Definition
A ground-controlled instrument approach in which a controller uses precision radar to monitor an aircraft's position relative to the final approach course and glidepath, and gives the pilot continuous verbal headings and altitude/glidepath corrections by radio all the way down to a decision height near the runway. PAR provides both lateral (azimuth) and vertical (elevation) guidance, making it a precision approach.
Plain English
A landing approach where a controller watches you on a special radar and talks you down to the runway, telling you exactly which way to turn and whether you're high or low on the descent.
Context Anchor
Used during instrument flying at airports equipped with precision approach radar, especially in training, military operations, or when this type of radar approach is available from air traffic control.
Derivation
Precision' refers to the fact that the radar gives both course and glidepath guidance, the same two pieces of information an ILS provides. This distinguishes it from a non-precision Surveillance Radar Approach (ASR), which gives course only.
Why Pilots Care
Enables a safe landing when visibility is too low for a visual or non-precision approach.
Analogy
It is like having someone on the ground watch your position on a screen and calmly talk you toward the runway, correction by correction.
Intuition Check
Do not assume a PAR approach means the airplane is using its own radar to find the runway. In a PAR approach, ground radar tracks the airplane, and the controller gives the pilot spoken guidance.
Example Sentence 1
After losing the GPS and the attitude indicator in solid IMC, the pilot declared an emergency and requested a PAR approach to the nearby Air Force base.
Example Sentence 2
During the PAR approach the controller gave continuous corrections to keep the aircraft on the proper path to the runway.