Plain English Meaning

Working out what an arrival chart is actually telling you to do — which path to fly, what altitudes and speeds to hit, and where the procedure starts and ends.

Full Definition

The pilot task of reading and correctly understanding the routing, altitudes, speeds, transitions, and notes published on a Standard Terminal Arrival (STAR) chart so the aircraft can be flown along the arrival as ATC expects. STAR is the abbreviation for Standard Terminal Arrival, a published procedure that links the en route structure to an approach at a destination airport.

Context Anchor

Seen during instrument flight planning, approach briefing, and descent into a busy when a STAR has been assigned or expected.