Definition
A pair of bars on the flight director indicator that move to show the pilot the pitch and bank attitude needed to follow a selected flight path. The pilot flies the aircraft so the steering bars are centered on the symbolic aircraft, which means the commanded attitude is being held.
Plain English
Moving guide lines on a cockpit instrument that tell the pilot how to tilt the aircraft up, down, left, or right to stay on course. When the pilot lines the aircraft symbol up with the bars, the aircraft is doing what the flight director is telling it to do.
Context Anchor
Seen on an attitude display or primary flight display during instrument flying, especially when using flight director guidance for navigation or an approach.
Derivation
“Steering” comes from the idea of guiding the direction of movement. “Bars” refers to the line-shaped marks on the display. In this term, the bars do not steer the aircraft themselves; they show the pilot how to steer it.
Why Pilots Care
They reduce workload and improve accuracy when flying on instruments by translating navigation data into simple steering cues.
Intuition Check
Do not think of steering bars as physical controls or nosewheel steering. They are visual guidance cues on an instrument display.
Example Sentence 1
On the ILS approach, the pilot kept the steering bars centered to stay on glideslope and localizer.
Example Sentence 2
During the missed approach, the steering bars commanded a climbing left turn to the published heading.