Definition
A VOR navigation facility that is not located on the airport being served, but is positioned somewhere along the approach path or in the surrounding area. The approach is built around this off-field station, so the final approach course is defined by a radial from the VOR rather than by a station sitting on the airport itself.
Plain English
A VOR ground station that sits away from the airport, not on it. The instrument approach uses this nearby station to guide you toward the runway.
Context Anchor
Seen when reading or flying a VOR instrument approach in which the VOR facility is located away from the airport being approached.
Derivation
“Off-airport” means away from the airport property or not located on the airport. “VOR” comes from “VHF omnidirectional range”: “VHF” is the radio frequency band, “omnidirectional” means it can be used in all directions around the station, and “range” is an older aviation word for a radio navigation aid. Together, the phrase points to a VOR facility positioned away from the airport it serves.
Why Pilots Care
Affects approach minimums, descent profiles, and whether circling or straight-in maneuvers are authorized because the facility is not colocated with the runway.
Grounding Statement
Picture the VOR antenna sitting several miles from the runway; the approach uses that outside radio beacon as the reference for guiding the aircraft toward the airport.
Intuition Check
Do not assume an off-airport VOR is a different kind of VOR. It is the same type of radio navigation facility; “off-airport” only tells you that it is not located on the airport.
Example Sentence 1
Because this is an off-airport VOR, the final approach course is a radial leading toward the runway rather than away from a station on the field.
Example Sentence 2
Because the facility was an off-airport VOR, the procedure required a slightly longer final segment than an on-airport VOR approach.