Plain English Meaning
The basic science of how air affects an aircraft, used as the starting point for explaining why a maneuver works the way it does.
Full Definition
The underlying physical principles of lift, drag, weight, and thrust that explain how and why an aircraft behaves the way it does in flight. In instructional use, it refers to the foundational aerodynamic knowledge a student must understand before a maneuver or procedure will make sense operationally.
Context Anchor
Used in on-aircraft training when an instructor connects a maneuver or control action to the reason the airplane behaves that way.