Plain English Meaning

Knowing which buttons to push, in what order, on a particular cockpit gadget to make it do what you want.

Full Definition

Informal term for the procedural knowledge of which buttons, knobs, and menu sequences to operate on a specific avionics unit (such as a GPS navigator, autopilot, or flight management system) to achieve a desired result. It refers to device-specific operating skill rather than the underlying aeronautical concepts.

Context Anchor

Seen when learning to program cockpit equipment such as navigation units, flight displays, and autopilot control panels.

Derivation

A casual word built from 'button' plus '-ology' (the suffix meaning 'study of'). The mock-academic ending is intentional and slightly tongue-in-cheek — it pokes fun at how much time pilots spend learning the quirks of their boxes rather than flying the airplane.