Definition
A wearable buoyancy aid carried aboard aircraft operating over water, designed to keep an occupant afloat in the event of a ditching or water egress.
Plain English
A life vest or jacket kept on board so that anyone who ends up in the water can stay floating until help arrives.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft with electronic flight displays, especially when discussing glass cockpits, cockpit scanning, and information management.
Derivation
The word 'flotation' comes from the French 'flotter,' meaning 'to float.' A Personal Flotation Device is simply a piece of equipment, worn by one person, that keeps them floating.
Why Pilots Care
It reduces pilot workload by combining essential instruments into one reliable display, improving situational awareness and safety.
Intuition Check
A PFD is not just any cockpit screen. It is the primary screen for basic flight control information.
Example Sentence 1
Before the overwater leg, the instructor confirmed that a PFD was stowed within reach of every seat.
Example Sentence 2
During the approach, the PFD displayed all primary flight data without the pilot needing to scan multiple analog gauges.