Definition
Load factors in which the aerodynamic lift acting on the airplane is directed upward relative to the pilot, pressing the pilot down into the seat. Expressed as a multiple of the airplane's weight (in G's), a positive load factor greater than 1 occurs whenever the wings produce more lift than is needed to support the airplane in level flight, such as during a level turn or a pull-up from a dive.
Plain English
A positive load factor is what you feel as extra weight pushing you down into your seat when the wings are working harder than usual — for example, in a steep turn or when pulling out of a dive.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of steep turns, pull-ups, emergency descents, and any maneuver where the airplane may be placed under extra structural stress.
Derivation
Positive' here doesn't mean 'good' — it refers to the direction of the force. In aviation, positive load factors push the pilot down into the seat (the normal 'feels-like-gravity' direction), while negative load factors push the pilot up against the seatbelt.
Why Pilots Care
Higher positive load factors raise stall speed and increase structural stress; exceeding published limits can damage the airframe or cause pilot incapacitation.
Analogy
If you press down harder on a bathroom scale, the scale reads more than your actual body weight. A positive load factor is similar: the airplane is momentarily carrying more than its normal weight load.
Intuition Check
Positive does not mean “good” or “safe” here. It means the load is in the normal plus-G direction; too much positive load factor can still damage the airplane.
Example Sentence 1
When recovering from the emergency descent, the pilot applied smooth back pressure to avoid imposing excessive positive load factors on the airframe.
Example Sentence 2
During recovery from an emergency descent the pilot applies smooth back pressure to avoid excessive positive load factors that could overstress the wings.