JO 7110.65 Air Traffic ControlJO 7110.65BB · Change 3 · Effective 7/9/2026
Chapter 5 · Section 8
Radar Departures
5 Paragraphs5-8-1–5-8-5
5-8-1 PROCEDURES
When vectoring a departing aircraft on a radar SID, concurrent use of a diverse vector area (DVA) is not permitted.
When the departure route description on a radar SID contains the phrase, “Fly assigned heading,” “as assigned by ATC,” or similar phrases, with a published range of headings in the route description, assign headings or vectors as needed not to exceed those headings in the published range until reaching the MVA/MIA.
REFERENCE
FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 5-6-3, Vectors Below Minimum Altitude.
5-8-2 INITIAL HEADING
Before departure, assign the initial heading consistent with either a SID being flown or DVA, if applicable, when a departing aircraft is to be vectored immediately after takeoff. At locations that have a DVA, concurrent use of both a SID and DVA is not permitted.
PHRASEOLOGY
FLY RUNWAY HEADING. TURN LEFT/RIGHT, HEADING (degrees).
NOTE
1. TERMINAL. A purpose for the heading is not necessary, since pilots operating in a radar environment associate assigned headings with vectors to their planned route of flight. 2. ATC assumes responsibility for terrain and obstacle avoidance when IFR aircraft are below the minimum IFR altitude (MVA, MIA, MEA) and are taken off departure/missed approach procedures, or if issued go-around instructions, except after conducting a visual approach. ATC does not assume this responsibility when utilizing a Diverse Vector Area (DVA) or when operating on SIDs with or without a published range of headings in the departure route description.
REFERENCE
FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 4-3-2, Departure Clearances. FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 5-6-3, Vectors Below Minimum Altitude.
At locations with both SIDs and DVAs, an amended departure clearance is required to cancel a previously assigned SID and subsequently utilize a DVA or vice versa. The amended clearance must be provided to the pilot in a timely manner so that the pilot may brief the changes in advance of entering the runway.
Issue an altitude to maintain with the initial heading when the heading will take the aircraft off a departure procedure that contains both a published lateral path to a waypoint and crossing restrictions.
When conducting simultaneous parallel runway departures utilizing RNAV SIDs, advise aircraft of the initial fix/waypoint on the RNAV route.
PHRASEOLOGY
RNAV to (fix/waypoint), RUNWAY (number), CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF.
EXAMPLE
“RNAV to MPASS, Runway Two-Six Left, cleared for takeoff.”
NOTE
1. TERMINAL. A purpose for an initial waypoint advisory is not necessary since pilots associate this advisory with the flight path to their planned route of flight. Pilots must immediately advise ATC if a different RNAV SID is entered in the aircraft FMS. 2. The SID transition is not restated as it is contained in the ATC clearance. 3. Aircraft cleared via RNAV SIDs designed to begin with a vector to the initial waypoint are assigned a heading before departure.
REFERENCE
FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 3-9-9, Nonintersecting Converging Runway Operations. FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 4-3-2, Departure Clearances. AIM, Para 5-2-7, Departure Control.
5-8-3 SUCCESSIVE OR SIMULTANEOUS DEPARTURES
TERMINAL
Separate aircraft departing from the same airport/heliport/vertiport or adjacent airports/heliports/vertiports in accordance with the following minima provided radar identification with the aircraft will be established within 1 mile of the takeoff runway end/helipad/vertipad and courses will diverge by at least the minimum required, as stated below.
REFERENCE
FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 3-9-7, Wake Turbulence Separation for Intersection Departures. FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 3-9-8, Intersecting Runway/Intersecting Flight Path Operations. FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 5-5-4, Minima, Subpara g.
NOTE
1. FAA Order 8260.46, Departure Procedure (DP) Program, and FAA Order 8260.3, United States Standard for Terminal Instrument Procedures (TERPS), Volume 4, establishes guidelines for IFR departure turning procedures which assumes a climb to 400 feet above the departure end of runway (DER) elevation before a turn is commenced. TERPS criteria ensures obstacle clearance with a climb gradient of 200 feet per nautical mile from the DER. “Immediately after departure” is considered to be any turn that provides at least the minimum required divergence that commences no later than 2 miles from the DER. 2. Consider known aircraft performance characteristics when applying initial separation to successive departing aircraft. 3. When one or both of the departure surfaces is a helipad/vertipad, use the takeoff course as a reference, comparable to the centerline of a runway and the helipad/vertipad center as the threshold.
Between successive departures from the same runway/helipad/vertipad or parallel runways/takeoff courses separated by less than 2,500 feet- 1 mile if courses diverge by 15 degrees or more immediately after departure. (See FIG 5-8-1, FIG 5-8-2, and FIG 5-8-3.)
FIG 5-8-1 Successive Departures
FIG 5-8-2 Simultaneous Departures
FIG 5-8-3 Simultaneous Departures
NOTE
This procedure does not apply when wake turbulence separation is required.
Between simultaneous departures departing in the same direction from parallel runways/takeoff courses, authorize simultaneous takeoffs if the centerlines/takeoff courses are separated by at least 2,500 feet and courses diverge by 15 degrees or more immediately after departure. (See FIG 5-8-5, and FIG 5-8-6.)
REFERENCE
FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 5-5-4, Minima, Subparagraph f.
When both aircraft are flying an RNAV SID:
Between successive departures from the same runway– 1 mile if courses diverge by 10 degrees or more immediately after departure. (See FIG 5-8-1.)
