Definition
A digital engine management system that uses a computer to automatically control all aspects of engine operation, including fuel flow, ignition timing, and mixture, based on inputs from sensors monitoring the engine and the surrounding conditions. The pilot sets a single power lever, and the FADEC determines the precise settings needed to deliver that power safely and efficiently across the engine's full operating range.
Plain English
A computer that runs the engine for you. You move one lever to ask for more or less power, and the computer handles fuel, spark, and mixture automatically.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of modern aircraft engine operation, engine starting, power management, and aircraft systems.
Derivation
"Full Authority" means the computer has complete control over the engine — there is no mechanical backup the pilot can fall back on mid-flight. "Digital" means the system is electronic and computerized rather than mechanical. "Engine Control" describes its job. The name tells you exactly what it does: a computer with full say over how the engine runs.
Why Pilots Care
FADEC reduces pilot workload, prevents engine limit exceedances, improves fuel efficiency, and enhances reliability by continuously optimizing engine operation.
Analogy
A FADEC is a little like a very advanced engine manager: you choose the result you want, and it handles many of the adjustments that would otherwise need separate attention.
Intuition Check
Do not read “full authority” as meaning the pilot is no longer in command of the airplane. It means the engine control computer has full control authority over engine settings within its designed range after the pilot selects the desired power.
Example Sentence 1
The aircraft's FADEC automatically leaned the mixture as the pilot climbed to cruise altitude.
Example Sentence 2
Before engine start the pilot confirmed the FADEC had completed its built-in test with no faults displayed.