Definition
The pitch attitude an airplane holds during a stabilized final approach to landing, with the nose set just high enough — combined with the chosen power and configuration — to maintain the desired approach airspeed and descent path to the runway.
Plain English
The nose-up angle the airplane is sitting at while it's lined up and descending toward the runway to land. It's the picture out the windshield during a normal final approach.
Context Anchor
Seen in landing practice and power-off stall training, where the maneuver starts from the same nose position a pilot would use while coming in to land.
Derivation
"Approach" here means the final descent toward the runway before landing. "Approach attitude" simply names the pitch attitude the airplane is held in during that phase — the nose position you'd see on a normal final.
Why Pilots Care
Holding the correct approach attitude prevents an inadvertent stall and keeps the aircraft on the proper glide path with the right airspeed for landing.
Grounding Statement
Picture the nose of the airplane held steady against the horizon line while descending toward the runway numbers.
Intuition Check
Attitude does not mean mood or opinion here. It means the airplane’s position, especially where the nose is pointed compared with the horizon.
Example Sentence 1
After reducing power and extending flaps, the instructor stabilized the airplane in approach attitude before initiating the power-off stall.
Example Sentence 2
A nose-high approach attitude during landing can cause the airplane to float and risk a stall in the flare.