Definition
A geographical position determined by visual reference to the surface, by reference to one or more radio navigational aids, by celestial plotting, or by another navigational device. A fix is used to identify a specific point in space along a route, an arrival or departure procedure, or a holding pattern.
Plain English
A known, named point in the sky that pilots and controllers can both identify. It tells you exactly where you are or where you're going on a route.
Context Anchor
Seen on charts, routes, clearances, and approach procedures as named points an aircraft may fly to, cross, or report.
Derivation
From the Latin 'fixus,' meaning fastened or set in place. Sailors and early aviators used the word to describe pinning down their position on a chart. The aviation meaning carries that same idea — a position that is set, named, and shared.
Why Pilots Care
Fixes let pilots confirm their location, follow assigned routes, and meet crossing restrictions safely.
Intuition Check
Do not read fix as “repair.” In this context, a fix is a fixed, identified position used for navigation.
Example Sentence 1
ATC instructed the pilot to hold at the JONES fix until further clearance.
Example Sentence 2
We turned at the next fix to join the arrival route.