Definition
In the night flight context of the Airplane Flying Handbook, position refers to the airplane's location in space relative to the runway, the ground, other aircraft, or a navigation reference, as determined visually and by reference to flight instruments. At night, position awareness depends heavily on identifying lights (runway lights, position lights on other aircraft, ground lights) and on instrument indications rather than the broad visual cues available in daylight.
Plain English
Where the airplane is — in relation to the runway, the ground, or other aircraft — at any given moment.
Context Anchor
In night flying, pilots use position when describing where the airplane is relative to the airport, runway, terrain, lights, or other traffic.
Derivation
Position comes from a Latin word meaning “a placing” or “where something has been put.” That origin fits the aviation use: it is about where the airplane or object is placed in relation to known points around it.
Why Pilots Care
Accurate position awareness is essential to avoid terrain, maintain separation from other traffic, and complete night approaches safely.
Intuition Check
Do not read position here as body posture or opinion. In this aviation context, position means location relative to useful references.
Example Sentence 1
On a night approach, the pilot cross-checked the altimeter and runway lights to confirm the airplane's position on final.
Example Sentence 2
Position lights on the approaching aircraft revealed it was to our left and flying level.