Definition
Air traffic control facilities, typically TRACONs (Terminal Radar Approach Control), that use radar to sequence, separate, and guide aircraft arriving at and departing from one or more airports within a defined block of airspace surrounding those airports. They handle aircraft transitioning between the en route environment and the airport tower's airspace.
Plain English
Approach controls are the radar controllers who handle aircraft in the busy airspace around an airport. They take over from en route controllers as you near your destination, line you up for the runway, then hand you off to the tower for landing. On departure, they do the reverse: they take you from the tower and hand you off to en route control once you're clear of the terminal area.
Context Anchor
You will see this term in instrument flying discussions about TRACONs, radio frequencies, arrivals, departures, and the transfer of communication between tower, approach, and center controllers.
Derivation
From 'approach,' meaning to come near (here, the act of an aircraft coming near an airport to land), and 'control,' meaning to direct or manage. Together, approach control means the controllers responsible for directing aircraft as they approach the airport environment. The plural 'approach controls' refers to these facilities collectively.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots must know when and how to contact approach control for arrival clearances, vectors, and altitude assignments during the transition from en route to landing.
Intuition Check
Do not read controls as the yoke, pedals, switches, or other aircraft controls. Here, controls means air traffic control units that manage aircraft movement near airports.
Example Sentence 1
After being handed off by Center, the pilot checked in with approach control and was given vectors to the final approach course.
Example Sentence 2
Approach controls coordinate handoffs with the tower to maintain proper spacing between multiple arriving aircraft.