Plain English Meaning

Flight where nothing is changing. The aircraft is moving in a fixed way — same speed, same path — because all the pushes and pulls on it are balanced out.

Full Definition

A condition of flight in which the sum of all forces acting on the aircraft is zero, so the aircraft is neither accelerating nor decelerating in any direction. Airspeed, altitude, heading, and flight path remain constant. Steady flight can be straight-and-level cruise, a constant-rate climb, a constant-rate descent, or a constant-rate turn — any condition where the motion is unchanging over time.

Context Anchor

Seen when learning how the main forces on an during , a constant , or a constant .