Definition
A cockpit instrument system that presents flight information on one or more computer-driven screens rather than on individual mechanical gauges. Primary flight data such as attitude, airspeed, altitude, heading, and vertical speed are displayed on a single integrated screen, with engine and navigation information typically shown on adjacent screens.
Plain English
A glass-screen cockpit. Instead of lots of round dials, the flight information shows up on digital displays that look like flat-panel monitors.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument flying and glass-cockpit discussions, especially when describing how the pilot reads flight information from screens instead of only from round gauges.
Why Pilots Care
Reduces workload by consolidating information and providing better situational awareness in instrument conditions.
Intuition Check
Do not read “display” as just any screen in the cockpit. In this context, an electronic flight display is a flight-information screen used as an instrument, not merely a place to show general messages or settings.
Example Sentence 1
The aircraft was equipped with an electronic flight display, so the pilot's attitude, airspeed, and altitude information all appeared on a single screen in front of her.
Example Sentence 2
During the approach, the electronic flight display showed the localizer deviation clearly.