Definition
The rear part of an aircraft or component, located toward the tail end relative to the nose. In flight references, the aft portion of an instrument, control, or aircraft section is the part farthest from the front.
Plain English
The back part of something on the aircraft. If the nose is the front, the aft portion is toward the tail.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft control and pitch discussions when describing where a part or surface is located on the airplane.
Derivation
Aft' comes from Old English 'æftan,' meaning 'behind' or 'from behind.' It is a nautical term carried over into aviation, where ships and aircraft both use 'forward' and 'aft' to describe front-to-back position.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots read instructions and diagrams that use 'aft' constantly — pulling the yoke aft, weight shifted aft, aft cargo compartment. Misreading direction can mean applying the wrong control input or loading the aircraft outside its center-of-gravity limits.
Intuition Check
Aft does not mean after in time. In aircraft descriptions, aft means toward the rear or tail.
Example Sentence 1
Moving the control yoke to the aft portion of its travel raises the nose.
Example Sentence 2
The aft portion of the wing experiences less downwash when the airplane is in a higher angle of attack.