Welcome Guest. Sign in or Signup

2 Answers

MOCA on RNAV SID/ STAR chart

Asked by: 4197 views Airspace, Commercial Pilot, FAA Regulations, General Aviation, Instrument Rating

Why do some of the RNAV SID/STAR chart have MOCA noted along the route even though you will not descend below MEA?

https://www.globalair.com/dtpp/globalair_05461ritaa.pdf

Here is the link for your reference.

Thank you for the help.

Connor.

 

Ace Any FAA Written Test!
Actual FAA Questions / Free Lifetime Updates
The best explanations in the business
Fast, efficient study.
Pass Your Checkride With Confidence!
FAA Practical Test prep that reflects actual checkrides.
Any checkride: Airplane, Helicopter, Glider, etc.
Written and maintained by actual pilot examiners and master CFIs.
The World's Most Trusted eLogbook
Be Organized, Current, Professional, and Safe.
Highly customizable - for student pilots through pros.
Free Transition Service for users of other eLogs.
Our sincere thanks to pilots such as yourself who support AskACFI while helping themselves by using the awesome PC, Mac, iPhone/iPad, and Android aviation apps of our sponsors.

2 Answers



  1. Skyfox on Nov 02, 2016

    The MOCA is there as a safety altitude. While the SID/STAR is normally flown at the MEAs as described, in the event of serious equipment failure, loss of engine power, or whatever, you as a pilot know by the MOCA that’s provided what minimum altitude you can descend down to on those routes and still maintain safe/required obstacle clearance. That is, you will still maintain 1000′ of clearance above the highest obstacle in non-mountainous areas, and 2000′ of clearance in mountainous areas.

    -1 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 1 Votes



  2. Mark Kolber on Nov 06, 2016

    Besides, you might well descend below MEA on a SID or STAR in normal flight. They are not really MEAs in the same sense as the en route charts. Plenty of examples if two “MEAs” for the same SID/STAR route and SUD/STA MESs thousands of feet higher than the same route on an en route chart. For example, compare the DRONE arrival into Norfolk, VA (KORF) with the en route chart over the same route from Raleigh VOR. Seems to be more about separation in case of lost comm than about adequate nav signals.

    OTOH, however, I have not (yet) seen a MOCA that was anything other than a defined MOCA.

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes


The following terms have been auto-detected the question above and any answers or discussion provided. Click on a term to see its definition from the Dauntless Aviation JargonBuster Glossary.

Answer Question

Our sincere thanks to all who contribute constructively to this forum in answering flight training questions. If you are a flight instructor or represent a flight school / FBO offering flight instruction, you are welcome to include links to your site and related contact information as it pertains to offering local flight instruction in a specific geographic area. Additionally, direct links to FAA and related official government sources of information are welcome. However we thank you for your understanding that links to other sites or text that may be construed as explicit or implicit advertising of other business, sites, or goods/services are not permitted even if such links nominally are relevant to the question asked.