Definition
The FAA criteria used to design and evaluate instrument flight procedures, including departures, arrivals, approaches, and the minimum altitudes associated with them. TERPS specifies the obstacle clearance, protected airspace, and design parameters required when constructing any published instrument procedure in the United States.
Plain English
TERPS is the rulebook the FAA uses to build instrument procedures. It sets the minimum heights, the protected zones around the route, and how much room must be left above obstacles so the procedure is safe to fly in the clouds.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument procedure design and minimum altitude discussions, including how a Minimum Obstruction Clearance Altitude is determined.
Derivation
Stands for Terminal Instrument Procedures. 'Terminal' here means the area around an airport where arrivals, approaches, and departures take place — not just the building passengers walk through.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots rely on TERPS-designed procedures to maintain safe clearance from terrain and obstacles during instrument flight.
Intuition Check
TERPS is not a chart and not a procedure you personally fly. It is the design standard used to create and check the procedures and altitudes printed on charts.
Example Sentence 1
The MOCA on that airway provides obstacle clearance based on TERPS criteria within a defined distance of the centerline.
Example Sentence 2
MOCA provides 22 NM of protection under TERPS standards before transitioning to MEA.