Definition
A compact receiving antenna made of a coil of fine wire wound around a rod of ferrite (a magnetic ceramic material). The ferrite rod concentrates the magnetic component of incoming radio waves through the coil, allowing the antenna to pick up signals despite its small size. Loopstick antennas are directional — they receive most strongly from the sides of the rod and weakly from the ends — which makes them useful for direction-finding equipment such as the ADF (Automatic Direction Finder).
Plain English
A small antenna built from wire wrapped around a magnetic rod. It is small enough to fit inside an instrument or a small housing, and it picks up signals more strongly from some directions than others, which lets the receiver tell where a signal is coming from.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of aircraft radio receivers and automatic direction finder antenna systems, usually as an internal or installed part rather than something the pilot handles directly.
Derivation
Called a 'loopstick' because the wire is wound in a loop, and the loop is wound around a stick-shaped ferrite rod. The name describes the physical shape.
Why Pilots Care
Allows aircraft to receive directional information from ground-based NDBs for navigation, especially useful in remote areas or as a backup.
Analogy
Picture a small radio antenna wrapped around a pencil-shaped magnetic rod. The rod helps the coil pick up the signal without needing a large outside loop.
Intuition Check
A loopstick antenna is not usually a big loop of wire you can see outside the aircraft. It is a compact coil wrapped around a rod, often hidden inside radio equipment or an antenna housing.
Example Sentence 1
The ADF receiver in the aircraft uses a loopstick antenna to determine the bearing to the NDB.
Example Sentence 2
Maintenance checked the loopstick antenna for damage after the aircraft encountered lightning.