Definition
A specific engine power setting selected by the pilot for a particular phase of flight or maneuver, typically expressed as a throttle position, manifold pressure, RPM, or percentage of available power.
Plain English
How much power the pilot is asking the engine to produce at a given moment, set deliberately to match what the airplane is being asked to do.
Context Anchor
You will see this in maneuver descriptions, approach setup, takeoff and climb discussions, and any place the handbook describes setting the airplane up for a specific action.
Derivation
"Configuration" comes from the Latin "configurare," meaning to shape or arrange together. In aviation, a configuration is any deliberate arrangement of the airplane's controls or surfaces. "Power configuration" simply means the way the power is currently arranged or set.
Why Pilots Care
Correct power configuration delivers the expected performance, protects the engine, and supports precise airspeed and altitude management.
Intuition Check
Do not read “power configuration” as general electrical power or physical strength. Here it means the engine power setting chosen for a specific flight condition.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor called for a slow flight power configuration, so the student reduced throttle and added back pressure to maintain altitude.
Example Sentence 2
Reducing the power configuration allowed the airplane to descend at the desired airspeed without exceeding engine limits.