Whats In a Route?

In the not-too-distant past, routes were so simple, werent they? It seemed like all you had to know was the difference between low-altitude Victor airways, and high-altitude Jet routes. These VOR-based routes shaded in black on enroute charts were joined by blue-shaded RNAV-based routes over a decade ago. Low altitude T-routes, high altitude Q-routes, and low altitude helicopter TK-routes have become quite common, and will likely eventually outnumber VOR-based routes. (Where an RNAV route is co-located with a VOR-based route, it is sometimes called a joint route.)

Editorial Staff

Monday, August 10, 2015 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

US air routes have significantly evolved from simple VOR-based Victor/Jet airways to predominantly RNAV-based T, Q, and TK routes, though some legacy NDB-based colored airways persist in specific regions.
Outside the United States, air traffic uses diverse route systems, including specific Bahama and Puerto Rican local routes, and general Air Traffic Services (ATS) routes identified by a phonetic character and numeric identifier.
The future of air navigation points towards the increased adoption of ADS-B routes, which are already in use internationally and are being piloted by the FAA for certain oceanic operations.

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What’s In a Route?

In the not-too-distant past, routes were so simple, weren’t they? It seemed like all you had to know was the difference between low-altitude Victor airways, and high-altitude Jet routes. These VOR-based routes shaded in black on enroute charts were joined by blue-shaded RNAV-based routes over a decade ago. Low altitude T-routes, high altitude Q-routes, and low altitude helicopter TK-routes have become quite common, and will likely eventually outnumber VOR-based routes. (Where an RNAV route is co-located with a VOR-based route, it is sometimes called a joint route.)