Plain English Meaning
An imaginary straight line drawn from a point on a curved path, pointing in the exact direction you would travel if you suddenly stopped curving and went straight.
Full Definition
A straight line that touches a curve or circle at exactly one point without crossing it. At the point of contact, the tangent line runs in the same direction the curve is heading at that instant.
Context Anchor
Seen in ground-reference maneuvers such as eights around pylons, especially when describing how the airplane leaves one pylon turn and lines up for the next one.
Derivation
From the Latin 'tangere,' meaning 'to touch.' A tangent line just touches the curve at one point — that single touch-point is where the term comes from.
Why Pilots Care
Staying on the correct tangent keeps the turn radius constant and the pylon properly positioned relative to .