Definition
The lowest altitude at which an aircraft can reliably receive the navigation signals required to identify a specific intersection or fix defined by off-airway navigation aids (such as a VOR radial crossing).
Plain English
The lowest you can fly and still pick up the radio signals needed to confirm you are over a particular fix on the chart.
Context Anchor
Seen on IFR en route charts when a pilot must be high enough to identify a specific intersection using radio navigation signals.
Derivation
Reception' here refers to receiving a navigation signal, not greeting people. The term simply describes the minimum altitude at which signal reception is good enough to identify the fix.
Why Pilots Care
Determines the lowest altitude for reliable navigation signal on a specific route segment, preventing loss of guidance in instrument conditions.
Grounding Statement
An MRA is about being high enough to receive the needed navigation signal, not about being high enough to clear terrain.
Intuition Check
Do not read MRA as a general safe altitude. It is not mainly about obstacle clearance; it is about receiving enough radio signal to identify a charted point.
Example Sentence 1
The chart showed an MRA of 5,500 feet at the intersection, so we climbed before reaching it to ensure we could identify the crossing radial.
Example Sentence 2
The chart showed an MRA of 4500 feet for that segment because lower altitudes blocked the signal.