Definition
A family of twin-engine, narrow-body commercial jet airliners manufactured by Boeing, used worldwide for short- and medium-haul passenger and cargo operations. In the Instrument Flying Handbook, the B-737 appears as an example aircraft type in discussions of instrument displays, flight director systems, and electronic flight instrument behavior typical of modern transport-category jets.
Plain English
A widely used Boeing passenger jet with two engines, often referenced as a typical example of a modern airline aircraft when explaining cockpit instruments and systems.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument flying discussions when the FAA uses a Boeing 737 cockpit, display, or system as an example.
Derivation
The “B” refers to Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer. “737” is Boeing’s model number for this family of jet airliners. The hyphenated form “B-737” is a common aviation shorthand for the Boeing 737.
Why Pilots Care
The 737 is one of the most common airliners in service, so it is frequently used as the reference aircraft when illustrating modern flight instruments, autoflight behavior, and trend indicators that pilots will encounter as they progress to larger aircraft.
Intuition Check
Do not read B-737 as a regulation number, chart code, or system name. Here it means the Boeing 737 airplane.
Example Sentence 1
The handbook uses the B-737 as an example when showing how trend indicators predict altitude and airspeed changes on a glass cockpit display.
Example Sentence 2
Training materials often use the B-737 to illustrate how trend vectors assist in maintaining altitude and heading.