Plain English Meaning

Always staying alert and actively looking for traffic, terrain, and other hazards the entire time you are flying — never letting your attention drift or assuming someone else is watching for you.

Full Definition

A continuous, sustained state of active visual scanning and situational awareness maintained by a pilot throughout flight to detect other aircraft, terrain, weather, and hazards in time to take avoiding action. It is the operational standard underlying the see-and-avoid responsibility, requiring deliberate, ongoing attention rather than occasional or reactive looking.