Definition
Occurring at the same time. In aviation usage, it describes two or more events, signals, transmissions, or operations that take place together rather than in sequence.
Plain English
Happening at the same moment.
Context Anchor
Pilots may see this word in discussions of radio calls, aircraft operations, approaches, runway use, or cockpit tasks that happen at the same time.
Derivation
From the Latin 'simul' meaning 'at the same time.' The same root gives us 'similar' and 'simulate.' In aviation, it carries that exact original sense: events sharing the same moment in time.
Why Pilots Care
When events are simultaneous, a pilot may need to divide attention, confirm instructions, or avoid confusion caused by two things happening at once.
Intuition Check
Simultaneous does not mean “one right after the other.” It means the events happen at the same time or overlap in time.
Example Sentence 1
Two pilots made simultaneous radio calls on the same frequency, blocking each other's transmissions.
Example Sentence 2
Simultaneous transmissions on the same frequency often result in blocked or garbled messages.