VOR Standard Service volume legality

[Metro752]

iF THAT situation comes up, just ask the controller.

kinda like asking if you have to know that columbus landed in 1492

 

[Bernoulli]

Perhaps I should have directed this question to ATC folks. Any ATC people out there that can answer the question?

 

[Bernoulli]

OK... For all you wise guys out there. Same scenario as originally posted but now you are flying part 135 or 121 and an FAA guy is riding jump seat watching your every move. Whatcha gonna do when ATC tells you to fly direct to the VOR but you are outside that VOR's standard service volume. Can you legally fly direct to it if you can ident it? I know in alll practicallity you would just ask for a vector to cover your butt... but would it be legal to fly to it being outside the service volume?

 

[C425Driver]

Under 135 or 121, the company Ops Specs will grant authorization for Class I Navigation, which allows for flights in the Operational Service Volume of a navaid (not the standard service volume – there’s a difference). The operational service volume is the airspace around a naviad where usable signal can be received. In other words, if you can tune and ID it you can use it regardless of the standard service volume limits of that particular naviad and the Fed in the jumpseat will be happy. The same standard most likely applies to part 91 operations.

C425Driver

 

[Bernoulli]

Under 135 or 121, the company Ops Specs will grant authorization for Class I Navigation, which allows for flights in the Operational Service Volume of a navaid (not the standard service volume – there’s a difference). The operational service volume is the airspace around a naviad where usable signal can be received. In other words, if you can tune and ID it you can use it regardless of the standard service volume limits of that particular naviad and the Fed in the jumpseat will be happy. The same standard most likely applies to part 91 operations.

C425Driver

Thanks for a straight answer. That's what I'm looking for. Do you know by any chance where I can reference operational service volume, or have you only seen it in company ops specs?

 

[hydroflyer]

I always understood the standard service volumes to just be generalizations, not a hard number to go by. Everything is based off of operational service volume. If I remember right, I used to demonstrate this concept to instrument students using a low altitude enroute chart. There are some places that depict a VOR changeover point beyond the standard service volume of one of the VOR's, I think there is one example along the NW Oregon coast. Other times in mountainous terrain, VOR service volume is limited and the back of the AFD will tell you between what radials/distances and altitudes the VOR is limited to.

 

[Bernoulli]

Sounds like "Standard Service Volume" is what is the "Standard" one can expect to recieve in a line of sight situation. Operational Service Volume is what we can legally navigate on an IFR flight plan as long as the VOR can be IDENTed. Does anyone know where "operational Service Volume" is published? I can't find it in the AIM.

 

[satpak77]

Sounds like "Standard Service Volume" is what is the "Standard" one can expect to recieve in a line of sight situation. Operational Service Volume is what we can legally navigate on an IFR flight plan as long as the VOR can be IDENTed. Does anyone know where "operational Service Volume" is published? I can't find it in the AIM.

GOOGLE

 

[hydroflyer]

You may be better off looking this up in the TERPS or Advisory Circulars. Easiest way to find your answer may be to search for "Service Volumes" on the FAA website and see what it pulls up.

 

[jeroom]

I learned that to know the operational service volume of a (H) VOR, you have to do this little math thing:

Distance (NM): 1.23 square root Height (FT)
That will tell you how far away you could receive the VOR depending on your altitude (If you are in the cone).

Ex: 1.23 Square root 10,000 (FT) = 123 NM

Ok, also consider this information as pure book theory...but works most of the time.