Definition
A set of coded instructions that directs a computer or electronic system to perform a specific sequence of operations. In aviation, programs are loaded into avionics, flight management systems, autopilots, and engine control units to govern how those systems behave.
Plain English
A list of step-by-step instructions written in a form a computer can follow. The computer does exactly what the program tells it to do, in the order the program lays out.
Context Anchor
Pilots may see this word in training records, maintenance requirements, aircraft manuals, and descriptions of aircraft systems.
Derivation
From the Greek 'programma,' meaning 'a public written notice' — literally 'to write before.' The sense carried into computing as a set of written instructions prepared in advance for a machine to follow.
Why Pilots Care
Modern cockpits depend on programs running in avionics. Knowing that a system's behavior is governed by its program helps pilots understand why a unit responds the way it does — and why software updates or database revisions can change how familiar equipment behaves.
Intuition Check
Do not assume program only means computer software. In aviation, it can mean any organized plan, schedule, or set of instructions.
Example Sentence 1
The flight management system runs a program that calculates the most fuel-efficient route based on the data the pilot enters.
Example Sentence 2
The operator updated the aircraft maintenance program after the new service bulletin arrived.