What defines a published instrument approach?

A published instrument approach is defined by its formal approval and dissemination through authoritative sources such as the Department of Defense (DoD), National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), or the National Aeronautics Charting Office (NACO). These procedures are standardized and made available to pilots to ensure safe and efficient landings under instrument flight rules (IFR).

These approaches are meticulously designed to facilitate aircraft operation in various weather conditions, primarily for those relying on instruments for navigation and landing rather than visual cues. The fact that these procedures are published means they have undergone the necessary evaluation and verification to be considered reliable and safe for use by pilots flying under IFR.

In contrast, the other options do not meet the criteria necessary to define a published instrument approach. FAA-approved shortcut procedures are not standardized approaches as described by the formal publication requirements. Visual flight rules (VFR) procedures do not apply to instrument approaches since they are intended for operations in good visibility conditions and do not rely on instruments. Lastly, custom flight plans created by pilots are not recognized as published procedures; they can be unique to an individual situation and lack the standardization and safety assurance afforded by official publications.