NOTE
This procedure does not apply when wake turbulence separation is required.
Between simultaneous departures from parallel runways/takeoff courses, authorize simultaneous takeoffs if the centerlines/takeoff courses are separated by at least 700 feet and less than 2,500 feet, courses diverge by 15 degrees or more, and departures are released in accordance with the release distance stagger stated in TBL 5-8-1 below.
TBL 5-8-1 Departure Release Distances
| Distance to Divergence(Measured from the further DER) | Minimum Centerline Separation | Release Distance Stagger |
|---|---|---|
| Immediately | 700 | 1000 feet |
| No later than 5 NM | 1020 | 2000 feet |
| No later than 8 NM | 1130 | 3000 feet |
| No later than 11 NM | 1360 | 4000 feet |
NOTE
This procedure does not apply when wake turbulence separation is required.
FIG 5-8-4 Simultaneous Dependent Departures
Between simultaneous departures from parallel runways/takeoff courses, authorize simultaneous takeoffs if the centerlines/takeoff courses are separated by at least 2,500 feet and courses diverge by 10 degrees or more immediately after departure. (See FIG 5-8-5, and FIG 5-8-6.)
NOTE
RNAV SIDs specific to this paragraph are those SIDs constructed with a specific lateral path that begins at the DER.
FIG 5-8-5 Parallel Runway Departures
FIG 5-8-6 Parallel Helipad/Vertipad Course Departures
Between aircraft departing from diverging runways:
Nonintersecting runways. Authorize simultaneous takeoffs if runways diverge by 15 degrees or more. (See FIG 5-8-7.)
FIG 5-8-7 Nonintersecting Runway Departures
Intersecting runways and/or takeoff courses that diverge by 15 degrees or more. Authorize takeoff of a succeeding aircraft when the preceding aircraft has passed the point of runway and/or takeoff course intersection. When applicable, apply the procedure in paragraph 3-9-5, Anticipating Separation. (See FIG 5-8-8 and FIG 5-8-9.)
FIG 5-8-8 Intersecting Runway Departures
FIG 5-8-9 Intersecting Helipad/Vertipad Course Departures
NOTE
This procedure does not apply when wake turbulence separation is required.
REFERENCE
FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 5-5-4, Minima, Subparagraph f.
5-8-4 DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL
TERMINAL. Except as provided in paragraph 5-8-5, Departures and Arrivals on Parallel or Nonintersecting Diverging Runways, separate a departing aircraft from an arriving aircraft on final approach by a minimum of 2 miles if separation will increase to a minimum of 3 miles (5 miles when 40 miles or more from the antenna) within 1 minute after takeoff.
NOTE
1. This procedure permits a departing aircraft to be released so long as an arriving aircraft is no closer than 2 miles from the runway at the time. This separation is determined at the time the departing aircraft commences takeoff roll. 2. Consider the effect surface conditions, such as ice, snow, and other precipitation, may have on known aircraft performance characteristics, and the influence these conditions may have on the pilot's ability to commence takeoff roll in a timely manner.
5-8-5 DEPARTURES AND ARRIVALS ON PARALLEL OR NONINTERSECTING DIVERGING RUNWAYS
TERMINAL. Authorize simultaneous operations between an aircraft departing on a runway and an aircraft on final approach to another parallel or nonintersecting diverging runway if the departure course diverges immediately by at least 30 degrees from the missed approach course until separation is applied and provided one of the following conditions is met:
NOTE
When one or both of the takeoff/landing surfaces is a helipad or vertipad, consider the takeoff course as the runway centerline and the helipad/vertipad center as the threshold.
When parallel runway thresholds are even, the runway centerlines are at least 2,500 feet apart. (See FIG 5-8-10 and FIG 5-8-11.)
FIG 5-8-10 Parallel Thresholds are Even
FIG 5-8-11 Parallel Thresholds are Even
When parallel runway thresholds are staggered and:
The arriving aircraft is approaching the nearer runway: the centerlines are at least 1,000 feet apart and the landing thresholds are staggered at least 500 feet for each 100 feet less than 2,500 the centerlines are separated. (See FIG 5-8-12 and FIG 5-8-13.)
FIG 5-8-12 Parallel Thresholds are Staggered
FIG 5-8-13 Parallel Thresholds are Staggered
NOTE
In the event of a missed approach by an aircraft requiring wake turbulence separation behind it, apply the procedures in paragraph 3-9-6, Same Runway Separation and/or paragraph 3-9-8, Intersecting Runway/Intersecting Flight Path Operations to ensure that the larger aircraft does not overtake or cross in front of an aircraft departing from the adjacent parallel runway.
REFERENCE
FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 5-5-4, Minima, Subpara f.
INTERPRETATION
7110.65, 5-8-5, Departure and Arrivals on Parallel or Nonintersecting Diverging Runways (6-14-2017)
The arriving aircraft is approaching the farther runway: the runway centerlines separation exceeds 2,500 feet by at least 100 feet for each 500 feet the landing thresholds are staggered. (See FIG 5-8-14.)
FIG 5-8-14 Parallel Thresholds are Staggered
When nonintersecting runways diverge by 15 degrees or more and runway edges do not touch. (See FIG 5-8-15.)
FIG 5-8-15 Diverging Nonintersecting Runways
When the aircraft on takeoff is a helicopter or powered‐lift, hold the departure until visual separation is possible or apply the separation criteria in subparagraphs a, b, or c.
REFERENCE
FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 5-8-4, Departure and Arrival.