Definition
A steady, level phase of flight at the airplane's typical cruise power setting and airspeed, with wings level and no climb, descent, or maneuvering being performed.
Plain English
Flying along straight and level at your usual cruising speed and power, not climbing, descending, or turning.
Context Anchor
In the Steep Spiral section, this describes the ordinary flight condition a pilot may be in before setting up or entering the maneuver.
Derivation
Normal comes from an older word meaning a rule or standard. Cruise originally carried the idea of traveling around or along a route. Together, the phrase points to the airplane’s standard traveling condition in flight.
Why Pilots Care
It is the stable baseline used for performance calculations, fuel planning, and the starting or ending point of most training maneuvers.
Intuition Check
Normal does not mean casual or unimportant here. Cruise does not mean the fastest possible speed. In this context, normal cruise flight means the airplane is in its usual steady flying condition before another action begins.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor told the student to establish normal cruise flight before entering the steep spiral.
Example Sentence 2
The steep spiral demonstration begins from normal cruise flight and ends when the aircraft is returned to the same condition.