Plain English Meaning

An instrument approach that uses a VOR ground station to guide the aircraft down through the clouds, but only gets the pilot close to the airport — not lined up with a runway. Once the pilot can see the airport, they fly a visual circle around it and land on whichever runway suits the wind.

Full Definition

A non-precision instrument approach procedure based on a VOR (VHF Omnidirectional Range) navigation aid that provides only circling minimums, not straight-in landing minimums. The 'A' suffix indicates the approach does not align closely enough with any (typically more than 30 degrees , or with an excessive required) to permit a , so the pilot must circle to land on a suitable runway after reaching the .