Plain English Meaning
Working out what to do, choosing between the options you have, and acting on that choice — especially when things are changing in flight.
Full Definition
In aviation, the cognitive process of identifying a situation, evaluating available options against safety, regulations, and operational factors, and selecting a course of action — often under time pressure and with incomplete information.
Context Anchor
You meet this term in flight training, preflight planning, cockpit workload, emergencies, and instructor discussions about how pilots avoid unsafe choices.
Derivation
Decision comes from a Latin word meaning “to cut .” That helps here because making a decision means cutting off the other choices and committing to one action.