Definition
A flight director display format that combines pitch and roll guidance into a single command symbol, typically shown as an inverted V or wedge, which the pilot follows by maneuvering the airplane symbol to align with it. When the airplane symbol is tucked into the command symbol, the airplane is on the commanded flight path.
Plain English
A flight director presentation that uses one combined symbol to tell the pilot both how much to pitch and how much to bank. The pilot flies the airplane symbol up to meet that one symbol, and when the two are aligned, the airplane is going where the flight director wants it to go.
Context Anchor
Seen on a flight director display when using autopilot or flight director guidance.
Derivation
"Single-cue" means one visual prompt. Instead of giving the pilot two separate signals (one for pitch, one for roll), the system blends them into a single cue to follow. This contrasts with a cross-pointer (two-cue) system, which uses two separate command bars.
Why Pilots Care
It reduces instrument scan workload by combining lateral and vertical guidance into one visual reference during hand-flown or coupled approaches.
Intuition Check
Single-cue does not mean the system gives only one kind of guidance. It means one displayed cue combines both nose-up or nose-down guidance and left-or-right bank guidance.
Example Sentence 1
On a single-cue system, the pilot flies the airplane symbol up into the inverted-V command bars to capture the commanded pitch and bank.
Example Sentence 2
In single-cue mode the flight director combined the localizer and glide-slope information into one cue, allowing a smoother instrument scan.