Definition
On a glass cockpit Primary Flight Display, decluttered information refers to non-essential symbology and data that is automatically removed from the screen when the system detects an unusual attitude, leaving only the attitude indicator, airspeed, altitude, and other recovery-critical references visible.
Plain English
When the airplane gets into an unusual attitude, the screen automatically hides extra clutter so the pilot only sees what is needed to recover.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of modern flight displays, especially during high-workload situations such as unusual attitude recovery.
Derivation
From 'clutter,' meaning a disorderly mass of items. To 'declutter' is to remove that excess. In the cockpit, it means stripping the display down to only what matters in the moment.
Why Pilots Care
Reduces the chance of missing critical attitude or performance cues when the pilot’s attention must stay on the most urgent information.
Intuition Check
Decluttered does not mean the system is giving the pilot less help. It means less-important items are moved out of the way so the most important information stands out.
Example Sentence 1
When the bank angle exceeded the limit, the PFD switched to decluttered information, leaving only the attitude, airspeed, and altitude visible.
Example Sentence 2
The instructor recommended decluttered information mode when the student began fixating on secondary engine parameters instead of the horizon line.