Plain English Meaning

The part of the flight where the pilot lines the aircraft up with the runway, descends toward it, and then lands.

Full Definition

The final two phases of flight in which the aircraft transitions from cruise or arrival altitude down to the runway and then touches down. The approach is the descending, configured flight path that aligns the aircraft with the landing runway; the landing is the touchdown and rollout that follows. In instrument operations, the approach is flown using a published procedure (such as an ILS, RNAV, or VOR approach) that specifies the route, altitudes, and required to safely arrive at the .