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A specified geographical location used in defining an ATS route or the flight path of an aircraft and for other navigation and ATS purposes.
Note.— There are three categories of significant points: ground-based navigation aid, intersection and waypoint. In the context of this definition, intersection is a significant point expressed as radials, bearings and/or distances from ground-based navigation aids.
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The AIXM definition for intersection is not in line with the one of ANNEX 11. CodeReferenceRoleBaseType contains the value 'INTERSECTION', which is defined as follows:
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The term significant point is not defined In ANNEX 15 or nor in PANS-AIM. However, the terms term "significant point" and also "designated significant points occur in several sections, point" is used in PANS-AIM several times,
especially in "ENR 3. ATS ROUTES" to define the route.
...coded designators or name-codes and the geographical coordinates ... of all significant points defining the route...
...tracks...between each successive designated significant point
Section "ENR 4.4 Name-code designators for significant points" is used to publish a list of
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A geographical location not marked by the site of a radio navigation aid, used in defining an ATS route, the flight path of an aircraft or for other navigation or ATS purposes.
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| title | AIXM 5.1.1 issue |
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In AIXM, a DesignatedPoint is a specialisation of a SignificantPoint.
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Annex 11 also defines waypoint as a kind of significant point (see definition above).
Also Neither in ICAO Annex 15 and nor in PANS-AIM the term waypoint is defined. However, in PANS-AIM the term waypoint is used in the RNAV context. Sections "ENR 3.3 Area navigation routes" states
in respect of Detailed description of PBN (RNAV and RNP) routes, including...
2) ....waypoints defining an area navigation route, additionally as applicable:a) station identification of the reference VOR/DME;
The term is also used in "ENR 3.6 En-route holding" without a particular reference to RNAV.
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In Appendix 1 of PANS-OPS (Aeronautical Data Catalogue) the Waypoint subject is part of the ATS Route section, presuming that the term is applicable for all kind of ATS routes and not only RNAV routes!
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In AIXM, the class DesignatedPoint is used to model points that have an official (5 letter) designator, have specified coordinates and do not mark the position of a Navaid. This includes, but is not limited to, "waypoints" as many designated points are used for purposes other than defining a RNAV route.
The SegmentPoint.waypoint attribute allows to specify if the point is used for Area Navigation (RNAV) procedures/routes. The SegmentPoint class is a generalisation of the TerminalSegmentPoint and the EnRouteSegmentPoint.
Summary
The In AIXM 5 the term Significant Point is the most generic one. It includes Designated Points, but also Navaids, etc. The term Designated Point excludes Navaids and all the other types of Significant Points. It includes, but is not limited to Waypoints. Often, a Designated Point will have an official (ICAO 5 letter code name) designator. The term Waypoint should exclusively be used in the RNAV context.
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