Definition
A navigation function in an area navigation (RNAV) or flight management system that allows the pilot to fly directly between any two named or pilot-defined waypoints, rather than following a published airway or procedure. The system computes a straight-line course between the selected start and end points and provides guidance along that track.
Plain English
A feature that lets you fly straight from one chosen spot to another, without having to follow the usual airways or routes.
Context Anchor
Seen in ATC route clearances, flight plans, and route descriptions when a route is described by named positions rather than by airways.
Derivation
Point comes from Latin punctum, meaning a small mark or dot. That helps here because each “point” is treated as a specific marked position in the navigation system, and the route is made by connecting one marked position to the next.
Why Pilots Care
Allows shorter flight times and fuel savings when ATC approves direct routing instead of following airways.
Intuition Check
Do not read Point to Point as just any casual trip from one place to another. In FAA use, the points are defined navigation positions that can be used in a clearance, flight plan, or route description.
Example Sentence 1
After receiving clearance, the pilot used the GPS point to point function to fly directly from their present position to the destination airport.
Example Sentence 2
We requested point to point to save time instead of flying the full airway route.