AAAE ACE Operations Module 3 Practice Exam

Understanding VOR service volumes helps pilots know where a VOR signal can be relied on. Terminal VOR is designed for operations in the terminal area and provides reliable guidance to about 25 nautical miles from the station. Low altitude VOR covers a wider area, about 40 nautical miles, suitable for en route navigation at lower altitudes. So the pair of ranges fits standard service volumes: 25 nautical miles for terminal VOR and 40 nautical miles for low altitude VOR. Other options mix these distances, either overstating the terminal range or understating the low-altitude range, which wouldn’t reflect how VOR signals behave in practice. These ranges exist because VOR signals are largely line-of-sight and can be degraded by distance and terrain, so defined service volumes indicate where reception is dependable.