Fly-by-wire (FBW) is a system that replaces the conventional manual flight controls of an aircraft with an electronic interface. When the pilot moves flight controls, those movements are converted into electronic signals, which are then interpreted by the aircrafts flight control computers (FCC) to adjust actuators that move flight control surfaces. Computers also monitor sensors throughout the aircraft to make automatic adjustments that enhance the flight. Key features of fly-by-wire include:

• Electronic Interface: The movements of flight controls are converted to electronic signals that are interpreted by the aircrafts flight control computers.

• Tactile Cueing: When equipped with active control sticks, the FCC uses sensor data to create "tactile cueing" – sensory feedback to the pilot in the form of improved physical "feel" for the aircrafts motions and aerodynamic limits.

• Lighter and Less Bulky: Because fly-by-wire is electronic, it is much lighter and less bulky than mechanical controls, allowing increases in fuel efficiency and aircraft design flexibility, even in legacy aircraft.

• Redundancy: To prevent flight-critical failure, most fly-by-wire systems also have triple or quadruple redundancy back-ups built into them.

Fly-by-wire is sometimes referred to as "fly-by-optics" or "fly-by-light" due to its use of fiber optics, which offers a higher data transfer rate, immunity to electromagnetic interference, and lighter weight. The Kawasaki P-1 is the first production aircraft in the world to be equipped with a fly-by-light flight control system.