Definition
Decisions made by a pilot in the moment, using current information available during a flight, to manage a situation as it unfolds rather than relying on a pre-planned response.
Plain English
Choices a pilot makes on the spot, while flying, based on what is actually happening right now.
Context Anchor
Used in scenario-based training when an instructor gives a realistic situation and the pilot must choose what to do during the flight or simulated flight.
Derivation
‘Real-time’ comes from computing, where it described systems that respond to events as they happen rather than after the fact. Applied to flying, it captures the idea that the pilot is making the call as the situation develops, with no pause to step back and analyze.
Why Pilots Care
Allows safe handling of dynamic situations where conditions change faster than any pre-flight plan can anticipate.
Intuition Check
Do not read “real-time decisions” as rushed guesses. Here it means decisions made during the event, using the best information available at that moment.
Example Sentence 1
When the cloud layer dropped lower than forecast, the pilot made a real-time decision to divert to a nearby airport.
Example Sentence 2
Strong scenario-based training improves a pilot's ability to make real-time decisions when an unexpected traffic conflict appears.