Definition
A cockpit instrument display that shows the position of nearby aircraft relative to the pilot's own aircraft, using information received from a traffic alerting system such as TCAS, TIS, or ADS-B. The display typically presents other aircraft as symbols on a screen, with their relative bearing, range, altitude difference, and direction of vertical movement.
Plain English
A screen in the cockpit that shows where other aircraft are around you, how far away they are, and whether they are above, below, or at your altitude.
Context Anchor
Seen on cockpit displays using traffic information from systems such as ADS-B, TIS, or TCAS.
Why Pilots Care
Gives immediate awareness of nearby aircraft so pilots can maintain safe separation and avoid collisions.
Analogy
It is like a moving map for nearby aircraft: it helps you picture where other airplanes are around you, but you still need to look out the window to confirm what is actually there.
Intuition Check
Traffic does not mean cars or road congestion here; it means other aircraft in the area. A traffic display is not a guarantee that every aircraft is shown, because it depends on what the equipment can receive.
Example Sentence 1
While entering the traffic pattern, the pilot checked the traffic display and saw another aircraft two miles to the east at a similar altitude.
Example Sentence 2
During the approach the pilot checked the traffic display for any planes near the airport.