Definition
The cockpit instruments that show the airplane's position and track relative to a selected course or navigation aid. They typically include the heading indicator, course deviation indicator (CDI), bearing pointers, distance measuring equipment (DME) display, and modern equivalents on a GPS or moving map display.
Plain English
The instruments that tell the pilot where the airplane is going and how it lines up with the route being flown.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument flying when the pilot is using the panel to follow a course, intercept a route, or line up with an approach path.
Derivation
Navigation comes from the Latin navigare, meaning 'to sail a ship.' The word carried over to aviation to describe finding and following a route through the air.
Why Pilots Care
They provide the position and course data required for IFR navigation and safe arrival at the intended airport.
Intuition Check
Navigation instruments are not the same as all flight instruments. They are the ones that help answer, “Am I on the right path to the right place?”
Example Sentence 1
Before starting the approach, the pilot cross-checked the navigation instruments to confirm the airplane was tracking the inbound course.
Example Sentence 2
Cross-checking the navigation instruments kept the airplane on course during the instrument approach.