Definition
A Runway Transition Waypoint (RTW) is a published waypoint on an RNAV Standard Instrument Departure (SID) or Standard Terminal Arrival (STAR) that marks the point where the runway-specific transition portion of the procedure connects to the common (shared) portion of the procedure. The RTW is the link point between the path flown off a particular runway and the rest of the procedure that all aircraft fly regardless of which runway they used.
Plain English
A point on a published departure or arrival chart where the part of the route tied to your specific runway joins the main shared route that everyone flies.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument procedures and navigation databases when a route changes between a specific runway and the larger published flight path.
Derivation
Built from three plain words: Runway (the strip you depart from or arrive to), Transition (the connecting segment between two parts of a procedure), and Waypoint (a named point in space defined by latitude and longitude). The name describes the job exactly — it is the waypoint that transitions you off the runway-specific path onto the shared path.
Why Pilots Care
It keeps the aircraft on the correct path for safe obstacle clearance and proper alignment with the runway during instrument procedures.
Intuition Check
Do not think of the RTW as a painted mark or physical object on the runway. It is a navigation point used by the procedure and the aircraft’s navigation system.
Example Sentence 1
After takeoff from Runway 27, we'll follow the runway-specific track to the RTW, then join the common portion of the SID.
Example Sentence 2
ATC cleared the aircraft direct to the RTW to join the final approach course.