Definition
The set of non-technical pilot skills used to run the cockpit safely and efficiently, including managing workload, prioritizing tasks, making decisions, communicating clearly, using checklists, and using all available resources (people, equipment, and information) to operate the aircraft.
Plain English
How well a pilot organizes the work of flying — staying ahead of the airplane, choosing what to do first, making good decisions, and using everything and everyone available to help.
Context Anchor
Used in scenario-based training when an instructor evaluates how a pilot handles real flying situations, not just individual control movements or memorized procedures.
Derivation
‘Flight deck’ is the working area where the pilots sit (the term comes from naval aviation, where the deck is the working surface of a ship). ‘Management’ here means running things and making decisions. Together, the phrase points to how the pilot runs the cockpit, not how they physically fly the airplane.
Why Pilots Care
Strong flight deck management skills reduce crew overload, support better decisions, and lower the risk of errors during high-workload phases of flight.
Grounding Statement
On a busy approach, these skills are what help the pilot keep flying the airplane, communicate, check the instruments, and prepare for landing without losing track of the situation.
Intuition Check
This does not mean managing a flight department or supervising other pilots. Here, it means managing the cockpit work needed to operate the aircraft safely.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor designed the scenario to test the student’s flight deck management skills by adding a radio failure during a busy approach.
Example Sentence 2
Scenario training builds flight deck management skills so crews can stay ahead of events instead of reacting after problems grow.