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INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURE

Pilot/Controller Glossary with JO 7110.65BB, Change 3, effective July 9, 2026 · Official text on faa.gov

A series of predetermined maneuvers for the orderly transfer of an aircraft under instrument flight conditions from the beginning of the initial approach to a landing or to a point from which a landing may be made visually. It is prescribed and approved for a specific airport by competent authority.

  1. U.S. civil standard instrument approach procedures are approved by the FAA as prescribed under 14 CFR part 97 and are available for public use.
  2. U.S. military standard instrument approach procedures are approved and published by the Department of Defense.
  3. Special instrument approach procedures are approved by the FAA for individual operators but are not published in 14 CFR part 97 for public use.

See SEGMENTS OF AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURE; INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURE ICAO.

Refer to 14 CFR part 91; AIM.

ICAO definition

A series of predetermined maneuvers by reference to flight instruments with specified protection from obstacles from the initial approach fix, or where applicable, from the beginning of a defined arrival route to a point from which a landing can be completed and thereafter, if a landing is not completed, to a position at which holding or en route obstacle clearance criteria apply.

See INSTRUMENT APPROACH OPERATIONS ICAO.

In the 7110.65

Used in 42 paragraphs of JO 7110.65BB.

  1. 2-1-25Wheels Down Check
  2. 2-4-3Pilot Acknowledgment/Read Back
  3. 2-7-2Altimeter Setting Issuance Below Lowest Usable Fl
  4. 2-9-2Operating Procedures
  5. 2-9-3Content
  6. 3-4-7Sequenced Flashing Lights (SFL)
  7. 3-9-1Departure Information
  8. 3-10-2Forwarding Approach Information by Nonapproach Control Facilities
  9. 4-1-5Fix Use
  10. 4-5-7Altitude Information
  11. 4-7-5Military Turbojet En Route Descent
  12. 4-7-6Arrival Information
  13. 4-7-10Approach Information
  14. 4-7-11Arrival Information by Approach Control Facilities
  15. 4-7-12Airport Conditions
  16. 4-8-1Approach Clearance
  17. 4-8-4Altitude Assignment for Military High Altitude Instrument Approaches
  18. 4-8-5Specifying Altitude
  19. 4-8-6Circling Approach
  20. 4-8-7Side-Step Maneuver
  21. 4-8-9Missed Approach
  22. 4-8-10Approach Information
  23. 4-8-11Practice Instrument Approaches
  24. 5-5-4Minima
  25. 5-6-2Methods
  26. 5-7-1Application
  27. 5-9-4Arrival Instructions
  28. 5-9-6Simultaneous Dependent Approaches
  29. 5-9-7Simultaneous Independent Approaches- Dual & Triple
  30. 5-9-8Simultaneous Independent Close Parallel Approaches –precision Runway Monitor (PRM) Approaches
  31. 5-9-9Simultaneous Offset Instrument Approaches (SOIA)
  32. 5-9-10Simultaneous Independent Approaches to Widely-Spaced Parallel Runways Without Final Monitors
  33. 5-10-1Application
  34. 5-10-5Radar Contact Lost
  35. 5-11-6Approach Guidance Termination
  36. 5-12-11Surveillance Unusable
  37. 6-3-1Separation Minima
  38. 6-7-1Application
  39. 7-4-1Visual Approach
  40. 7-4-3Clearance for Visual Approach
  41. 7-4-4Approaches to Multiple Runways
  42. 7-4-7Contact Approach