Definition
A VOR class designation indicating a Low altitude VOR. An L-class VOR is usable from 1,000 feet AGL up to and including 18,000 feet AGL, with a standard service volume radius of 40 NM from the station.
Plain English
The letter L next to a VOR on a chart tells you it is a Low altitude VOR. You can rely on its signal from 1,000 feet above the ground up to 18,000 feet, and out to 40 nautical miles from the station.
Context Anchor
Seen in VOR information, chart supplements, and discussions of VOR service volume classes.
Why Pilots Care
Selecting the correct VOR class ensures the station will provide reliable navigation at the pilot's actual altitude and distance.
Intuition Check
Low altitude does not mean any flight that feels low. In this VOR context, L is a specific service-volume class with defined altitude and distance limits.
Example Sentence 1
The chart showed an L next to the VOR symbol, so the pilot knew the station was good out to 40 NM as long as he stayed at or above 1,000 feet AGL.
Example Sentence 2
We chose the L-class VOR over the nearby H-class facility because our route stays in the low-altitude structure.