Pilot/Controller Glossary
BUFFER AREA
This reproduces published FAA reference text for study. It does not replace the current official FAA publication or regulation.
As applied to an MVA or MIA chart, a depicted 3 NM or 5 NM radius MVA/MIA sector isolating a displayed obstacle for which the sector is established. A portion of a buffer area can also be inclusive of a MVA/MIA sector polygon boundary.
Retrieved from ecfr.gov on July 18, 2026.