What does VOR mean in the aviation business?

Answer 1

It stands for VHF Omnidirectional Radio range. A radio signal station used as navigational aid to travel from point to point.
The basic principle of operation of the VOR is very simple: the VOR facility transmits two signals at the same time. One signal is constant in all directions, while the other is rotated about the station. The airborne equipment receives both signals, looks (electronically) at the difference between the two signals, and interprets the result as a radial from the station.
Picture a bicycle rim with the VOR in the center and all the spikes coming out of the center represent 360 degrees of signal.
They are located all over the country and not only near an airport as the other answer suggests.

Answer 2

VOR, short for VHF Omni-directional Radio Range, is a type of radio navigation system for aircraft. VORs broadcast a VHF radio composite signal including the station's morse-code identifier (and sometimes a voice identifier), and data that allows the airborne receiving equipment to derive the magnetic bearing from the station to the aircraft (direction from the VOR station in relation to the earth's magnetic North). This line of position is called the "radial" in VOR parlance. The intersection of two radials from different VOR stations on a chart allows for a "fix" or specific position of the aircraft.

For more details, please check the following link;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHF_omnidirectional_range

Answer 3

VHF Omni Range. It's a radio navigation aid which tells you your direction from a transmitter, which is usually situated somewhere near the end of an airport runway. It has a transmitting aerial which rotates about a vertical axis about 30 times a second. It transmits a VHF radio signal (VHF is the band of frequencies between 30 and 300 MHz). As the aerial makes a 360 degree turn, the frequency it transmits changes with its direction. So a particular frequency corresponds with a particular bearing. The receiver in your aircraft senses the frequency and knows that that frequency corresponds with, say a radial (bearing) of 90 degrees. In other words, you must be due E of the transmitter. It indicates this on a dial like a compass dial.

Answer 4

It means VHF omnidirectional range/radio (either or) and i've never seen one located at the end of a runway. Zee_prime is probably thinking of an ILS glideslope antenna.