Definition
Warnings provided to pilots through both sight and sound — typically a flashing or coloured indication on a cockpit display combined with a tone, voice callout, or other audible signal — used to draw immediate attention to a condition that requires action, such as a deviation from a protected approach corridor during a Precision Runway Monitor (PRM) approach.
Plain English
Warnings you can both see and hear at the same time. Something flashes or lights up on a screen, and a sound or spoken message plays, so you notice the warning right away even if you happen to be looking elsewhere.
Context Anchor
In the Precision Runway Monitor benefits discussion, this refers to alerts used by controllers to notice quickly when an aircraft is moving away from its expected approach path during closely spaced parallel approaches.
Derivation
‘Aural’ comes from the Latin auris, meaning ear — so an aural alert is one you receive through hearing. Pairing it with a visual alert means the warning reaches the pilot through two senses at once, making it much harder to miss.
Why Pilots Care
These alerts enable rapid corrective action to maintain safe separation and prevent conflicts during high-density parallel approaches.
Analogy
It is like a car warning that shows a dashboard light and also makes a chime. The light catches your eye, and the sound helps get your attention if you are looking elsewhere.
Intuition Check
Do not confuse aural with oral. Aural means heard by the ear; oral means spoken by the mouth. Visual does not mean the pilot is flying by outside sight here; it means the alert appears in a form someone can see.
Example Sentence 1
If the aircraft drifts toward the No Transgression Zone during a PRM approach, the crew will receive visual and aural alerts and must be ready to break out without delay.
Example Sentence 2
Controllers responded immediately to the visual and aural alerts by directing the deviating aircraft to correct its heading.