Definition
The published magnetic course, shown in degrees, that an aircraft must fly inbound to the runway during an instrument approach. On an approach chart, APP CRS appears in the header band along with other primary approach data such as the final approach fix altitude, runway information, and minimums.
Plain English
The exact compass heading the chart tells you to fly as you line up with the runway on an instrument approach.
Context Anchor
Seen in the briefing area of an instrument approach chart, where the pilot reviews the key numbers before flying the approach.
Derivation
Course comes from the Latin cursus, meaning a running or a path. In aviation it has come to mean the intended path over the ground, expressed as a magnetic direction. Approach simply means the segment of flight where the aircraft is descending toward landing.
Why Pilots Care
Precise tracking prevents lateral deviations that could result in an unstabilized approach or missed approach.
Intuition Check
Do not read course as a class or lesson here. In this chart context, course means the direction or path the aircraft is expected to fly. Also, approach does not just mean getting closer; it refers to a published procedure for arriving toward landing.
Example Sentence 1
Tower cleared us for the ILS, so I set the APP CRS of 089 degrees in the navigation display before intercepting the final approach segment.
Example Sentence 2
Wind correction was applied to stay on the published APP CRS during the ILS approach.