Definition
A controller display function on the STARS (Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System) and ERAM (En Route Automation Modernization) systems that allows a controller to temporarily view the full data block of an aircraft being worked by another controller, without taking a handoff or assuming control of that aircraft.
Plain English
A tool that lets one air traffic controller peek at the detailed information another controller is seeing about an aircraft, without actually taking responsibility for it.
Context Anchor
Used in air traffic control facilities and radar display procedures; pilots may see the term in FAA glossary material, but they normally do not use it in radio calls.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots don't use Quick Look themselves, but understanding it helps explain how adjacent controllers stay aware of traffic in neighboring sectors — which supports smoother handoffs, better traffic flow, and quicker conflict resolution near sector boundaries.
Intuition Check
Do not read Quick Look as just an ordinary quick glance. In this FAA context, it means a specific controller display feature for temporarily viewing another controller’s aircraft information.
Example Sentence 1
The approach controller used Quick Look to see the altitude and routing of an aircraft in the adjacent sector before initiating coordination.
Example Sentence 2
During busy periods the supervisor activated Quick Look on several scopes to monitor sector loading.