FAA Aircraft Dispatcher (ADX)Navigation and ATCHard
An RNAV STAR depicts the missed approach point of the connecting instrument approach as a waypoint requiring the aircraft to overfly the point before beginning the turn. What type of RNAV waypoint is this?
- AA fly-by waypoint, allowing turn anticipation before reaching the point
- BA floating waypoint, whose location varies based on GPS satellite geometry
- CA fly-over waypoint, requiring the aircraft to pass over it before turning
- DA conditional waypoint, used only for radar vectoring
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. A fly-over waypoint, requiring the aircraft to pass over it before turning
A fly-over waypoint requires the aircraft to fly directly over the point before initiating any turn to the next course; this is commonly used at missed approach points and other critical points where early turn anticipation (as with a fly-by waypoint) would be unsafe.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Fly-by waypoints permit turn anticipation before the point, which is not appropriate for a MAP.
- B. RNAV waypoints have fixed coordinates; they do not 'float' based on satellite geometry.
- D. There is no RNAV waypoint category called 'conditional waypoint.'
Fly-over Waypoint
An RNAV waypoint at which the aircraft must fly directly over the point before initiating any turn, used at critical locations such as missed approach points.
- Depicted with a different chart symbol than fly-by waypoints
- No turn anticipation prior to the point
- Common at MAPs and other precise-position-required fixes
Memory trick: 'Fly-BY lets you cut the corner; Fly-OVER makes you touch the dot first'