Definition
Instrument approach procedures that have been formally designed, flight-checked, and printed by the FAA (or equivalent authority) on official approach charts, making them available for use by any appropriately equipped and authorized aircraft. Each published approach specifies the navigation aids, fixes, courses, altitudes, descent profile, missed approach procedure, and minimums required to fly the approach safely to a specific runway or airport.
Plain English
Approaches into an airport that the FAA has officially designed and printed on charts, so any qualified pilot can fly them using the steps shown.
Context Anchor
Seen on instrument approach charts, in avionics databases, and in systems such as SVGS that provide guidance tied to an approved approach path.
Derivation
Published here means 'made publicly available in printed form.' These approaches are not private or improvised — they are released by the FAA on official charts that any pilot can obtain and fly.
Why Pilots Care
They provide the legal, safe, and standardized framework for conducting instrument landings.
Intuition Check
Do not read “published” as merely printed or posted; here it means officially issued and approved for use. Do not read “approach” as any casual way of getting near an airport; here it means a specific approved path and set of instructions for descending toward a runway by instruments.
Example Sentence 1
Before departing, she reviewed all the published instrument approaches at her destination in case the weather dropped below VFR minimums.
Example Sentence 2
SVGS can overlay guidance on a published instrument approach when visibility is low.