flight deck
Americannoun
-
Navy. the upper deck of an aircraft carrier, constructed and equipped for the landing and takeoff of aircraft.
-
Aeronautics. (in certain aircraft) an elevated compartment containing the instruments and controls used by the pilot, copilot, and flight engineer to operate the aircraft.
noun
-
the crew compartment in an airliner Compare cockpit
-
the upper deck of an aircraft carrier from which aircraft take off and on which they land
Etymology
Origin of flight deck
First recorded in 1920–25
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Canada-based investigator said the preliminary report made it clear that the crash resulted from "human action in the flight deck, not a mechanical or electrical problem with the aircraft".
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
On the flight deck were Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a pilot with decades of experience, and his younger colleague, first officer Clive Kunder.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
One photo published by the Pentagon shows a fighter plane preparing to launch from the flight deck of the Lincoln at an undisclosed location at sea.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 9, 2026
“Its flight deck layout appears to limit its ability to carry simultaneous aircraft launches and recoveries so it probably won’t be able to generate as many aircraft missions over a given period.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2025
Dutchy completes his technical training and aircraft carrier flight deck training, and after he’s been in San Diego for a month, he learns that soon he’ll be shipping out.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
