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September 29th, 2026

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Diverse Vector Areas

DATE VERSION CONTACT
2025-07-15 2.22 Facility Advisory Board

ZLA Diverse Vector Area Policy

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

Changelog

2.00 Updated all SCT airports with most recently available DVAs. Updated policy organization by TRACON.

QUICKLINKS

KAVX KBFL KBUR KCCB KCNO KCRQ
KEDW KEMT KFUL KHHR KHND KLAS
KLAX KLGB KLSV KMYF KNKX KNTD
KONT KOXR KPMD KPOC KPSP KRAL
KRIV KSAN KSBA KSDM KSEE KSLI
KSMO KSMX KSNA KTOA KVCV KVGT
KVNY KNYL

 

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 this policy has been evaluated for acceptable departure headings. The headings provide clearance from obstacles to accommodate 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.

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.

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, KEDW has two ranges assigned: RWY 22L/R 190 clockwise to 240 and LEFT turn heading 050 to 110. An aircraft departing RWY 22L/R may be assigned heading 190, but then may not be assigned a left turn to 050 until 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 or runway 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:

 

Bakersfield ATC Tower/TRACON (KBFL)

KBFL - Bakersfield:

RWY 12L/R 230 clockwise to 300
RWY 30L/R 220 clockwise to 310
 

Joshua Control Facility (JCF)

KEDW - Edwards AFB:
RWY 04L/R 340 clockwise to 110
RWY 22L/R 90 clockwise to 240; LEFT TURN heading 050 through 110
Lakebed RWYS 360 clockwise to 090; 200 clockwise to 230
KPMD - Palmdale:
ALL RWYS 360 clockwise to 080
KVCV - Victorville:
RWY 3 250 clockwise to 350
RWY 17 RIGHT TURN heading 250 clockwise to 350
RWY 21 250 clockwise to 350
RWY 35 250 clockwise to 350
 

Las Vegas ATC Tower/TRACON (KLAS/L30)

KHND - Henderson:
RWY 17 L/R RIGHT TURN heading 350 to 020
RWY 35L/R 010 clockwise through 050
KLAS - Las Vegas:
RWY 01L/R 010 clockwise to 070; 315 with T/O min. of 1100’/3SM
RWY 07L/R 010 clockwise to 130
RWY 19L/R 160 clockwise to 220
RWY 26L/R 160 clockwise to 190; or RIGHT TURN heading 315; or RIGHT TURN heading 050 clockwise to 070
KVGT - North Las Vegas:
RWY 07 040 clockwise to 070; 110 clockwise to 160
RWY 12L/R 040 clockwise to 050; 090 clockwise to 180 with T/O min. 1000’/3SM
RWY 25 050 clockwise to 220
RWY 30L/R 070 clockwise to 170
 

Nellis AFB ATC Tower/TRACON (KLSV)

KLSV - Nellis:
RWY 03L/R heading 040
RWY 21L/R heading 190
 

Point Mugu NAS (KNTD)

KNTD - Point Mugu NAS:
RWY 03 LEFT TURN heading 210 clockwise to 270
RWY 21 120 clockwise to 280   
RWY 27 120 clockwise to 280
KOXR - Oxnard:
RWY 07 RIGHT TURN heading 160 clockwise to 250
RWY 25 140 clockwise to 270
 

Santa Barbara ATC Tower/TRACON (SBA)

KSBA - Santa Barbara:
RWY 07 090 clockwise to 220
RWY 15L/R 090 clockwise to 261
RWY 25 089 clockwise to 271
KSBP - San Luis Obispo:
RWY 07 130 clockwise to 220
RWY 11 120 clockwise to 220
KSMX - Santa Maria:
RWY 02 280 clockwise to 330
RWY 12 LEFT TURN heading 300 clockwise 330
RWY 20 290 clockwise to 350
RWY 30 280 clockwise to 340
 

Southern California TRACON (SCT)

KBUR - Bob Hope:
RWY 08 130 clockwise to 230 within 14NM
RWY 15 180 clockwise to 270 within 13NM
RWY 26 240 clockwise to 300 within 14NM
RWY 33 250 clockwise to 300 within 12NM
KCNO - Chino:
RWY 03 LEFT TURN 260 within 13NM
RWY 8L/R RIGHT TURN 255 within 13NM
RWY 21 260 within 13NM
RWY 26L/R 260 clockwise to 290 within 13NM
KCRQ - Palomar:
RWY 24 114 clockwise to 009 within 11NM
KEMT - El Monte:
RWY 19 190 clockwise to 264 within 14NM
KFUL - Fullerton:
RWY 24 063 clockwise to 242 within 10NM
KHHR - Hawthorne:
RWY 07 070 clockwise to 180 within 14NM
RWY 25 180 clockwise to 250 within 14NM
KLAX - Los Angeles:
RWY 06L/R 035 clockwise to 210 within 13NM
RWY 07L/R 325 clockwise to 210 within 13NM
RWY 24L/R 120 clockwise to 265 within 13NM; 265 clockwise to 280 within 8NM
RWY 25L/R 120 clockwise to 265 within 13NM; 265 clockwise to 280 within 8NM
KLGB - Long Beach:
RWY 08L/R ALL HEADINGS within 14NM
RWY 12 301 clockwise to 158 within 14NM
RWY 26L/R ALL HEADINGS within 13NM
RWY 30 ALL HEADINGS within 14NM
KMYF - Montgomery:
RWY 10L/R 143 clockwise to 280 within 10NM
RWY 23 099 clockwise to 050 within 10NM
RWY 28L/R 131 clockwise to 056 within 10NM
KNKX - Miramar MCAS:
RWY 24L/R 150 clockwise to 330
RWY 28 heading 150 clockwise to 330
KONT - Ontario:
RWY 8L/R 065 clockwise to 257 within 11NM
RWY 26L/R 110 clockwise to 270 within 9NM
KPOC - Brackett:
RWY 8L/R 100 clockwise to 259 within 11NM
KPSP - Palm Springs:
RWY 13L/R 080 clockwise to 110 within 15NM
RWY 31L/R 350 clockwise to 090 within 15NM
KRAL - Riverside:
RWY 27 285 within 12NM
KRIV - March Air Reserve Base:
RWY 14 150 clockwise to 160
RWY 32 LEFT TURN heading 135 to 150
KSAN - San Diego:
RWY 27 113 clockwise to 063 within 12NM
KSBD - San Bernardino:
RWY 24 250 within 14NM
KSDM - Brown:
RWY 26R 280 clockwise to 329 within 11NM
KSEE - Gillespie:
RWY 27L/R 320 within 15NM
RWY 35 320 within 15NM
KSLI - Los Alamitos:
RWY 04L/R ALL HEADINGS within 15NM
RWY 22L/R ALL HEADINGS within 15NM
KSMO - Santa Monica:
RWY 03 060 clockwise to 210 within 13NM
RWY 21 046 clockwise to 270 within 14NM
KSNA - John Wayne:
RWY 02L/R 196 clockwise to 005 within 11NM
RWY 20L/R 168 clockwise to 011 within 11NM
KTOA - Torrance:
RWY 29L 279 clockwise to 114 within 11NM
RWY 29R 280 clockwise to 114 within 11NM
KVNY - Van Nuys:
RWY 16L 110 clockwise to 210 within 13NM
RWY 16R 110 clockwise to 210 within 13NM
 

Yuma MCAS (KNYL)

Yuma MCAS/Intl.:
ALL RWYS Any heading so long as the aircraft does not enter the 17,000 MVA area north of the airport while below that MVA