Definition
A named transition route on a Standard Terminal Arrival Route (STAR) that begins at or near the Ephrata VOR (EPH) in Washington State and connects en route traffic to the common arrival path of the STAR. Like all STAR transitions, it specifies the fixes, courses, altitudes, and speeds aircraft must follow when joining the arrival from that direction.
Plain English
It is one of the entry routes printed on an arrival chart, named after the Ephrata navigation point. Pilots arriving from that area follow this route to feed onto the main arrival into the destination airport.
Context Anchor
Seen on a STAR chart when selecting or flying the arrival route that starts from the Ephrata side of the procedure.
Derivation
Named after Ephrata, Washington, the location of the Ephrata VOR (EPH). STAR transitions are typically named after the navaid or fix where they begin, so the name simply tells you where the route starts.
Why Pilots Care
Selecting the correct transition ensures the aircraft follows the proper routing, altitudes, and speed restrictions published for that arrival.
Intuition Check
Do not read “transition” here as just a general change. On a STAR, a transition is a specific published route segment with a defined path to fly.
Example Sentence 1
ATC cleared us to descend via the arrival with the Ephrata Transition, so we crossed EPH at the published altitude before joining the common route.
Example Sentence 2
We loaded the Ephrata Transition into the flight management system before departure.