Plain English Meaning

The hands-on flying ability and good judgment a pilot uses to handle the airplane well in every phase of flight, from takeoff to landing, and to deal with anything unexpected along the way.

Full Definition

The set of physical, mental, and procedural abilities required to safely and accurately operate an airplane. These include aircraft control (manipulating the flight controls to achieve desired attitudes, airspeeds, and flight paths), situational awareness, judgment and decision-making, communication, navigation, systems management, and the smooth coordinated handling of , abnormal, and situations.