AIM

4/3/14

5−3−5

En Route Procedures

5

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3

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4. Airways and Route Systems

a.

Three fixed route systems are established for air

navigation purposes. They are the Federal airway

system (consisting of VOR and L/MF routes), the jet

route system, and the RNAV route system. To the

extent possible, these route systems are aligned in an

overlying manner to facilitate transition between

each.

1.

The VOR and L/MF (nondirectional radio

beacons) Airway System consists of airways

designated from 1,200 feet above the surface (or in

some instances higher) up to but not including 18,000

feet MSL. These airways are depicted on IFR Enroute

Low Altitude Charts.

NOTE

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The altitude limits of a victor airway should not be
exceeded except to effect transition within or between route
structures.

(a)

Except in Alaska, the VOR airways are:

predicated solely on VOR or VORTAC navigation

aids; depicted in black on aeronautical charts; and

identified by a “V” (Victor) followed by the airway

number (for example, V12).

NOTE

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Segments of VOR airways in Alaska are based on L/MF
navigation aids and charted in brown instead of black on
en route charts.

(1)

A segment of an airway which is

common to two or more routes carries the numbers of

all the airways which coincide for that segment.

When such is the case, pilots filing a flight plan need

to indicate only that airway number for the route filed.

NOTE

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A pilot who intends to make an airway flight, using VOR
facilities, will simply specify the appropriate “victor”
airway(s) in the flight plan. For example, if a flight is to be
made from Chicago to New Orleans at 8,000 feet, using
omniranges only, the route may be indicated as “departing
from Chicago

−Midway, cruising 8,000 feet via Victor 9 to

Moisant International.” If flight is to be conducted in part
by means of L/MF navigation aids and in part on
omniranges, specifications of the appropriate airways in
the flight plan will indicate which types of facilities will be
used along the described routes, and, for IFR flight, permit
ATC to issue a traffic clearance accordingly. A route may
also be described by specifying the station over which the
flight will pass, but in this case since many VORs and L/MF
aids have the same name, the pilot must be careful to
indicate which aid will be used at a particular location.

This will be indicated in the route of flight portion of the
flight plan by specifying the type of facility to be used after
the location name in the following manner: Newark L/MF,
Allentown VOR.

(2)

With respect to position reporting,

reporting points are designated for VOR Airway

Systems. Flights using Victor Airways will report

over these points unless advised otherwise by ATC.

(b)

The L/MF airways (colored airways) are

predicated solely on L/MF navigation aids and are

depicted in brown on aeronautical charts and are

identified by color name and number (e.g., Amber

One). Green and Red airways are plotted east and

west. Amber and Blue airways are plotted north and

south.

NOTE

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Except for G13 in North Carolina, the colored airway
system exists only in the state of Alaska. All other such
airways formerly so designated in the conterminous U.S.
have been rescinded.

(c)

The use of TSO−C145 (as revised) or

TSO−C146 (as revised) GPS/WAAS navigation

systems is allowed in Alaska as the only means of

navigation on published air traffic service (ATS)

routes, including those Victor, T−Routes, and colored

airway segments designated with a second minimum

en route altitude (MEA) depicted in blue and

followed by the letter G at those lower altitudes. The

altitudes so depicted are below the minimum

reception altitude (MRA) of the land−based

navigation facility defining the route segment, and

guarantee standard en route obstacle clearance and

two−way communications. Air carrier operators

requiring operations specifications are authorized to

conduct operations on those routes in accordance

with FAA operations specifications.

2.

The jet route system consists of jet routes

established from 18,000 feet MSL to FL 450

inclusive.

(a)

These routes are depicted on Enroute

High Altitude Charts. Jet routes are depicted in black

on aeronautical charts and are identified by a “J” (Jet)

followed by the airway number (e.g., J12). Jet routes,

as VOR airways, are predicated solely on VOR or

VORTAC navigation facilities (except in Alaska).

NOTE

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Segments of jet routes in Alaska are based on L/MF
navigation aids and are charted in brown color instead of
black on en route charts.