Slow climb/ MVA's

In the summer some planes don't like to top the MVA's. Put on your EOVM map and remember this section of the 7110.65:

5-6-3. VECTORS BELOW MINIMUM ALTITUDE

Except in en route automated environments in areas where more than 3 miles separation minima is required, you may vector a departing IFR aircraft, or one executing a missed approach, within 40 miles of the radar antenna and before it reaches the minimum altitude for IFR operations if separation from prominent obstacles shown on the radar scope is applied in accordance with the following:

a. If the flight path is 3 miles or more from the obstacle and the aircraft is climbing to an altitude at least 1,000 feet above the obstacle, vector the aircraft to maintain at least 3 miles separation from the obstacle until the aircraft reports leaving an altitude above the obstacle.

b. If the flight path is less than 3 miles from the obstacle and the aircraft is climbing to an altitude at least 1,000 feet above the obstacle, vector the aircraft to increase lateral separation from the obstacle until the 3 mile minimum is achieved or until the aircraft reports leaving an altitude above the obstacle.

So are you saying that you beleive all you need to do is vector an aircraft 3nm clear of those peaks depicted on the EOVM and you are good?

So if a DEN dept. comes off west, leaves the 70 MVA and is still below the 120 MVA and that as long as you are 3NM from the peak on the EOVM you are clean?

I was thinking more like avoiding the 13000-14500 foot peaks as the climbs shallow out. Do you have further guidance, DR?

Sound like this paragraph would apply to those aircraft starting out below the MVA i.e.; departures from an airport or random pop-ups. I could be wrong.

I have always understood the EOVM could be used for exactly that, emergencies.

The paragraph says nothing about starting out beneath the MVA's. It does list two main criteria: three miles from obstacle and climbing to an altitude at least 1000 feet above the obstacle.

But what about the sentence that includes “before it reaches”?

What about it? The aircraft hasn't reached the higher MVA. Does that render this paragraph useless for what I've been talking about? I don't think so. There would be no other way to describe our DR1/4 situation.

I guess what I was saying is that I believe that if you are vectoring a departure or missed approach aircraft “...before it reaches the minimum altitude for IFR operations...” and in compliance with the rest of this paragraph you would be legal. However, I would say that once you reach “the minimum altitude for IFR operations” you would have to remain at those minimum altitudes for IFR operations.

From my understanding the theoryis that, the MVAs are TERPed for known obstructions, but as we just recently learned by the change of the MVA near APA, they are also TERPed for unknown obstructions as well. I think I would use the EOVM in emergencies only. If it were an obstruction displayed on the map with the “^” I MIGHT descend going away from it. But if you are trying to climb, maintaining 3 miles from those altitudes displayed on the EOVM you are much more daring than I.

Just my opinion.