Definition
Standard Instrument Departures and Standard Terminal Arrivals are the published procedures that move IFR traffic between airports and the en-route structure with minimal ATC voice workload. SIDs depart from a runway, climb on a defined route to a transition point on the airway system. STARs do the reverse — connecting an en-route fix to the initial approach fix or to a vector to final.
The regulatory framework: 14 CFR Part 97 publishes FAA SIDs and STARs as Federal Standard Terminal Arrival Routes and Standard Instrument Departure Procedures. ICAO Annex 11 + Doc 8168 (PANS-OPS Volume II) define the international procedure-design criteria. EASA Part-CAT.OP.MPA and Part-NCO.OP.135 require operators / pilots to comply with published SIDs and STARs when assigned. Charts are published by Jeppesen, FAA / NACO, and national AIS providers; the modern format includes both pilot-oriented (named procedure with text instructions) and FMS-coded (database-loadable) representations.
SIDs come in two categories: pilot-nav (the chart shows a flight path the pilot follows independently — "climb runway heading to 2,000, then direct to ABC VOR, then via the published track") and vector ("climb runway heading, expect radar vectors" — ATC provides the heading guidance). Many modern SIDs are RNAV-only, requiring an RNAV-1 or higher capable aircraft and current navigation database.
STARs work analogously. A STAR may end at the initial approach fix (IAF) of one or more approaches at the destination, or at a downwind / base / final transition point where ATC takes over with vectors. STARs commonly include speed restrictions ("cross WAYPT at or below 250 kn") and altitude crossings ("cross WAYPT at or above 8,000") that the pilot must comply with as part of the procedure.
The operational benefit is workload reduction. Without SIDs / STARs, ATC and pilots would exchange detailed routing instructions for every IFR departure and arrival; with them, the clearance is one phrase: "cleared the JOSEY ONE departure, ABC transition." Both pilot and controller load the published procedure into the FMS, the FMS flies the lateral and vertical path, and verbal communication focuses on exceptions.
Why It Matters for Flight Schools
For commercial training, SID/STAR competency is a Practical Test / Skill Test demonstration item and a routine line operation. The student must read the chart correctly, program the procedure into the FMS or load equivalent waypoints, fly it within altitude / speed / track tolerances, and recognize when ATC modifies the procedure with a runway change, transition change, or shortcut clearance.
The operational hazard pattern: pilots loading the wrong SID/STAR or wrong runway/transition into the FMS, then flying the procedure as charted while ATC expected something different. Crew Resource Management and standardized briefing procedures address the risk — a stable approach and a stable departure both depend on the SID/STAR being correctly briefed and verified before initial movement of controls.
How Aviatize Handles This
Aviatize's training management module structures SID/STAR competency as a CBTA-graded skill area within the IFR / multi-pilot curriculum. Each lesson involving a SID or STAR captures the specific procedures used and grades the student's performance under "Application of Procedures," "Aircraft Flight Path Management — Automation," and "Communication" observable behaviors.
For schools running airline-track integrated programs, the SID/STAR exposure across the syllabus is reportable as part of the cadet's competency profile — supporting the airline employer's evidence requirements that the cadet has been exposed to a representative range of terminal-area operations across diverse airport environments.