Definition
In aviation electronics and computing, logic refers to the systematic arrangement of digital circuits or rules that take input signals and produce predictable output signals based on defined conditions. Logic circuits use binary states (on/off, 1/0, high/low) combined through gates such as AND, OR, and NOT to make decisions, control systems, and process information in avionics, autopilots, flight management systems, and engine controls.
Plain English
A built-in set of rules in an electronic system that decides what happens next based on what signals it is receiving. If certain conditions are met, the system does one thing; if not, it does something else.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of aircraft electrical systems, warning systems, automatic controls, and computer-based avionics.
Derivation
From Greek 'logikē,' meaning 'reasoning' or 'the art of thinking correctly.' In electronics, the word was borrowed because digital circuits 'reason' through fixed rules — if these inputs are present, then this output follows. The aviation use carries the same idea: a system following rules to reach a result.
Why Pilots Care
Modern aircraft rely heavily on system logic to automate functions, protect against unsafe configurations, and sequence actions (gear, flaps, autopilot modes, warning systems). Understanding that a system follows defined logic — not judgment — helps pilots predict how it will behave and recognize when it is doing exactly what it was told, even if that is not what they wanted.
Intuition Check
Do not read logic here as just human common sense or good reasoning. In aviation systems, logic means the built-in rules that tell equipment how to respond to inputs.
Example Sentence 1
The landing gear warning logic triggers an aural alert when the throttle is reduced below a set power setting and the gear is not down and locked.
Example Sentence 2
During maintenance, the technician traced the fault to a logic circuit in the engine control unit.