Definition
A VOR test signal transmitted over the air from a designated ground facility, used by pilots to verify the accuracy of an aircraft's VOR receiver. At certain airports, an FAA-designated VOR Test Facility (VOT) broadcasts a signal that, when properly tuned and received, should produce a specific known indication on the VOR display, allowing the pilot to confirm the receiver is within tolerance.
Plain English
A test signal broadcast through the air from a special ground station so a pilot can check whether the aircraft's VOR navigation receiver is reading correctly.
Context Anchor
Seen during VOR receiver accuracy checks, especially when using a signal transmitted by approved radio test equipment instead of a published ground or airborne checkpoint.
Derivation
Radiated comes from the Latin 'radiare,' meaning 'to send out rays.' A radiated signal is one sent out through the air as radio waves, as opposed to one delivered through a wire or cable. The word emphasizes that the signal travels through space to reach the aircraft.
Why Pilots Care
Required for confirming VOR navigation accuracy before IFR flight.
Intuition Check
“Radiated” does not mean radioactive or dangerous here. It means the signal is transmitted through the air for the aircraft’s receiver to pick up.
Example Sentence 1
Before the IFR flight, the pilot tuned the VOT frequency and used the radiated test signal to confirm the VOR receiver was reading within four degrees of the expected value.
Example Sentence 2
A radiated test signal lets maintenance verify receiver performance without connecting test equipment directly to the aircraft.