Definition
Occurring in repeating cycles — that is, a pattern of change that returns to its starting point and then repeats again at regular intervals.
Plain English
Something that repeats the same pattern over and over, like a wave going up and down again and again.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument discussions when describing an indication or error that repeats as the aircraft or instrument moves through headings.
Derivation
From the Greek 'kyklos' meaning 'circle' or 'wheel.' A cycle is one full turn around and back to the start — so 'cyclic' simply means anything that keeps going around the same loop.
Why Pilots Care
Accurate cyclic inputs are required to maintain or change heading without unwanted altitude or airspeed deviations.
Intuition Check
Cyclic does not mean “related to a helicopter cyclic control” in this context. Here it means “repeating in a cycle.”
Example Sentence 1
The heading indicator showed a small cyclic error that returned to zero every few minutes.
Example Sentence 2
Small left cyclic corrections kept the helicopter aligned with the localizer during the turn.