Plain English Meaning

A flight path shaped like part of a circle, flown by keeping a steady distance from a ground navigation station. Instead of flying a straight line, the pilot curves around the station at the set distance until reaching the point where the approach turns inbound to the runway.

Full Definition

A curved flight path flown at a constant distance from a DME (Distance Measuring Equipment) station, used as a course on instrument approach procedures. The aircraft maintains a fixed nautical-mile distance from the station while turning around it, joining the final approach course at a specified point.