Definition
The current physical setting of an airplane's movable components that affect its aerodynamic performance — primarily the position of the landing gear, flaps, slats, spoilers, and sometimes cowl flaps or speed brakes. A configuration change means moving one or more of these from one setting to another (for example, extending flaps or lowering the gear).
Plain English
How the airplane is currently 'set up' for a phase of flight — gear up or down, flaps in or out, and so on. Changing configuration means changing one of those settings.
Context Anchor
Used during approach and landing discussions, especially when deciding whether the airplane is stable and ready to continue toward the runway.
Derivation
From the Latin 'configurare,' meaning 'to shape or form together.' In flying, it refers to how the airplane is currently 'shaped' by the position of its movable surfaces and gear.
Why Pilots Care
Correct configuration keeps the airplane at the proper speed and descent path; an incorrect one can make the approach unstable and unsafe.
Intuition Check
Configuration does not mean the airplane’s general design or model here. It means the specific setup the pilot has selected for this moment of flight.
Example Sentence 1
By 500 feet on final, the airplane was in the landing configuration: gear down, full flaps, and on speed.
Example Sentence 2
During the missed approach briefing the crew reviewed the go-around configuration with gear up and flaps retracted.