Definition
Standardized procedures published by the FAA that allow pilots to descend safely from en route altitude to a position from which a landing can be made at a civil (non-military) airport, using cockpit instruments rather than outside visual references. Unless otherwise authorized, when an instrument letdown to a civil airport is necessary, pilots must use a Standard Instrument Approach Procedure (SIAP) prescribed for that airport in 14 CFR Part 97.
Plain English
These are the official, published step-by-step procedures a pilot follows on instruments to line up with a runway and descend to land at a public, non-military airport when the weather is too poor to do it visually.
Context Anchor
Seen when studying IFR approaches, selecting an approach chart, briefing an arrival, or preparing to land at a civilian airport in instrument conditions.
Derivation
“Instrument” comes from the idea of a tool used to measure or guide something. In aviation, it points to the cockpit tools and navigation signals a pilot uses when outside visual cues are limited. “Civil” means non-military, and “approach” means the final planned part of getting to the airport to land.
Why Pilots Care
Civil airports have published procedures and weather minimums that pilots must follow to land safely when flying under instrument rules.
Intuition Check
Do not read “civil” as meaning polite or ordinary; here it means non-military. Do not read “approach” as just flying generally toward an airport; here it means a published instrument procedure for getting to a runway.
Example Sentence 1
Because the ceiling was at 600 feet, the pilot briefed the published instrument approach to the civil airport before beginning the descent.
Example Sentence 2
Before departure the crew reviewed available instrument approaches to civil airports near the destination.