Definition
A named geographic point along an airway or instrument procedure, identified by the five-letter name 'HEATT,' used as a fix for navigation, clearance routing, or position reporting. Like all named intersections, it is a fixed location defined by latitude and longitude (and historically by the crossing of two VOR radials or other navaid bearings).
Plain English
HEATT is the name of a specific spot in the sky that pilots and controllers use as a navigation reference point. The name is just a label—pronounceable five-letter codes are assigned to each intersection so they can be spoken clearly on the radio.
Context Anchor
Seen on instrument charts and in instrument procedure examples, especially when using present-position direct navigation to go from where the aircraft is now to a named point.
Derivation
Intersection names are five-letter pronounceable codes assigned by the FAA. They are chosen to be easy to say and hear on a radio, and sometimes reflect a local theme (a city, geography, or a play on words), but the spelling is not a meaningful word. 'HEATT' is simply the assigned identifier for this fix.
Why Pilots Care
Named intersections let ATC issue concise routing instructions and let pilots load a precise point into the GPS or FMS without ambiguity. Knowing how to find, pronounce, and fly to a fix like HEATT is part of basic IFR communication and navigation.
Intuition Check
Do not picture a road intersection or a runway crossing. In this context, an intersection is a named navigation point on an instrument chart.
Example Sentence 1
Cleared present position direct HEATT, then as filed.
Example Sentence 2
After crossing HEATT the pilot began the descent and turned to intercept the localizer.