Definition
Small, simplified diagrams of an airport's runways, taxiways, and key features, printed on FAA instrument approach charts and airport diagrams to help pilots identify the runway environment and orient themselves on the ground.
Plain English
A simple top-down drawing of the airport printed on the chart, showing the runways and taxiways so the pilot can see the layout at a glance.
Context Anchor
Seen on FAA instrument procedure charts and other chart pages that include a small airport layout drawing.
Derivation
Charted comes from chart, meaning a map or navigation drawing. Sketch originally means a simple drawing. In aviation, a charted airport sketch is not a casual drawing; it is a published airport layout drawing placed on an official chart.
Why Pilots Care
Supports rapid orientation to the airport during approach planning and missed approach execution.
Intuition Check
Do not read “sketch” as meaning an unofficial rough drawing. Here it means a simplified airport layout published on an official aviation chart.
Example Sentence 1
During the approach briefing, the pilot reviewed the charted airport sketch to confirm the runway layout and taxi route to parking.
Example Sentence 2
During the missed approach briefing, the charted airport sketches helped identify the nearest taxiway turnoff.