Definition
A charted visual flight procedure (CVFP) that has been expanded with additional published guidance — typically extra waypoints, descent guidance, or recommended altitudes — to help pilots fly a visual approach to a busy airport along a consistent, predictable track. ECVFPs are flown in visual conditions, are based on visual ground references, and are not instrument approach procedures.
Plain English
A published visual approach into a busy airport that gives pilots more detail than a basic charted visual approach — extra reference points and altitudes — so everyone arrives the same way.
Context Anchor
You may see ECVFP in FAA acronym lists, charting references, NOTAMs, or discussions of published visual procedures used near busy airports.
Derivation
Built from charted visual flight procedure (CVFP) — a visual approach drawn on a chart with named landmarks. Expanded means additional published reference points and guidance have been added to the basic CVFP.
Why Pilots Care
They reduce the chance of flying an unplanned path, help avoid obstacles or noise-sensitive areas, and keep traffic flowing smoothly during visual approaches.
Intuition Check
Do not read “visual” as meaning “casual” or “unstructured.” In this term, the procedure is still published and charted; the pilot simply follows it by visual reference when conditions allow.
Example Sentence 1
Approach cleared us for the ECVFP into the airport, so we followed the charted river bend and crossed the bridge at 2,500 feet as published.
Example Sentence 2
Using the ECVFP kept the aircraft clear of the nearby military training area during the visual arrival.