fly-by-light
n.— «Traditional aeroplane controls still maintain a mechanical linkage directly from the pilot’s hands and feet to the the various surfaces used to manoeuvre the aircraft in flight. As larger aircraft and power-assisted controls have developed, in many cases the direct link no longer exists—leading to so-called “fly-by-wire” control systems, nowadays commonplace. In turn, as aircraft wiring has become more complex, use is being made of fibre-optic cables to carry more information around the airframe, which is sometimes called “fly-by-light.”» —“Wireless links to be trialled in Gulfstream flight controls” The Register (United Kingdom) May 27, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Aaron in Los Angeles, California, notes while using public transit in Britain he and other passengers were instructed to alight from the front, meaning “exit the car from the front.” Alight comes from an Old English word alihtan, literally, to...
Fans of the popular British baking show know that you don’t want your many-layered cake to concertina, or “collapse like an accordion.” The verb concertina, in this sense, derives from the name of an accordion-like instrument. This...