Definition
The collection of electronic systems installed in an aircraft to support navigation, communication, flight instrumentation, autoflight, and aircraft system monitoring. In modern aircraft this typically includes electronic flight displays, GPS navigators, transponders, audio panels, autopilots, and integrated flight management systems.
Plain English
All the electronic gear in an aircraft that helps the pilot fly, navigate, talk on the radio, and keep track of how the aircraft is doing.
Context Anchor
Encountered when discussing modern cockpit equipment, glass panels, navigation units, radios, and other powered flight information systems.
Derivation
The word avionics is a blend of aviation and electronics, coined in the 1940s to describe electronic equipment designed for use in aircraft. The phrase electronic avionics is somewhat redundant in modern usage but is often used to emphasize the digital, screen-based systems found in newer cockpits as opposed to older mechanical instruments.
Why Pilots Care
Electronic avionics change how a pilot gathers information and manages the flight. They reduce workload when used correctly but require specific training, because the menus, modes, and failure behaviors are very different from traditional gauges.
Intuition Check
Electronic avionics does not mean only large glass cockpit screens. It can also include radios, navigation units, sensors, displays, and other electronic aircraft systems.
Example Sentence 1
Before the checkride, the student spent extra time learning the electronic avionics in the new glass-panel trainer.
Example Sentence 2
Upgraded electronic avionics in the training aircraft allowed the student to practice GPS approaches.