Definition
Flight paths defined by ground-based navigation aids such as VORs, NDBs, and localizers, where the aircraft tracks a radial, bearing, or course signal transmitted from a fixed station on the ground. These courses follow straight lines radiating from or pointing to the navaid, and the route structure is built around the location of those stations.
Plain English
Routes flown by following a signal from a radio station on the ground. The pilot stays on the line that runs to or from that station, so the available paths depend on where the stations are.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument procedure discussions when comparing conventional navigation paths with area-navigation or GPS-based paths.
Derivation
Traditional' is used here to mean 'the older, established way' — navigating by ground-based radio aids — as distinct from newer RNAV and GPS-based methods. The word signals the contrast with modern area navigation, not that the courses are outdated or unused.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots must recognize when a procedure requires tuning and tracking ground stations so they select the correct navigation source and avoid confusion during mixed-equipment flights.
Intuition Check
Traditional does not mean casual, outdated, or optional here. It means the procedure is built around conventional published navigation paths rather than point-to-point area navigation.
Example Sentence 1
The airway between the two VORs is a traditional course, so the pilot tracked the published radial from station to station.
Example Sentence 2
The pilot switched to traditional courses after the GPS signal was lost.