Definition
Low-altitude airways depicted on IFR En Route Low Altitude Charts that serve simultaneously as a Victor airway (a ground-based route defined by VOR navigation aids) and as a T-route (a low-altitude RNAV route flown using GPS or other area navigation equipment). Aircraft using ground-based navigation follow the Victor portion, while aircraft equipped for RNAV may fly the same route using its RNAV definition.
Plain English
A single airway that can be flown two different ways: by following VOR signals from ground stations, or by using GPS. Older aircraft and newer aircraft can share the same route, each navigating with the equipment they have.
Context Anchor
Seen on IFR En Route Low Altitude Charts where a Victor airway and an RNAV route overlap on the same charted segment.
Derivation
"Victor" comes from the letter V in the ICAO phonetic alphabet, used because these VOR-based low-altitude airways are designated with a V prefix (e.g., V23). "RNAV" stands for Area Navigation, meaning navigation by any course rather than only along signals from a ground station. "Joint" simply indicates the route serves both purposes at once.
Why Pilots Care
Gives pilots the option to fly the same published route with whichever navigation equipment is installed or available on a given flight.
Analogy
It is like one stretch of road carrying two highway numbers. The pavement is the same, but the sign you follow depends on the route you were assigned.
Intuition Check
Joint does not mean the routes cross at a junction. Here it means the Victor airway and the RNAV route share the same charted path for that segment.
Example Sentence 1
We filed the joint Victor/RNAV route between the two VORs and flew it using GPS, while the Cessna ahead of us flew the same route tracking the VOR signal.
Example Sentence 2
ATC cleared the flight direct along the joint Victor/RNAV route segment after confirming the aircraft could accept either navigation method.