Definition
A method of flying an RNAV or FMS-computed flight path in which the autopilot follows steering commands generated by the navigation system, so that the aircraft tracks the programmed lateral and vertical path automatically rather than the pilot hand-flying each segment.
Plain English
The navigation computer figures out where the airplane needs to go, and the autopilot turns and climbs or descends to follow it. The pilot monitors instead of steering by hand.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument approach and LNAV/VNAV equipment discussions, especially when navigation equipment is connected to a flight director or autopilot.
Why Pilots Care
Allows precise, hands-off tracking of complex approach paths, lowering workload and improving accuracy in instrument conditions.
Intuition Check
Flight control steering does not mean the pilot simply moving the yoke or stick by hand. In this context, it means steering commands generated by equipment to guide the aircraft along a selected path.
Example Sentence 1
With the approach loaded and the autopilot coupled, the aircraft used flight control steering to fly the curved RNAV transition without pilot input.
Example Sentence 2
Once coupled, flight control steering kept the aircraft on the vertical path during the descent.