Definition
A VOR receiver display showing that the aircraft is positioned on the side of the selected radial that points away from the station, meaning the selected course will take the aircraft further from the VOR rather than toward it.
Plain English
The VOR is telling you that flying the course you have dialed in will lead you away from the station, not toward it.
Context Anchor
Seen on a VOR indicator, course deviation indicator, or horizontal situation indicator when selecting and tracking VOR courses or VHF airways.
Derivation
“From” is the normal direction word meaning “away from a starting point.” In this aviation use, the starting point is the VOR station, and the indication tells you the selected course is away from that station.
Why Pilots Care
It confirms whether the aircraft is tracking outbound on an airway segment, which is required for correct position reporting and airway transitions.
Intuition Check
Do not read FROM as “the airplane is definitely flying away right now.” In VOR navigation, FROM means the selected course points away from the station; the airplane’s actual movement still depends on its heading and wind correction.
Example Sentence 1
After passing the VOR, the CDI flipped to a FROM indication, confirming station passage.
Example Sentence 2
After passing the VOR, the pilot observes the FROM indication to confirm the transition to the next airway segment.