What is an MEA Gap?

• A. A segment on a jet route where two VORs are slightly too far apart causing reception loss
• B. A gap in obstacle clearance
• C. An MEA gap description
• D. A gap in radio communications

Answer: (A)

An MEA Gap is a portion of an IFR enroute segment where the minimum enroute altitude (MEA) no longer guarantees continuous VOR signal reception because the VORs defining the segment are too far apart for their service volumes to overlap at that altitude. At the MEA, pilots rely on both obstacle clearance and reliable navigation signals; when the two VORs are spaced such that their ranges don’t cover the stretch, reception can be lost, creating a gap in navigation that requires alternate navigation methods or route adjustments. That’s why the best description is a segment on a jet route where two VORs are slightly too far apart causing reception loss. The other options point to obstacle clearance gaps, a vague MEA gap description, or gaps in radio communications, none of which capture the specific issue of VOR coverage between adjacent VORs.