Definition
Flight instruments that display information using electronic numerical readouts, computer-generated graphics, or screen-based imagery, typically driven by digital data from sensors and air data computers. In modern cockpits, digital instruments are usually presented on multifunction displays such as the Primary Flight Display (PFD) and Multi-Function Display (MFD), as opposed to traditional analog instruments which use mechanical pointers and dials.
Plain English
Flight instruments shown on electronic screens with numbers and computer-drawn graphics, instead of old-style instruments with moving needles and physical dials.
Context Anchor
Seen when comparing older round-dial panels with newer electronic cockpit displays, especially during instrument scan and aircraft checkout.
Derivation
Digital' comes from the Latin 'digitus,' meaning finger — originally used for counting in whole numbers. In electronics, 'digital' refers to information represented as discrete numerical values, which is how screen-based instruments process and display flight data.
Why Pilots Care
Digital instruments often present more information in less space and can integrate data from multiple sources, but they require the pilot to interpret screens differently than analog dials. Knowing which type you are flying changes how you scan and cross-check.
Intuition Check
Digital does not mean the instrument flies the airplane for you. It means the information is sensed, processed, or displayed electronically; the pilot still has to read it correctly and compare it with other information.
Example Sentence 1
The new training aircraft has digital instruments on a glass cockpit display instead of the traditional round-dial gauges.
Example Sentence 2
Switching scan habits from analog to digital instruments took practice because the eyes now read numbers instead of watching needle positions.