Definition
A flat or contoured surface in an aircraft cockpit or cabin on which switches, knobs, indicators, circuit breakers, and other operating controls for a specific system are mounted together so the pilot or crew can locate and operate them as a group.
Plain English
A board or section in the cockpit where all the switches and controls for one system are grouped together in one place, so you can find and use them easily.
Context Anchor
Seen in cockpit layout descriptions, aircraft system descriptions, checklists, and equipment operating instructions.
Why Pilots Care
Centralizes system management so the pilot can quickly monitor and adjust multiple aircraft functions without leaving the flight controls.
Analogy
A control panel is like the set of buttons and knobs on an oven or car dashboard: it groups the controls for a system in one place so you can operate it without searching around.
Intuition Check
Do not assume “control panel” means the whole instrument panel or the primary flight controls. It usually means a specific area that contains the controls for one system or group of systems.
Example Sentence 1
Before engine start, the pilot worked through the overhead control panel, setting each electrical switch in turn.
Example Sentence 2
When the alternator failed, the pilot turned to the control panel to isolate the electrical load.