Glass Cockpit: Definition, Difference, Design, Parts, Use, Benefits, History

A glass cockpit is an aircraft cockpit where flight data is presented on electronic flight displays - typically large LCD screens - instead of on the familiar cluster of individual mechanical gauges. By replacing the conventional six-pack with a primary flight display driven by flight management systems, and by adding several multi-function displays, the design centralizes navigation, engine and systems information into one coherent interface. Because these screens consolidate and simplify data presentation, glass cockpits offer pilots quicker scan patterns, lower workload and higher reliability than traditional analog panels. Their advantages in failure management and overall functionality explain why they have become standard equipment in most new general aviation aircraft, steadily supplanting the older steam-gauges that once defined cockpits worldwide.

What is a glass cockpit in an aircraft?

A glass cockpit is an advanced aircraft cockpit in which digital flight instrument displays replace traditional analogue gauges. The name comes from the large flat glass-panel computer-screen appearance of the Electronic Flight Displays (EFs) that are typically LCD or LED screens. These displays combine flight, engine, weather, navigation and communication data into one system, so the pilot's primary source of flight information - the Primary Flight Display (PFD) - and the adjacent Multi-Function Display (MFD) present all data on only two panels instead of the older six-pack of separate dials.

Under the GAMA definition an integrated flight deck must include electronic display, control of attitude, airspeed, altitude, and all navigation and communication functions. The flight management systems that drive the PFD and MFD make this possible. Because the primary instruments are now located within the PFD or MFD, the moniker glass cockpit is still commonly applied to any aircraft that incorporate these digital flight displays, whether the platform is a transport-category airliner, a business jet, or a light aircraft fitted with systems like the Garmin G1000 or G3X Touch.

A semi-glass cockpit is an intermediate configuration: traditional mechanical gauges remain for some functions while one or two electronic screens - usually an MFD - are added for navigation, weather or engine monitoring.

How does a glass cockpit work?

A glass cockpit utilizes digital displays, electronic flight displays, and flat-panel LCD screens to show flight information in front of the pilot. These screens are linked to computers that receive data from sensors and flight management systems, replacing the traditional six-pack of analog gauges. Electronic flight displays, or EFDs, integrate multiple instruments into a single screen, reducing the need for constant scanning across separate gauges.

The Primary Flight Display (PFD) is a digital display located in front of the pilot, showing flight data including altitude, airspeed, attitude, heading, and vertical speed. It uses graphic pointers to indicate selected modes and vertical speed, and is driven by flight management systems and new generation sensors like the attitude heading reference system (AHRS). AHRS provides the same information as the artificial horizon, directional gyro, and turn coordinator using a collection of accelerometers and micro-gyros.

Multi-function displays (MFDs) are computer screens that show a wide range of information beyond flight systems. These include engine data, navigation, traffic, weather, terrain, and maps with overlays of radar or datalink. Real-time data includes engine performance and weather conditions, helping pilots monitor system status and enhance safety. MFDs additionally present background information about the flight and surroundings.

Engine information is displayed through the Engine-Indicating and Crew-Alerting System (EICAS), which monitors and shows fuel, engine, electrical, and hydraulic status on a high-resolution screen. Systems like the Garmin G1000 offer automation tools and integrate these features to streamline pilot workload. Flat-panel LCD screens render crisp pictures in bright sunlight and dark night conditions, assuring visibility and precision under all lighting.

The failure mode in analog instruments means individual gauges fail independently, but in a glass cockpit, one screen hosts multiple functions, reducing clutter and weight. For example, analog instruments weigh 8-12 kg (17.6-26.5 lbs), while digital systems consolidate many functions into a few screens. With synthetic vision and terrain awareness, glass cockpits enhance safety by giving pilots a clear, integrated view of the aircraft's surroundings.

What are the differences between a glass cockpit and steam gauges?

A glass cockpit replaces the standard six-pack of round dials with two or three screens fed by dual air-data and attitude systems, so glass panels are more accurate and reliable in every way over steam gauges. Steam gauges are independent mechanical instruments that use air pressure or vacuum-driven gyroscopes. Because each presents information separately, you must scan six instruments, reset the heading indicator every 15 minutes and set bug reminders, so steam gauges require more attention and manual flying skills. The integrated screens of a glass cockpit give synthetic vision, moving maps and engine data on one page, so glass panels offer better situational awareness, while steam gauges provide less situational awareness. Yet, steam gauges can function during loss of electrical power, which gives a layer of protection. Steam gauges build strong fundamentals but glass cockpits reflect the future of aviation.

