Definition
A specific VHF Omnidirectional Range navigation station located at Yakima, Washington, used as a fix or waypoint on instrument procedures including STARs serving the Pacific Northwest. Like any VOR, it transmits a signal that allows aircraft to determine their bearing to or from the station, and on charts it is identified by name and the three-letter identifier YKM.
Plain English
A ground-based radio navigation station near Yakima, Washington, that pilots can fly to, fly from, or use as a reference point on a published route or arrival.
Context Anchor
Seen on instrument charts and arrival procedures when a route uses the Yakima navigation station as a waypoint or navigation reference.
Why Pilots Care
Provides a reliable navigation fix for following published arrival routes and maintaining course guidance.
Intuition Check
Yakima VOR does not mean the city itself. It means the specific radio navigation facility named Yakima.
Example Sentence 1
The STAR began at the Yakima VOR, where we crossed at 16,000 feet before turning southeast toward Seattle.
Example Sentence 2
Cross the Yakima VOR at or above 9,000 feet on the published arrival.