Definition
To fly a chosen heading that will cause the aircraft to cross and join a specific bearing to or from a non-directional beacon (NDB), as indicated by the automatic direction finder (ADF). The pilot selects the desired bearing, turns to an intercept heading at an angle to that bearing, and holds it until the ADF needle shows the aircraft has reached the bearing line.
Plain English
To fly toward an invisible line running to or from a radio beacon and join it, so you can then track along it.
Context Anchor
Used in ADF navigation when a pilot wants to join a selected path to or from a non-directional radio beacon.
Derivation
‘Intercept’ comes from the Latin intercipere, meaning ‘to seize between’ or ‘to catch on the way.’ In navigation, it means catching the bearing line as you cross it, rather than already being on it. ‘Bearing’ is the direction from the aircraft to or from the station, measured in degrees.
Why Pilots Care
Ensures accurate tracking to or from an NDB without overshooting the intended course.
Grounding Statement
Picture the bearing as an invisible line on the map; intercepting it means flying toward that line until you meet it, then flying along it.
Intuition Check
Intercept does not mean stop or block something here; it means join a selected direction line at an angle. Bearing does not mean an airplane part or a load being carried; here it means a measured direction.
Example Sentence 1
After station passage, the pilot turned to a 30-degree intercept heading to intercept the 270 bearing outbound from the NDB.
Example Sentence 2
To intercept the outbound bearing from the beacon, the crew maintained a heading 20 degrees left of the desired track.