In steam gauges, each instrument is devoted to a specific role such as velocity, height, or inclination. Glass cockpits incorporate all such information into one unified system making it easier for the pilots to read the data, reducing workload. Steam gauges are automatic yet isolated whereas glass cockpits provide better reliability and accuracy. I understand the various pros and cons of both systems. Where I would need to scan multiple screens in a traditional steam gauge system, a glass cockpit reduces the work by allowing me to scan one integrated system.

Jim Goodrich

Pilot, Airplane Broker and Founder of Tsunami Air

What is a glass cockpit design?

A glass cockpit design includes LCD displays and computational systems, and replaces traditional gauges with an integrated flight deck that presents attitude, airspeed, altitude, navigation and communication functions on electronic flight displays. Modern implementations like the Garmin G1000 consolidate dozens of tasks into a more intuitive unified system, combining data from several instruments onto primary flight displays driven by flight management systems. The same architecture is found in transport and business aviation categories, exemplified by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Boeing 737 Max that include LCD glass cockpits.

Because the integrated flight deck presents all information on electronic displays, the flight-engineer’s function is redundant, so the Boeing 737 was initially designed to operate with only two flight crew members. The concept extends to fighter jets: the F/A-22 cockpit has six liquid crystal displays and a unified control panel in the center top of the instrument panel, allowing the pilot to input information for communications, autopilot and navigation while computer screens display all information.

What is cockpit glass made of?

Glass cockpits are made up of multiple layers. Flight deck windshields have an outer layer of glass bonded to stretched acrylic, the urethane interlayer between them serving both as adhesive and impact absorber. Commercial jets use Plexiglas - Polymethyl methacrylate - while most airplanes use stretched acrylic glass for their cockpit windows. The outermost protective barrier is 0.125 inch (3.175 mm) thick acrylic, chemically strengthened and finished with a hydrophobic coating so rain and snow slide away. Beneath it the main ply is typically two plies of acrylic laminated with a vinyl interlayer, giving the windshield a total thickness that ranges from just under an inch (2.54 cm) to 1.2 inches (3.05 cm). Military rotorcraft prefer thinner plies of polycarbonate, acrylic, or a combination of both, sometimes with EMI coatings. Fixed-wing military aircraft instead use thick polycarbonate plies laminated with polyurethane interlayer.

For extreme flight regimes the SR-71 represented a special case: its cockpit glass was made of 1.25-inch thick solid quartz fused directly to the titanium hull, and at Mach 3 the inner surface was hot to the touch. Whether the canopy is bolted to a metal frame or the sheets are heated and fusion bonded into a single-piece article, every layer must withstand bird strike, lightning, hydraulic-fluid exposure, and wide temperature swings.

What are the parts of a glass cockpit?

A glass cockpit is made up of multiple parts. Modern glass cockpits have replaced mechanical instruments with integrated electronic units like the Primary Flight Display (PFD), the Multi Function Display (MFD), and the Engine Indicating and Crew Alerting System (EICAS). The PFD is located in front of the pilot in place of the classic instrument panel, and it integrates attitude, rate tapes for speed, altitude, heading and vertical speed into one view. Adjacent to it, the MFD provides moving maps, aircraft system status, weather imagery and live traffic plots, boosting situational awareness. The unit is a flat-panel colour LCD, offering sharper resolution and better contrast than earlier cathode-ray screens. Between the seats of both pilots sits the Multi-Control Display Unit (MCDU), which features a small keyboard and display through which the crew accesses the Flight Management System (FMS).

The Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) comprises the PFD, the Navigation Display (ND) and the EFIS control panel located on the top of the instrument panel. The ND supplies route information including waypoints, windspeed and wind direction, while an independent Air Data Computer (ADC) replaces mechanical pitot-static instruments, continually feeding pressure values to the displays. The navigation source is primarily the Global Positioning System (GPS), with Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS) and Visual Omnidirectional Radio (VOR) / Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) acting as secondary or backup inputs. The FMS selects the most appropriate source automatically and transmits guidance to the autopilot and to the flight director that computes command bars overlaying the attitude indicator. Additional synthetics are provided by the Synthetic Vision System (SVS), which projects colour terrain over the attitude scene for low-visibility operations. Emergency referencing remains in the standby instrument system, adopting a compact altimeter, airspeed indicator and a hard-mounted magnetic compass used for calibrating the heading indicator before flight.

