Definition
Adjustments made to the physical setup of an aircraft in flight, typically involving the position of flaps, landing gear, cowl flaps, spoilers, or other movable surfaces and systems that change how the aircraft flies and performs.
Plain English
Changing the shape or setup of the airplane while flying — for example, lowering the flaps or putting the wheels down — which alters how the airplane behaves.
Context Anchor
Seen in flight training syllabuses, maneuver lessons, takeoff and landing practice, and any discussion of how the airplane is set up during a flight.
Derivation
Configuration comes from the Latin 'configurare,' meaning 'to shape or form together.' In aviation, it refers to how the airplane is currently 'shaped' — gear up or down, flaps in or out — at a given moment of flight.
Why Pilots Care
Mismanaging configuration changes can cause sudden pitch changes, speed loss, or stall risk, especially near the ground.
Intuition Check
Configuration does not just mean a general arrangement here. In flight training, configuration changes usually mean specific pilot actions that change how the aircraft is set up and how it will fly.
Example Sentence 1
On final approach, the instructor called for configuration changes: gear down, then full flaps.
Example Sentence 2
Smooth configuration changes during the approach helped maintain a stable approach speed.