Definition
In a Flight Director System, steerage commands are the visual pitch and bank guidance signals computed by the flight director and displayed on the attitude indicator (typically as command bars or a single-cue 'V-bar') that tell the pilot exactly how to fly the aircraft to capture and hold a selected flight path, such as a heading, course, altitude, or glideslope.
Plain English
Steerage commands are the on-screen cues that show the pilot which way to pitch and bank the aircraft to follow the path the flight director has worked out. The pilot just flies the aircraft to match those cues.
Context Anchor
Seen when using a flight director system, especially on an instrument display that gives guidance for heading, course, altitude, or an approach path.
Derivation
From 'steer,' meaning to guide a vessel's direction. The word comes from Old English 'stieran' (to guide or direct). 'Steerage' here just means 'guidance for steering'—the system is telling the pilot how to steer the aircraft.
Why Pilots Care
Following these cues reduces workload and improves accuracy when flying published instrument procedures.
Intuition Check
Do not read “commands” as spoken orders from air traffic control. Here, commands are visual guidance cues from the flight director, and they do not mean the autopilot is necessarily engaged.
Example Sentence 1
After selecting the desired heading and altitude, the pilot followed the flight director's steerage commands to roll into the turn and begin the climb.
Example Sentence 2
With the autopilot engaged, the system automatically followed the vertical steerage commands during the descent.