How do pilots use approach charts and FMS to execute an instrument approach?

• A. Load the approach into FMS or review the approach plate, follow altitude/ speed constraints, intercept final approach course, and monitor instruments.
• B. Approach charts are obsolete; only FMS is used.
• C. FMS automatically executes the approach without pilot input.
• D. Only approach plates matter; FMS is not used.

Answer: (A)

Executing an instrument approach relies on using both the published procedure and the navigation system together. Load the approach into the FMS or review the approach plate to know the exact routing, altitude and speed constraints, and the minimums. Then follow those constraints as you fly along the legs, intercept the final approach course, and keep the aircraft aligned with the course while monitoring instruments to verify you’re on path and within limits. The approach plate gives you the legal, step-by-step path, altitudes, and notes such as the missed approach; the FMS translates that into a flyable sequence, often providing vertical guidance and automatic sequencing once you activate it. However, the pilot must input the approach, set the active leg, and continually monitor the flight to respond to any deviations. Intercepting the final approach course ensures you’re aligned with the runway for the approach, and continuous cross-checking your instruments (altitude, speed, heading, course) confirms you’re following the plan. This combination—loading or reviewing the procedure, adhering to the constraints, intercepting the final approach course, and monitoring—best represents how an instrument approach is executed.