Definition
An electronic flight instrumentation system (EFIS) is a flight deck display system that replaces traditional mechanical instruments with electronic screens. It presents flight data — such as attitude, altitude, airspeed, heading, vertical speed, and navigation information — on one or more digital displays driven by data from sensors and onboard computers.
Plain English
EFIS is a setup of computer screens in the cockpit that shows the pilot all the key flight information instead of using separate round mechanical gauges.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of modern cockpit instrument panels, especially airplanes with screen-based flight displays.
Derivation
Built from ordinary words: 'electronic' (using electronics rather than mechanical movement), 'flight instrumentation' (the gauges and displays a pilot uses to fly), and 'system' (the integrated whole). The phrase highlights that what used to be a wall of separate mechanical instruments is now a single electronic system.
Why Pilots Care
Gives pilots more flight data at a glance, improving awareness and lowering workload when flying on instruments.
Analogy
EFIS is like a car’s digital dashboard, but for an airplane: it gathers several important readings and presents them on screens in one organized display.
Intuition Check
EFIS does not mean one single instrument or the autopilot. It means the electronic system that displays flight instrument information to the pilot.
Example Sentence 1
Before takeoff, the pilot checked that both EFIS displays were showing valid attitude and airspeed information.
Example Sentence 2
Transition training focused on interpreting the EFIS screens instead of scanning separate analog gauges.