Definition
A fly-over waypoint is a navigation fix that the aircraft must cross directly overhead before beginning the turn to the next leg of the route or procedure. On charts it is shown as a circle with a smaller filled circle inside, and it is used where the procedure design requires the airplane to physically pass over the point — typically for obstacle clearance or airspace containment — rather than turning early to anticipate the next course.
Plain English
A point on a route that you have to fly straight over the top of before you start your turn. You don't cut the corner — you reach the point first, then turn.
Context Anchor
Seen on RNAV departure procedures and route descriptions where the exact place to begin a turn matters.
Why Pilots Care
Flying directly over the point keeps the aircraft on the published path required for obstacle clearance and ATC routing.
Intuition Check
Fly-over does not just mean passing somewhere nearby. In this procedure context, it means cross the specified point before starting the next turn.
Example Sentence 1
The departure procedure shows a fly-over waypoint at the end of the runway centerline, so the crew held heading until they crossed it before starting the left turn.
Example Sentence 2
The pilot identified the FO waypoint on the chart and delayed the turn until directly overhead.