Definition
An instrument approach procedure conducted without the use of air traffic control radar to provide guidance or position information to the pilot. The pilot navigates the approach using ground-based navigation aids (such as VOR, NDB, ILS, LOC, or GPS) and reports position to ATC by voice based on those navaids and published fixes.
Plain English
An instrument approach where ATC is not watching you on radar. You fly the approach yourself using navigation aids and tell the controller where you are by radio.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument flying, approach clearances, and discussions that distinguish published approaches from radar-guided approaches.
Derivation
Nonradar' simply means 'without radar.' Radar (originally an acronym for RAdio Detection And Ranging) is the technology that lets controllers see aircraft on a screen. A nonradar approach is one conducted without that controller-side picture.
Why Pilots Care
Maintains safe and legal instrument approaches when radar vectors are unavailable, ensuring proper navigation and separation from other traffic.
Intuition Check
Do not read “nonradar” as meaning radar cannot be involved at all. ATC may still use radar to help position the aircraft before the approach; the key point is that radar is not the guidance source for the final approach.
Example Sentence 1
Because the field had no radar coverage, the pilot briefed a nonradar approach and planned to make position reports over each published fix.
Example Sentence 2
In remote airspace without radar, the crew flew the nonradar approach using the localizer and step-down fixes.