Definition
The published altitudes shown on IFR enroute and approach charts that define the vertical limits within which an aircraft may legally and safely fly along a given route or procedure. These include minimum, maximum, and mandatory altitudes that account for terrain clearance, obstacle avoidance, communication and navigation signal reception, and air traffic separation requirements.
Plain English
The altitudes printed on instrument flight charts that tell a pilot how high, how low, or exactly what altitude to fly along a route or procedure.
Context Anchor
Seen when reading IFR en route charts, departure procedures, arrival procedures, and approach charts during instrument flight planning or cockpit navigation.
Derivation
Charted comes from chart, the printed map pilots use for navigation. IFR stands for Instrument Flight Rules. Together the phrase simply means altitudes that are printed on an IFR chart for pilots to follow.
Why Pilots Care
They guarantee safe terrain clearance and signal coverage; deviating below them without authorization can lead to controlled flight into terrain or loss of ATC separation.
Grounding Statement
When a pilot follows a published IFR route, the charted altitudes are part of the information that tells the pilot what vertical space is safe and approved to use.
Intuition Check
Do not read “charted” as merely “drawn on a map.” Here it means officially published for aviation use. Do not assume a charted IFR altitude is always the altitude you are cleared to fly; ATC clearance and the specific procedure still matter.
Example Sentence 1
Before departure, the pilot reviewed the charted IFR altitudes for each segment of the route to ensure terrain clearance.
Example Sentence 2
Reviewing the charted IFR altitudes helped the crew plan the climb gradient needed after departure.