Definition
A specific named waypoint used in FAA training and reference material as a representative example when illustrating off-route obstruction clearance altitudes (OROCAs) and area navigation concepts. MIRAJ is a real published five-letter waypoint identifier in the National Airspace System, but in the Instrument Procedures Handbook it appears as a sample point on a chart used to demonstrate how OROCA values are read and applied.
Plain English
MIRAJ is the name of a particular navigation point on a chart. The handbook uses it as an example to show how pilots read off-route altitude information.
Context Anchor
Seen on instrument procedure charts and in discussions of off-route obstacle clearance, where named points help define position and nearby terrain or obstruction concerns.
Derivation
“Waypoint” comes from “way,” meaning a path or route, and “point,” meaning a specific place. In aviation, a waypoint is a specific place along a route. “MIRAJ” is an assigned five-letter waypoint name; its spelling is mainly for identification, not for its ordinary word meaning.
Why Pilots Care
It provides a known point from which to compute safe terrain and obstacle clearance on direct or off-route segments.
Grounding Statement
Picture MIRAJ as a named dot on the chart that the aircraft can navigate to or from.
Intuition Check
Do not think of MIRAJ as a landmark you can see outside. It is a named chart position used by navigation equipment and flight procedures.
Example Sentence 1
The handbook uses MIRAJ waypoint to show how an OROCA value is displayed within a latitude-longitude grid square on the en route chart.
Example Sentence 2
The pilot confirmed the minimum altitude for the segment between the airway and the MIRAJ waypoint before accepting the direct routing.