Definition
The geographic center of an airport's usable runway surfaces, expressed as a single latitude and longitude. The Airport Reference Point (ARP) is the official location used to identify and chart an airport.
Plain English
A single point on the map that represents where the airport is. It sits in the middle of the runway area and is used as the airport's official location.
Context Anchor
Seen in airport data, charting information, airport records, and descriptions that measure distance from an airport.
Derivation
Reference comes from a Latin idea meaning “to bring back” or “to point back to something.” In aviation, a reference point is a fixed point you can point back to when identifying or measuring a location.
Why Pilots Care
It gives pilots and systems a single, standardized location for the entire airport, essential for accurate navigation and instrument procedure design.
Intuition Check
Do not assume the Airport Reference Point is a place where you taxi, land, or aim the airplane. It is an official location marker for the airport as a whole.
Example Sentence 1
She entered the destination airport's ARP coordinates into the GPS before departure.
Example Sentence 2
Air traffic control uses the Airport Reference Point coordinates to confirm the airport location during an instrument approach briefing.