Definition
An instrument approach procedure to a runway flown visually by reference to specific charted landmarks, used at certain airports where terrain, noise abatement, or traffic flow makes a standard visual approach impractical. The pilot must have the airport or a preceding aircraft in sight, weather must be at or above published minimums, and the aircraft is expected to follow the charted route and altitudes to the runway.
Plain English
A published approach where you fly to the runway visually, but you follow a specific path shown on a chart using ground landmarks, rather than just lining up however you like.
Context Anchor
Seen on published approach charts and heard in air traffic control clearances when a controller clears an aircraft to fly a charted visual route to an airport.
Derivation
"Charted" means it appears on a published chart; "visual" means flown by looking outside rather than by instruments alone. Together they describe a visual approach that has been formalized and printed so every pilot flies the same path.
Why Pilots Care
Gives a safe, repeatable path for visual approaches near terrain, noise-sensitive areas, or busy airspace while keeping the pilot flying by eye.
Grounding Statement
This is a published, controller-authorized visual path to the airport for an aircraft that is still operating on an instrument flight plan.
Intuition Check
Do not read “visual” as informal or optional. In this term, “visual” means the pilot must use outside visual references, and “charted” means the route and supporting information are published, not invented in the cockpit.
Example Sentence 1
Approach cleared us for the charted visual flight procedure to Runway 19, so we followed the river south as depicted on the chart.
Example Sentence 2
The pilot maintained visual contact with the airport and followed the landmarks on the Charted Visual Flight Procedure Approach until touchdown.