Definition
A charted instrument procedure maneuver used to reverse the direction of flight in order to align the aircraft inbound on a final approach course or other published track. Common forms include the procedure turn, the holding pattern in lieu of a procedure turn, and the teardrop. It is depicted in both plan view and profile view on instrument approach charts and must be flown within the published distance and altitude limits.
Plain English
A planned turn-around maneuver shown on an approach chart that lets you swing the aircraft around so you end up heading the right way for the approach.
Context Anchor
Seen on instrument approach charts and in plan view or profile view drawings, where it shows how the pilot should turn around before continuing inbound.
Derivation
Course comes from an older word meaning a path or running direction. Reversal means turning back the other way. In aviation, the phrase means changing the airplane’s flight path so it can join the required inbound path.
Why Pilots Care
Enables safe alignment with the final approach course when a direct entry is not possible, preventing overshoots or unstable approaches in instrument conditions.
Grounding Statement
Picture flying away from the airport briefly, then making the published turn that points you back toward the inbound path.
Intuition Check
Do not assume a course reversal is just any 180-degree turn. It is a specific published maneuver used to get established on the inbound course of an instrument procedure.
Example Sentence 1
Because they were arriving from the north with no radar vectors, the crew briefed the course reversal shown on the approach chart before starting the descent.
Example Sentence 2
A procedure turn is one common form of course reversal used on non-precision approaches.