Definition
A specific named Standard Terminal Arrival Route (STAR) procedure that transitions arriving IFR aircraft from the en route environment toward an airport via the Janesville (JVL) area, using the fourth published revision of that procedure. The number indicates the current revision; each time the procedure is amended, the number increments and the previous version becomes obsolete.
Plain English
It is the name of one particular published arrival route, currently on its fourth version. Pilots fly it as charted to get from cruise into the approach phase at the destination airport.
Context Anchor
Seen on instrument arrival charts, in Air Traffic Control clearances, and in handbook discussions about altitude restrictions on arrival procedures.
Derivation
Named after Janesville, a navigational fix or VOR the route is built around. The word 'arrival' here means a charted procedure for arriving, not just the act of arriving. 'Four' is the revision number — not the fourth arrival into the airport, but the fourth published version of this specific procedure.
Why Pilots Care
It ensures safe, predictable descent profiles, terrain clearance, and orderly traffic sequencing into busy terminal airspace.
Intuition Check
Do not read “arrival” as simply “getting to the airport.” Here it means a specific published instrument route with instructions to follow before landing. Do not read “Four” as four separate arrivals; it is the version number of this named procedure.
Example Sentence 1
Cleveland Center cleared us to descend via the Janesville Four Arrival, so we set up the FMS and verified the crossing altitudes at each fix.
Example Sentence 2
The crew briefed the Janesville Four Arrival to confirm all altitude and speed limits before descent.