Definition
A point along an airway or route segment between two VOR navigation aids where a pilot flying the route should switch tuning and navigation reference from the station behind the aircraft to the station ahead. It is depicted on en route charts when it does not occur at the midpoint between two stations, usually because terrain or signal coverage makes one station unreliable beyond a specific distance.
Plain English
The spot on a route where you stop using the navigation station behind you and start using the next one ahead.
Context Anchor
Seen on instrument en route charts and chart legends, especially on route segments between ground-based navigation stations.
Derivation
The name describes exactly what happens at this point: the pilot changes over from one navigation station to the next. The term is used because the change does not always occur where you would expect it (the midpoint), so the chart marks the specific location.
Why Pilots Care
Using the correct changeover point keeps navigation signals accurate and prevents course deviations from weak or off-center signals.
Intuition Check
Do not read “changeover point” as just any convenient place to switch. In this chart context, it is a specific published point, or the halfway point if none is shown.
Example Sentence 1
Approaching the changeover point, the pilot retuned the navigation receiver from the station behind to the next VOR ahead.
Example Sentence 2
The pilot switched frequencies at the changeover point to stay centered on the airway.