Definition
A waypoint defined by latitude and longitude coordinates that is used by a flight management system or area navigation (RNAV) computer to construct a flight path. It is not a physical ground-based navigation aid; it exists only as a coordinate point stored in the navigation database.
Plain English
A point in space defined only by its position on the map, used by the airplane's navigation computer to guide the flight. There is no radio beacon or station on the ground at that point — it is just a set of coordinates the computer flies to.
Context Anchor
Seen on or behind instrument procedures and route data used by aircraft navigation systems.
Derivation
The phrase reflects the shift from ground-based navigation (where a fix was usually defined by a radio station or the intersection of two radio signals) to computer-based navigation, where the fix is simply a stored coordinate the onboard computer can navigate to directly.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots need to recognize these positions so they are not surprised by waypoints shown on the flight display that are absent from their charts.
Intuition Check
Do not read “fix” as something being repaired. Here, a fix is a known point in space, and “computer” means the point is intended mainly for the aircraft’s navigation system.
Example Sentence 1
The approach used several computer navigation fixes that the GPS sequenced automatically as the airplane tracked the final course.
Example Sentence 2
The pilot checked the coordinates of each Computer Navigation Fix before loading the route.