Definition
V295 is the identifier for a specific low-altitude Victor airway in the United States VOR airway system. Victor airways are designated routes between VOR navigation aids that exist at altitudes from 1,200 feet above the ground up to (but not including) 18,000 feet MSL, and each is identified by the letter V followed by a route number.
Plain English
V295 is the name of one particular highway in the sky for airplanes flying at lower altitudes. Like a numbered road on a map, it connects specific navigation points and pilots use it as a published route to fly along.
Context Anchor
Seen on IFR en route charts, flight plans, and instrument procedure discussions when a route follows or crosses a published airway.
Derivation
The V comes from Victor, the phonetic alphabet word for the letter V, which stands for VOR — the ground-based navigation aid these airways are built around. The number 295 simply identifies this particular airway among the many Victor routes in the system.
Why Pilots Care
Provides a pre-defined, ATC-recognized path that maintains navigation accuracy and traffic separation during IFR operations.
Intuition Check
Do not read V295 as a speed, altitude, or equipment code. It is a route name: the Victor airway numbered 295.
Example Sentence 1
ATC cleared the flight direct to the next fix and then to join V295 to the destination area.