Definition
A flight director is an instrument system that computes and displays steering commands on the attitude indicator, showing the pilot the precise pitch and bank attitudes required to fly a selected course, heading, altitude, or approach. The pilot follows the command bars manually, or the autopilot can be coupled to follow them automatically. On the inoperative components table, an inoperative flight director may raise the minimums for certain instrument approaches.
Plain English
It is a system that puts steering cues right on the attitude indicator, telling the pilot exactly how to pitch and bank to stay on the desired path. The pilot hand-flies to match those cues, or the autopilot follows them.
Context Anchor
Seen on instrument approach procedure charts and in inoperative equipment tables when certain approach operations require the flight director to be working.
Derivation
The name is literal: an instrument that 'directs' the flight by showing the pilot what attitude to fly. The word 'director' comes from Latin dirigere, meaning 'to guide' — which is exactly what the command bars do.
Why Pilots Care
Reduces pilot workload and improves precision during instrument flight by consolidating multiple instrument references into a single set of command cues.
Intuition Check
Do not confuse a flight director with an autopilot. The flight director gives visual guidance; the pilot still flies the airplane unless the autopilot is engaged.
Example Sentence 1
With the flight director engaged, she simply matched the command bars all the way down the approach.
Example Sentence 2
When the FD became inoperative, the approach was continued using raw data from the navigation instruments.