range, he must always operate at or above the MVA.

Pilots may depart in one MVA area and subsequently enter a higher MVA area. This is permissible as the headings have been evaluated for obstacle avoidance. The pilot must be above the appropriate MVA prior to assigning a heading outside the DVA range, however. Also, the pilot must always be assigned an altitude at or above the MVA for his position.

Pilots may also be assigned a direct routing to any fix if the direct track from the departure end of the runway to that fix falls in the heading ranges set forth below.

If an airport is not included in the list below, headings may not be assigned to departures or missed approaches. The following headings are approved for all departures and missed approaches: