Definition
In the ARINC 424 navigation database specification, simple route records are records that define a procedure leg using only the standard route data fields, without requiring additional continuation records to describe the leg. They contain all the information needed to fly the leg — such as the path terminator, waypoint, altitude, and speed constraints — within a single record entry.
Plain English
These are the basic, single-line entries in the navigation database that describe one segment of a flight procedure. Each entry holds everything needed for that segment in one place, without needing extra lines to finish the description.
Context Anchor
Seen when learning how instrument procedures and routes are coded into an aircraft navigation database using ARINC 424.
Derivation
Simple' here means 'not requiring additional parts' — the record is complete on its own. This contrasts with 'continuation records,' which extend a primary record when more data is needed than fits in one entry.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots don't edit these records, but understanding that procedures are built from coded route segments helps explain why a database update can change how an FMS flies an approach, and why database integrity matters for IFR operations.
Analogy
Think of a simple route record like one step in a set of driving directions: it helps build the full trip by putting each point in the correct order.
Intuition Check
“Simple” does not mean the route is easy to fly. Here it means the database stores the route in a straightforward ordered form. “Records” does not mean pilot notes; it means formal database entries used by the navigation system.
Example Sentence 1
Most legs of a standard arrival are coded as simple route records, with each waypoint, altitude, and speed constraint contained in a single database entry.
Example Sentence 2
When loading an airway segment, the FMS reads the simple route records to build the direct path between waypoints.