Definition
An audio output device mounted in the aircraft cabin that broadcasts received radio communications and navigation audio aloud, allowing the pilot to hear transmissions without wearing a headset.
Plain English
A small loudspeaker in the cockpit that plays radio calls and navigation sounds out loud, so the pilot can hear them without putting on a headset.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of aircraft communication equipment, audio panels, and how pilots listen to radio or navigation audio.
Why Pilots Care
Allows monitoring of ATC communications and traffic advisories without wearing a headset, supporting situational awareness on longer flights.
Intuition Check
A cabin speaker is not a separate radio. It is only a speaker that plays audio selected from the aircraft’s audio controls.
Example Sentence 1
Before starting the engine, he selected the cabin speaker so he could hear the ATIS broadcast while organizing his charts.
Example Sentence 2
During the instrument lesson the instructor left the cabin speaker active so both pilots could follow the controller's instructions.