EICAS monitors engine performance. Parameters like flap indication and the position of spoilers, slats and other high-lift devices, and alerts are categorised and shown on the central MFD or ancillary EICAS display, thereby reducing crew workload. The Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor (ECAM) outputs engine parameters and systems synopsis in parallel, providing prompt actions to clear any abnormal condition. In the Airbus series the parallel arrangement is called ECAM and in Boeing it is called with both providing the same guidance. Manual flight commands originate from the flight controls: a yoke or, for certain aircraft like Airbus, a side-stick that allows the pilot to roll and pitch. A switch set on the yoke permits command of pitch trim, whereas a push-to-talk button on the same handle starts pilot air traffic control (ATC) communication. The transponder is located in the cockpit, coded and replying to radar to show the aircraft location to ATC and is set by a simple control head on the radio stack. The Turn Coordinator displays rate of roll and yaw coordination to reinforce primary flight data, completing the integrated panel arrangement.

What are glass cockpit flight instruments?

A glass cockpit flight instruments include the PFD, MFD, ADAHRS, among others. Electronic Flight Instrument Systems (EFIS) is the technical term for glass cockpits, replacing separate gauges with large LCD screens driven by flight management systems. The primary flight display (PFD), positioned in front of the pilot, shows speed, altitude, attitude, heading and vertical speed in one view. Modern glass cockpits do not use spinning mass gyros. Instead, an ADAHRS-Attitude and Heading Reference System contains accelerometers, tilt sensors and rate sensors that provide attitude, heading and air data information to the avionics communications bus. In transport-category aircraft a laser ring gyro calculates attitude for each axis of flight. A G1000 or G300 system integrates the PFD and multi-function display (MFD). The MFD presents a moving map, engine gauges, weather and terrain. The air data computer, part of the Garmin G300, processes pitot-static inputs: the pitot tube measures a combination of static and dynamic pressure, and the static port supplies static pressure so the computer can calculate airspeed, altitude and vertical speed. When a sensor fails, the ADAHRS provides error flags that allow displays to show a red X instead of unrequired data.

The heading indicator on the PFD is fed by the ADAHRS,calculated using a magnetometer. CDI, HSI, VOR and ILS guidance are drawn on the PFD and MFD as digital course deviation symbols. Vertical speed is read from the pitot-static system and shown on the PFD. The turn coordinator, a mandatory instrument, displays rate of turn and roll information plus an inclinometer for slip/skid indication. In glass cockpits, the turn coordinator relies on the AHRS rather than a vacuum-driven gyro. Thus, every former analog gauge-airspeed, altimeter, attitude indicator, vertical speed indicator, directional gyro and turn coordinator is replaced by solid-state sensors whose data appear on the EFIS displays.

How to use a glass cockpit?

To use a glass cockpit, begin by setting the altitude bug to the target altitude. At a glance the bug and the altitude pointer show the relationship and keep the flight progressing as you intended. Keep your eyes outside referencing the horizon and scan instruments periodically, because a key pilot skill is to develop an effective and efficient scan of the cockpit while resisting the temptation to fix your eyes on screens. The primary flight display is positioned in front of the pilot, so use the bump, scroll, and twist controls to enter data without staring at a screen and breaking your scan-flow. This lets you stay ahead of the aircraft. Transitioning to modern avionics - whether the Airbus A350, Boeing 787, or a Garmin G1000 G3X Touch system - requires familiarity with system logic and a disciplined approach to automation. Be prepared to disengage and fly manually, practicing basic maneuvers, slow flight, steep turns, and non-GPS approaches so that manual proficiency is maintained. During training, an instructor walks you through the G1000 engine start and run-up procedure while covering flight planning, guaranteeing that students trained on round dials acquire the new scan technique needed for glass cockpit operations.

I remember my first exposure to a glass cockpit and its screen which collectively displayed information including attitude, velocity, and inclination. I entered the route waypoints and other information, reducing my workload and allowing myself to focus on the aircraft’s general condition and the surrounding airspace. The decluttering characteristic of the integrated display was helpful and it allowed me to get rid of unnecessary data and focus on what was important.

Jim Goodrich

Pilot, Airplane Broker and Founder of Tsunami Air

What is a glass cockpit qualification?

A glass cockpit qualification marks the point at which a pilot is legally and operationally ready to command an aircraft whose primary instruments are presented on large liquid-crystal displays instead of separate steam-gauge dials. To reach that standard the applicant must understand pilotage, flight planning, and the logic of the integrated flight deck, and must be able to describe how a stored plan will be modified to divert the aircraft to an alternate destination in the event of an emergency. The training places early and repeated emphasis on flying the airplane rather than on programming the flight management computer. Instructors deliberately schedule turn-it-off drills so that the pilot can revert to manual flying skills when automation is degraded or distracting.

