Definition
An instrument or screen presentation that shows aircraft, navigation, or system information as a recognizable picture or symbol rather than as raw numbers, dial readings, or text. The display uses graphic shapes — such as a small aircraft symbol, a course line, a compass rose, or a horizon bar — so the pilot can interpret the situation visually at a glance.
Plain English
A display that shows information as a picture instead of just numbers or words, so you can understand what's going on with one quick look.
Context Anchor
Pilots encounter pictorial displays on moving-map screens, electronic flight displays, weather displays, and some training diagrams.
Derivation
From the Latin pictura, meaning 'a painting' or 'picture.' A pictorial display literally paints the situation for the pilot rather than describing it in numbers.
Why Pilots Care
Allows faster recognition of aircraft state and reduces interpretation time during high-workload phases of flight.
Analogy
Like a GPS map on a car dashboard versus a list of street names and distances — the picture tells you what you need to know immediately.
Intuition Check
Do not assume pictorial display means a photograph. In aviation, it usually means a screen or instrument that turns flight information into a picture-like view.
Example Sentence 1
The horizontal situation indicator gives the pilot a pictorial display of the aircraft's position relative to the selected course.
Example Sentence 2
Modern navigation systems use a pictorial display to show the airplane's position relative to the planned route.