Definition
Fly-over waypoints are GPS waypoints that the aircraft must pass directly over before initiating any turn to the next leg of the route. The navigation system does not anticipate or cut the corner; it holds the current course until the aircraft is over the waypoint, then commands the turn.
Plain English
A point on a GPS route that you have to fly directly over the top of before you start turning toward the next point. No early turns allowed.
Context Anchor
Seen on GPS instrument approach procedures and in the GPS flight plan where certain waypoints control exactly when the aircraft may turn.
Derivation
The name describes the action exactly: the aircraft must fly over the waypoint before turning. It is named in contrast to fly-by waypoints, where the aircraft begins turning early to smoothly join the next leg.
Why Pilots Care
Ensures the aircraft remains within protected airspace and meets obstacle clearance requirements at critical points on the procedure.
Analogy
It is like being told to drive all the way to an intersection before turning, instead of taking a shortcut across the corner.
Intuition Check
Do not read “fly-over” as “close enough to pass nearby.” For fly-over WPs, the key action is crossing the waypoint before starting the next turn.
Example Sentence 1
The missed approach point was a fly-over waypoint, so the pilot held heading until the GPS showed the aircraft directly over it before starting the climbing turn.
Example Sentence 2
At the missed approach point the procedure uses a fly-over WP to keep the aircraft aligned until the turn is authorized.