Definition
A vertical, scrolling strip on an electronic flight display that shows a continuous range of values — such as altitude or airspeed — moving up or down past a fixed pointer or reference line as the value changes.
Plain English
A moving ribbon of numbers on the glass cockpit screen. Instead of a needle sweeping around a dial, the numbers slide past a fixed marker to show your current reading.
Context Anchor
Seen on glass-panel flight displays, especially on the altimeter portion of the main flight screen.
Derivation
Called a 'tape' because it looks like a strip of measuring tape scrolling past a window — the numbers run in a straight line rather than around a circle.
Why Pilots Care
Gives instant, continuous altitude awareness without the need to interpret a traditional round dial, reducing altitude deviation risk during climbs, descents, and level flight.
Analogy
It is like looking through a small window at a ruler that slides behind it; the number in the window is the value you read.
Intuition Check
Do not think of display tape as sticky tape or a recording tape. Here, tape means a narrow on-screen strip of numbers used to show a changing flight value.
Example Sentence 1
As the aircraft climbed, the altitude display tape scrolled downward past the reference line, showing the increasing altitude.
Example Sentence 2
As the airplane descended, the numbers on the display tape scrolled upward past the current-altitude box.