Definition
Information presented on a radar display about a specific aircraft target, typically including aircraft identification, altitude, groundspeed, and other relevant data. The data block is associated with its target by a leader line, and the controller uses it to identify and track the aircraft.
Plain English
The small box of information shown next to an aircraft's blip on a controller's radar screen. It tells the controller which aircraft they're looking at and key facts like its altitude and speed.
Context Anchor
Pilots may hear or read about data blocks in radar control, traffic separation, and controller-display discussions.
Derivation
Data comes from a Latin word meaning “things given.” Block, in this use, means a grouped unit of information. Together, data block means a grouped set of aircraft information shown as one label.
Why Pilots Care
Allows controllers to identify and manage specific aircraft quickly, supporting safe separation and accurate clearances.
Intuition Check
Do not think of a data block as a physical block or a block of airspace. In this context, it is a screen label containing aircraft information.
Example Sentence 1
After radar contact was established, the controller saw the aircraft's altitude and groundspeed appear in the data block on the scope.
Example Sentence 2
During the handoff, the receiving controller read the updated data block for the new flight.