Definition
The set of standardized symbols, icons, and graphical elements used on a cockpit display to represent aircraft attitude, flight path, terrain, traffic, navigation references, and other flight information.
Plain English
The picture-language a flight display uses — the shapes and markings that show the pilot what the aircraft is doing and what is around it.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of Synthetic Vision Guidance Systems, flight displays, and other cockpit screens that show guidance using visual marks instead of only words or numbers.
Derivation
From Greek 'symbolon' meaning 'sign' or 'token,' combined with '-logy' meaning 'study or system of.' So 'symbology' literally means 'a system of symbols' — in aviation, the visual language used on a display.
Why Pilots Care
Proper interpretation of symbology reduces pilot workload and improves situational awareness when outside visual references are unavailable.
Analogy
It is like the icons and lane markings on a car navigation screen. The marks are only useful if you know what each one is telling you to do.
Intuition Check
Symbology does not mean decoration on the screen. Here it means the meaningful visual language the display uses to show flight information.
Example Sentence 1
The Synthetic Vision Guidance System uses specific symbology to show terrain, runways, and the aircraft's flight path on the primary flight display.
Example Sentence 2
During the approach the pilot cross-checks the altitude tape symbology against the actual altimeter to confirm the aircraft is on the correct glide path.