PLT033: MEA, MOCA, and MRA
What code PLT033 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study MEA, MOCA, and MRA before your checkride.
Define MEA / MOCA / MRA
What this means for your checkride
These are IFR enroute altitudes on a chart. The MEA (minimum en route altitude) guarantees obstacle clearance and navaid signal for the whole segment. The MOCA (minimum obstruction clearance altitude) guarantees obstacle clearance but navaid signal only within 22 NM of the station. The MRA (minimum reception altitude) is the lowest altitude a fix can be received.
Flying below a charted minimum risks terrain or signal loss, so the FAA tests what each altitude guarantees and when each applies.
Pilots treat MOCA like MEA. MOCA assures navaid reception only within 22 NM of the station, so it is not a substitute for the MEA over the full segment.
Where to study it
A code on your test report is an area of deficiency. An authorized instructor must review it with you and endorse that review before you take the practical test, and the examiner may revisit it during the oral. Study it until you can explain it out loud, not just recognize the answer.