Plain English Meaning

Official, published step-by-step routes for landing in poor visibility, where the pilot follows a printed chart that tells them exactly which way to fly, how low to descend, and when they must see the runway to land.

Full Definition

Published instrument approach procedures designed and approved by the FAA that prescribe a specific sequence of headings, altitudes, and navigation steps for arriving at a runway when flying solely by reference to instruments. Each procedure is depicted on an FAA-published instrument approach chart and includes defined minimums for visibility and decision or .