Definition
A designated waypoint or fix where an arriving aircraft is fed onto a Standard Terminal Arrival Route (STAR) or arrival procedure. It marks the entry point at which the aircraft transitions from en route navigation onto the published arrival sequence into a terminal area.
Plain English
A specific point in the sky where an arriving aircraft joins the published arrival route into an airport. It's the spot where the airplane stops flying directly toward the destination and starts following the standard sequence of fixes that lead it into the terminal area.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA abbreviation lists and in notices about weather-data or satellite-system equipment status.
Derivation
GOES here is shorthand for 'goes to' or 'goes onto', meaning the point at which the aircraft goes onto the arrival procedure. The 'F' adds 'feed point' — the place where traffic is fed into the arrival flow, much like a road merging onto a highway.
Why Pilots Care
The feed point is where the arrival actually begins. Knowing where it is matters for descent planning, speed management, and being ready to fly the published procedure rather than continuing direct.
Intuition Check
A GOES feed point is not a fuel, food, or passenger service point. Here, “feed” means sending data into a satellite weather system.
Example Sentence 1
ATC cleared us direct to the GOES feed point, where we joined the arrival into Denver.
Example Sentence 2
Pilots checked the GOESF feed to confirm cloud cover before filing the IFR flight plan.