Definition
The pilot's posture and placement in the cockpit seat — including seat height, fore-and-aft adjustment, back angle, and head position — set so that the pilot's eyes are at the correct design eye reference point for the airplane, giving a consistent sight picture over the nose and full access to the controls and instruments.
Plain English
How you sit in the pilot's seat. The seat is adjusted so your eyes are at the right height to see over the nose properly, and so you can comfortably reach the rudder pedals, yoke or stick, and throttle without stretching or hunching.
Context Anchor
Used before takeoff and during straight-and-level flight when the pilot sets a consistent view outside the airplane and checks that all controls can be reached comfortably.
Why Pilots Care
An incorrect seating position creates inaccurate pitch and bank references, leading to unintended altitude or heading changes.
Intuition Check
Do not think of seating position as just comfort. In this context, it is part comfort, part control reach, and part keeping the same outside view so the airplane is easier to judge.
Example Sentence 1
Before starting the engine, the student adjusted the seating position so her eyes were level with the top of the glareshield and her feet rested squarely on the rudder pedals.
Example Sentence 2
A consistent seating position lets the pilot hold altitude accurately by using the same outside reference throughout straight-and-level flight.