Definition
An FAA publication, issued in regional volumes, that contains the instrument approach procedure charts, departure procedure (DP) charts, standard terminal arrival (STAR) charts, and airport diagrams used by pilots flying under instrument flight rules. Each volume covers a specific geographic region of the United States and is reissued on a 56-day cycle to keep the charted procedures current.
Plain English
It is the official book of instrument approach, departure, and arrival charts, plus airport diagrams, that pilots use when flying on instruments. The country is split into regions, and each region has its own volume that is updated every 56 days.
Context Anchor
Pilots use TPPs during instrument flight planning, approach briefing, departure planning, and airport ground review.
Derivation
Terminal here refers to the terminal phase of flight — the portion of the flight near the airport, where the aircraft is arriving or departing rather than en route. So a Terminal Procedures Publication is a publication of the procedures used in that near-airport phase.
Why Pilots Care
Provides the standardized procedures pilots must follow for safe instrument arrivals and departures, directly supporting compliance and reducing risk in low-visibility conditions.
Intuition Check
Terminal does not mean the passenger building here. It means the airport-area phase of flight, where aircraft are arriving, departing, or approaching to land.
Example Sentence 1
Before the IFR cross-country, she pulled out the current TPP volume and reviewed the approach charts for both the destination and the alternate.
Example Sentence 2
Before the flight she confirmed the latest Terminal Procedures Publication updates were loaded for all airports on the route.