American Air provides thorough ground and flight training courses for glass-cockpit training, while Leopard Aviation prepares students for the glass cockpit future by training in Garmin G1000-equipped aircraft. These fleets feature Garmin G1000 and G3X Touch systems, the industry standard for modern flight decks. The curriculum moves the trainee through a disciplined approach to automation, beginning with raw-data hand-flown departures and concluding with coupled approaches in low-visibility conditions. Throughout, the syllabus guards against glass-cockpit syndrome - the tendency to fixate on brightly colored menus at the expense of outside scan, basic attitude control, and radio duties - by requiring periodic reversion to partial-panel and navaid-free exercises.

A glass-cockpit flight simulator is the principal tool used to cement the qualification. The device duplicates the integrated flight deck, including navigation and communication functions, and it permits repeatable exposure to high-density traffic, difficult departures, and emergencies that are impractical or unsafe in the airplane. Sessions end with a briefing that reviews any tendency toward excessive programming workload, data-clutter on the HSI, or inability to interact smoothly with ATC, assuring that the pilot graduates with an operational, rather than merely technical, mastery of the glass cockpit.

What are the benefits of a glass cockpit?

Glass cockpits provide a number of benefits. Glass cockpits refine situational awareness by presenting integrated flight data, moving maps, traffic and terrain warnings in one glance. Precise numbers let pilots interpret speed, altitude and position faster. Automation tools and autopilot integration smooth workload, especially in IFR or high-workload phases, while electronic checklists eliminate searching for paper and reduce the need to manually enter routes. Moving map overlays and ground proximity warning systems make low-visibility days safer, decrease accidents caused by loss of situational awareness, and enhance ground operations at unfamiliar airports. Terrain awareness, synthetic vision and weather radar further enhance safety and decision-making, helping to prevent controlled-flight-into-terrain and keep pilots ahead of varying conditions. ADS-B traffic awareness helps prevent conflicts. System redundancy, fewer moving parts and lighter components add reliability and cut maintenance, while the overall accident and fatality rates for glass-cockpit aircraft are lower than for round-dial fleets.

What is the history of glass cockpits?

The concept of glass cockpits traces back to the late 1960s and early 1970s when military aircraft began replacing banks of analog gauges with cathode-ray-tube displays. The Mark II avionics of the F-111D, first ordered in 1967 and delivered from 1970 to 1973, featured a multi-function CRT display that consolidated flight and navigation data into a single electronic screen. NASA launched the Transport Systems Research Vehicle project in 1974, fitting a Boeing 737 with a full glass cockpit to evaluate integrated electronic flight instruments. The same decade saw Boeing pursue similar work while developing the Supersonic Transport.

Motivated by the need to reduce pilot workload, cut wiring weight, and accommodate ever more intricate avionics, manufacturers brought the technology to airline platforms: the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 entered service in 1980 with glass primary flight and navigation displays, the Airbus A310 became the first Airbus model to begin glass-cockpit advancement, and the Beechcraft Starship introduced 27 CRT displays in 1988. The Airbus A320, certified in 1988, went further by pairing its full glass cockpit with side-stick controllers, replacing conventional yokes and setting a new standard for commercial flight decks.

During the 1990s, glass cockpits became the norm in newly delivered airliners, backed by the advancement in GPS navigation and ever more reliable CRT electronics. Toward the end of the century the technology migrated downward: Cirrus Design Corporation began the transition to glass cockpits in FAA-certified light aircraft in 2003, delivering single-engine piston airplanes equipped with electronic primary flight displays. Soon liquid-crystal-display technologies replaced CRTs entirely, completing the evolution that started in military cockpits three decades earlier.

How much does it cost to install a glass cockpit?

Installing a glass cockpit typically costs $15,000 to $50,000 or more, depending on the aircraft and the selected system. For budget-minded owners, new products from Garmin and Dynon push the price down below $10,000, while a complete Dynon SkyView HDX system costs about $20,000 plus $2,000 to purchase the STC. Upgrading to weather and traffic avoidance systems adds between $5,000 and $20,000.

At the higher end, Garmin's G1000 NXi upgrade price for a King Air is about $53,000 plus installation, and a from-scratch install will cost an estimated $350,000 to $450,000. The Avilon retrofit cockpit carries a guaranteed installed price of $175,000. An STC that covers a glass cockpit upgrade costs the applicant over $100,000, and up to $250,000 in some cases

Expert behind this article

Jim Goodrich

Jim Goodrich is a pilot, aviation expert and founder of Tsunami Air.