Definition
The lowest altitude, expressed in feet above mean sea level, to which an air traffic controller may vector an aircraft using radar. MVAs are established for each sector of a radar facility's airspace and provide required obstacle clearance (typically 1,000 feet, or 2,000 feet in designated mountainous areas) plus consideration for radar coverage and communications. MVAs are charted on controller radar displays but are not published on pilot charts.
Plain English
The lowest altitude a controller is allowed to send you down to when they're guiding you with radar. It's set high enough to keep you safely above terrain and obstacles in that area.
Context Anchor
Pilots encounter MVAs when discussing radar vectors, approach setup, and why a controller may not be able to descend an aircraft as low as expected in a certain area.
Derivation
“Minimum” means the lowest allowed amount. “Vectoring” in aviation means an air traffic controller is giving headings to guide an aircraft. “Altitude” means height above a reference level, usually mean sea level. Together, Minimum Vectoring Altitude means the lowest altitude a controller may use while guiding an aircraft by assigned headings.
Why Pilots Care
Ensures the aircraft remains at a safe altitude when ATC provides heading instructions instead of a published route or procedure.
Intuition Check
Do not confuse MVA with the pilot’s personal minimums or the published minimums on an approach chart. An MVA is a controller-use altitude for safe radar vectoring in a specific area.
Example Sentence 1
Approach kept us at 5,000 feet well past the final approach fix because the MVA in that sector was higher than the published procedure altitude.
Example Sentence 2
The pilot confirmed the aircraft was above the MVA prior to accepting the vector toward the final approach course.