Definition
AeroNav (formerly AeroNav Products, and before that the National Aeronautical Charting Office, NACO) was the FAA branch responsible for producing, publishing, and distributing United States aeronautical charts, instrument procedures, and flight information products such as the Chart Supplement. Its functions are now part of the FAA's Aeronautical Information Services (AIS).
Plain English
AeroNav is the name that used to be on FAA charts and flight publications. It was the FAA office that made and sold the charts pilots use. That office is now called Aeronautical Information Services.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA handbook discussions of Chart Supplements and other official chart products.
Derivation
A shortened form of 'Aeronautical Navigation.' 'Aero' comes from Greek aer, meaning air, and 'Nav' is short for navigation, from Latin navigare, to sail or steer. The name simply identifies the office's job: producing the products pilots use to navigate by air.
Why Pilots Care
When reading older FAA publications or chart references, pilots will see 'AeroNav' or 'NACO' credited as the chart source. Knowing it is the same organization now called Aeronautical Information Services prevents confusion about where current charts come from.
Intuition Check
AeroNav is not an aircraft navigation instrument or a route name. In this context, it refers to the FAA charting and information source behind publications such as the Chart Supplement.
Example Sentence 1
The chart supplement was originally published by AeroNav Products before the function moved to Aeronautical Information Services.
Example Sentence 2
Pilots check AeroNav updates to ensure their navigation publications remain accurate.