Definition
Compass directions, shown on an airport sketch or diagram, that indicate the inbound course an aircraft flies when arriving on a particular instrument approach to a runway. Each bearing is expressed in degrees and aligns with the final approach path published for that procedure.
Plain English
The direction, in degrees, that you fly when lining up to land using an instrument approach. The airport diagram shows these directions next to each runway so you can see at a glance which way you'll be coming in.
Context Anchor
Seen on airport sketches and airport diagrams when you are orienting yourself before flying or briefing an instrument approach.
Derivation
Approach' refers to the final path flown toward the runway when landing. 'Bearing' comes from the old sense of 'the direction in which something lies' and in navigation means a compass direction expressed in degrees. Together: the compass direction of the inbound approach path.
Why Pilots Care
They provide immediate orientation to runway alignments and expected arrival paths during both instrument and visual approaches.
Intuition Check
Bearing does not mean weight here. It means direction. An approach bearing is also not automatically your exact aircraft heading, because wind may make the nose point slightly differently from the path you are following.
Example Sentence 1
During the approach briefing, the pilot noted the approach bearing of 092 degrees for Runway 09.
Example Sentence 2
Airport sketches mark the approach bearings to help pilots align with the correct runway during low-visibility arrivals.