pointSixtyFive

5-5-1

Application

JO 7110.65BB, Change 3, effective July 9, 2026 · Official text on faa.gov

  1. Radar separation must be applied to all RNAV aircraft operating at and below FL450 on Q routes or random RNAV routes, excluding oceanic airspace.

    EXCEPTION. GNSS-equipped aircraft /G, /L, /S, and /V on point‐to‐point routes, or transitioning between two point‐to‐point routes via an impromptu route.

  2. Radar separation may be applied between:
    1. Radar identified aircraft.
    2. An aircraft taking off and another radar identified aircraft when the aircraft taking off will be radar‐identified within 1 mile of the runway end.
    3. A radar‐identified aircraft and one not radar‐identified when either is cleared to climb/descend through the altitude of the other provided:
      1. The performance of the radar system is adequate and, as a minimum, primary radar targets or ASR-9/Full Digital Radar Primary Symbol targets are being displayed on the display being used within the airspace within which radar separation is being applied; and
      2. Flight data on the aircraft not radar‐identified indicate it is a type which can be expected to give adequate primary/ASR-9/Full Digital Radar Primary Symbol return in the area where separation is applied; and
      3. The airspace within which radar separation is applied is not less than the following number of miles from the edge of the radar display:
        1. When less than 40 miles from the antenna- 6 miles;
        2. When 40 miles or more from the antenna- 10 miles;
        3. Narrowband radar operations- 10 miles; and
      4. Radar separation is maintained between the radar‐identified aircraft and all observed primary, ASR-9/Full Digital Radar Primary Symbol, and secondary radar targets until nonradar separation is established from the aircraft not radar identified; and
      5. When the aircraft involved are on the same relative heading, the radar‐identified aircraft is vectored a sufficient distance from the route of the aircraft not radar identified to assure the targets are not superimposed prior to issuing the clearance to climb/descend.
    4. A radar-identified aircraft and one not radar-identified that is in transit from oceanic airspace or nonradar offshore airspace into an area of known radar coverage where radar separation is applied as specified in paragraph 8-5-5, Radar Identification Application, until the transiting aircraft is radar-identified or the controller establishes other approved separation in the event of a delay or inability to establish radar identification of the transiting aircraft.