Definition
In the 5P Check used in Single-Pilot Resource Management (SRM), 'the Programming' refers to the setup, configuration, and management of cockpit avionics and automation — including the autopilot, flight management system (FMS), GPS navigator, electronic flight displays, and any installed glass-cockpit equipment. It covers entering routes, setting frequencies, selecting modes, and ensuring the automation is doing what the pilot intends at each phase of flight.
Plain English
It is the part of the 5P check where the pilot reviews everything they've told the cockpit's computers and automation to do, and confirms it's all set up correctly for the flight ahead.
Context Anchor
Used in single-pilot resource management and the 5P Check before flight, before taxi, before takeoff, during cruise, and any time the pilot changes route or equipment settings in flight.
Derivation
Programming' here is borrowed from computing — telling a machine what to do. As cockpits became increasingly automated, the term carried over to describe how the pilot configures avionics and autopilots. It reminds the pilot that modern automation is only as good as what was entered into it.
Why Pilots Care
Accurate programming reduces workload, prevents navigation mistakes, and supports safer single-pilot operations.
Intuition Check
Programming does not mean writing computer code here. In this FAA context, it means setting up and managing the airplane’s electronic equipment for the flight.
Example Sentence 1
During the 5P check before descent, the pilot reviewed the Programming and noticed the GPS was still sequenced to the original destination instead of the diversion airport.
Example Sentence 2
After receiving a reroute from ATC the pilot paused to update the programming before continuing the flight.