Definition
A small, simplified drawing of an airport's runways, taxiways, and key features, printed on an instrument approach chart to help pilots identify the airport visually and orient themselves once they break out of the clouds or arrive in the airport area.
Plain English
A little map of the airport printed on the approach chart so the pilot can quickly see the runway layout and recognize the airport when they see it.
Context Anchor
You see an airport sketch on an FAA approach chart while briefing the approach and preparing to land at an airport, especially one you do not know well.
Derivation
Airport combines “air” with “port,” meaning a place where aircraft arrive and depart. Sketch means a simple drawing, not a full detailed map. That helps here because an airport sketch gives the basic layout quickly rather than every ground detail.
Why Pilots Care
Gives pilots immediate visual orientation to the airport surface for safe taxi, landing, and takeoff decisions.
Intuition Check
Do not read “sketch” as a casual or unofficial drawing. In this context, it is a charted airport layout provided for pilot orientation, but it is still simpler than a full airport diagram.
Example Sentence 1
Before starting the approach, the pilot glanced at the airport sketch to confirm the runway orientation and spot the parallel taxiway.
Example Sentence 2
Chapter 1 of the handbook uses an airport sketch to show standard runway and taxiway markings.