Definition
An active traffic advisory system manufactured by L3 Avionics (originally BFGoodrich) that interrogates the transponders of nearby aircraft and displays their range, relative bearing, and altitude to the pilot, along with aural alerts when traffic is assessed as a threat. It is a TAS (Traffic Advisory System) — it provides traffic advisories only, not resolution advisories like the larger TCAS II found in airliners.
Plain English
Skywatch is a piece of equipment fitted in some general aviation aircraft that actively looks for nearby airplanes by pinging their transponders. It then shows where that traffic is on a screen and warns you when something is getting close.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument flying safety systems discussions and on cockpit traffic displays, especially when learning how aircraft traffic information is shown to the pilot.
Derivation
The name combines 'sky' with 'watch,' meaning to keep a lookout on the sky around the aircraft — a literal description of what the equipment does for the pilot.
Why Pilots Care
Provides real-time awareness of nearby traffic, helping pilots maintain safe separation especially when flying in instrument conditions or high-density airspace.
Intuition Check
Do not read “Skywatch” as a general instruction to watch the sky. In this context, Skywatch System means a specific cockpit traffic-alert system that detects and displays nearby transponder-equipped aircraft.
Example Sentence 1
The Skywatch system alerted us to traffic two miles ahead and 500 feet below before we picked it up visually.
Example Sentence 2
Before turning onto final, the crew used the Skywatch System to verify no conflicting aircraft were in the pattern.