Plain English Meaning

These are radio stations on the ground that send out signals in a specific frequency range. Pilots tune them in to figure out which direction the station is from the aircraft, and sometimes how far away it is. They are the traditional radio beacons used to fly along charted routes.

Full Definition

Ground-based navigation transmitters that broadcast in the Very High Frequency band (108.0–117.95 MHz) and provide pilots with bearing and, in some cases, distance information for en route navigation, approaches, and airway definition. The includes , , and stations, which are depicted on and form the backbone of the conventional at .