Definition
A digital communication channel that transmits information between two systems, such as between a ground-based radar facility and equipment on board an aircraft. In the Traffic Information Service context, the data link carries traffic position and altitude information from a ground radar to the aircraft's cockpit display.
Plain English
A wireless connection that lets two computers send information to each other -- in this case, sending traffic data from a radar on the ground up to your aircraft.
Context Anchor
Seen in Traffic Information Service discussions, especially when cockpit traffic displays depend on information sent from ground equipment.
Derivation
Plain English: 'data' (information in digital form) plus 'link' (a connection between two things). Together it describes a connection that carries information rather than voice.
Why Pilots Care
It supplies real-time traffic and weather updates without voice calls, improving situational awareness during instrument flight.
Intuition Check
Do not think of a data link as an internet connection or a wire. Here it means an electronic communication path used to send aircraft information, usually by radio.
Example Sentence 1
The TIS traffic shown on the cockpit display arrives via a data link from the ground radar.
Example Sentence 2
The pilot checked weather information received over the data link before descending.