These are FMS terms. A charted waypoint is just that, one on the charts, and
it's in the box. A floating waypoint is one which the FMS computes, like TOD
(top of descent), it's position changes with groundspeed.

A phantom waypoint is one where the pilot builds a waypoint in the box. Say
your clearance is out the 270SEA radial to intercept some other radial. It
is often easier to build a waypoint at the intersection than to mess with
VHF nav. FMS likes to go point to point.

Karl

"Cheetah236" wrote in message
oups.com...

Gene Whitt wrote:

I would like to know in what respects the following types of
waypoints are
differentiated by creation, useage, and otherwise.
A source text would be helpful as well.

Charted waypoint
Floating waypoint
Phantom waypoint

I think the Phantom waypoint might just be any that doesn't exist in
the database. For example, on MMV VOR/DME or GPS-B approach,
(http://www.naco.faa.gov/d-tpp/0413/05626VDGB.PDF), UBG 13.5 DME is the
last stepdown fix but is not in the GPS database. It can be legally
calculated as the DME difference between it and the MABEZ intersection
(MAP).

My NOrthstar GPS manual refers to what they call a phantom waypoint
that is created by using the lat/lon from a Loran. They acknowledge in
the manual that this could be inaccurate given any reception anomalies
in the area. (And of course would be illegal to use in any primary IFR
operations).

My _guess_ is that, in this context, a charted waypoint would be in the
database instead of home-brewed?