Plain English Meaning

The way flying feels in your body — the push into the seat, the lightness, the lean. It is what your body tells you the airplane is doing, which is often wrong when you cannot see outside.

Full Definition

The set of bodily sensations a pilot feels through pressure on the seat, harness, and controls during flight. These sensations come from the body's response to acceleration, gravity, and changes in load, and they are unreliable for determining the aircraft's actual attitude or motion without visual or instrument reference.

Context Anchor

Seen in instrument flying discussions, especially when learning why a pilot must rely on instruments instead of body in or reduced .