Aeronautical Information Manual

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AIM

3/21/24

Section 6. Operational Policy/Procedures for Reduced Vertical

Separation Minimum (RVSM) in the Domestic U.S., Alaska, Offshore

Airspace and the San Juan FIR

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Page

1. Applicability and RVSM Mandate (Date/Time and Area) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

2. Flight Level Orientation Scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

3. Aircraft and Operator Approval Policy/Procedures, RVSM Monitoring and Databases

for Aircraft and Operator Approval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

4. Flight Planning into RVSM Airspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

5. Pilot RVSM Operating Practices and Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

6. Guidance on Severe Turbulence and Mountain Wave Activity (MWA) . . . . . . . . . . . 4

7. Guidance on Wake Turbulence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

8. Pilot/Controller Phraseology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

9. Contingency Actions: Weather Encounters and Aircraft System Failures that Occur After

Entry into RVSM Airspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

10. Procedures for Accommodation of Non

RVSM Aircraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

RVSM Aircraft Requesting Climb to and Descent from Flight Levels Above RVSM

Airspace Without Intermediate Level Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Section 7. Operational Policy/Procedures for the Gulf of Mexico 50 NM

Lateral Separation Initiative

1. Introduction and General Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

2. Accommodating Non

RNP 10 Aircraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

3. Obtaining RNP 10 or RNP 4 Operational Authorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

4. Authority for Operations with a Single Long

Range Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . 4

5. Flight Plan Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

6. Contingency Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Chapter 5. Air Traffic Procedures

Section 1. Preflight

1. Preflight Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

2. Follow IFR Procedures Even When Operating VFR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

3. Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

4. Operational Information System (OIS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

VFR Flights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

IFR Flights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

7. Flight Plans For Military/DoD Use Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

8. Flight Plan – Defense VFR (DVFR) Flights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

9. Single Flights Conducted With Both VFR and IFR Flight Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

10. IFR Operations to High Altitude Destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

11. Flights Outside U.S. Territorial Airspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

12. Change in Flight Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

13. Change in Proposed Departure Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

14. Closing VFR/DVFR Flight Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

15. Canceling IFR Flight Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

16. RNAV and RNP Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

17. Cold Temperature Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

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