Aviation jargon

About this list

Pilots and air traffic controllers share a vocabulary built for clarity over a radio. The list keeps the terms that turn up in flight scenes.

200 terms, A to Z

actual flying time

The total amount of time that an aircraft is in the air, excluding its time on the ground.

ADS-R

rebroadcast ADS: Initialism of automatic dependent surveillance - rebroadcast (“rebroadcasting of ADS automated transmission of GPS location information from an aircraft via an ADS station”).

advance angle

In helicopters, the mechanically fixed angle between the main rotor blades' pitch control horns and the swashplate when the blades are not leading or lagging.

air data

Information regarding an aircraft's flight parameters that is collected by sensors on the aircraft.

Air Force One

The United States Air Force special VIP transport airliner designated for POTUS transportation

air host

A male flight attendant; a steward.

air staff

The chief commander, flag officers, and bureau in charge of a military's air branch; the headquarters general staff of an air force.

air traffic

the movement of aircraft through the air, and into and out of airports.

air-launch

To release a missile, rocket, parasite aircraft or other aircraft payload from a mother ship or launch aircraft.

air-launched

Of a rocket or missile, launched from an aircraft while in flight.

air-to-air

With the participants being two or more aircraft in flight.

aircraft attitude

The orientation of an aircraft with respect to the horizon.

aircraft movement

The take-off or landing of an aircraft at an airport.

aircraft station

A radio station broadcast from an aircraft.

airport system

A collection of airports, heliports or other aviation facilities that serve a particular location.

anti-air

Synonym of anti-aircraft.

anti-shock body

A pod, protuberance, or swelling used to adjust the variation in an aircraft's cross-sectional area along its length so as to better conform to the area rule, reducing wave drag at transonic speeds.

area control center

A facility for controlling aircraft at high altitudes between airport approaches and departures.

attitude check

An assessment of an aircraft's orientation relative to the horizon (such as its pitch, roll and yaw).

available seat-mile

A measure of an airline flight's passenger carrying capacity, equal to the number of seats onboard an aircraft multiplied by the distance flown in miles. Seats that are not available for sale to revenue-paying…

back course

The approach course formed by the rear lobe of the signal pattern of a localizer antenna array (the portion of the localizer signal emitted from the rear face of the antenna array), oriented in the reciprocal direction…

bang zone

Synonym of boom path.

base leg

The part of a landing before final approach, flown downwind of and at right angles to the runway.

bird strike

A collision between a bird and an aircraft, especially one that causes an accident.

block hour

The time from the moment an aircraft pushes back from the gate at departure of a revenue flight, until the moment the aircraft makes its final stop at the arrival gate following its landing. Equal to flight hours plus…

block time

Synonym of flight time.

blue ice

Human waste that has leaked from an aircraft, frozen at high altitude, and fallen to earth.

blue room

The toilet or washroom on a passenger aircraft.

body gear

Landing gear mounted in the lower part of an aircraft's fuselage, generally between or slightly behind the wings.

boom path

The narrow region under a supersonic aircraft's flight path, where the sonic boom is liable to be heard as it flies overhead.

box man

The pilot flying behind the leader in a box formation.

box tail

An aircraft's tail or rudder, usually fixed, resembling a box kite.

bus-stop flight

A regular short-haul flight that carries passengers.

bush flying

The operation, or an instance, of aircraft, especially small fixed-wing bush planes or bush helicopters, in remote, undeveloped, or wilderness areas where conventional airstrips, navigation aids, or maintenance…

call the ball

When landing on a US aircraft carrier: to sight the lights from the multi-colored optical landing system that shows a pilot to be on the correct approach path or how to correct the approach path.

calm wind

Wind that is slower than 3 knots.

center stick

An aircraft cockpit arrangement where the control column is located in the center of the cockpit either between the pilot's legs or between the pilots' positions.

centre of lift

That point on an aircraft where all the various lifting forces act. If the centre or lift is not coincident with the centre of gravity on the fore/aft axis, the plane will pitch, if not coincident on the lateral axis,…

chase plane

An aircraft that flies alongside another, to advise or photograph it while experimental flights are being carried out.

Christmas tree effect

The phenomenon where an aircraft's radar with limited directional capabilities receives strong echoes from the ground, swamping target signals and generating a triangular radar trace.

cloud suck

An atmospheric phenomenon which produces extreme lift in a thermal updraft from underneath a cumulus cloud, which may suck the aviator and aircraft high into the clouds.

combined cycle

using multiple propulsion techniques in an interlinked synergistic way to give improved performance

commercial

Designating an airport that serves passenger and/or cargo flights.

compound control

A system of control in which a separate manipulation, as of a rudder, may be effected by either of two movements, in different directions, of a single lever, etc.

control stick

A joystick.

control surface

A moveable surface attached to a machine such as an aircraft or submarine that can be used to control the machine's motion in roll, pitch or yaw.

control tower

An airport building from which the air traffic control unit monitors and directs the movement of aircraft on and around the airport.

control wheel

Synonym of stick (“a wheel-like control mechanism with a handgrip on opposite sides, similar to the steering wheel of an automobile”).

core

A deposit paid by the purchaser of a rebuilt part, to be refunded on return of a used, rebuildable part, or the returned rebuildable part itself.

core lock

Seizure of a turbine engine due to misalignment and loss of clearance between stationary and rotating components, caused by different components cooling and contracting at different rates following engine shutdown or…

core locked

Affected by core lock.

course-correct

To alter the current course of an aircraft or other vessel to ensure it is directed towards the intended destination.

decision height

The height at which a pilot performing a precision approach must decide whether to land on the runway or to perform a go-around maneuver.

depth charge

A form of bomb, launched from a ship or dropped from an aircraft, that is designed to detonate at a certain depth underwater for the purposes of attacking a submerged enemy, especially a submarine.

digital target

A computer-generated symbol representing an aircraft's position, based on a primary return or radar beacon reply, shown on a digital display.

doctor killer

A personal light aircraft attributed to a large number of serious accidents or fatal crashes.

drop tank

An expendable external fuel tank on an aircraft.

dry bay

An enclosed compartment immediately adjacent to a fuel tank but not itself used for fuel.

Dutch roll

An aircraft motion consisting of an out-of-phase combination of yaw and roll, especially prominent on sweptwing aircraft.

electronic flight bag

An electronic information management device for an aircrew, including the operating manual, navigational charts, calculation facilities, etc.

emergency landing

A sudden landing of an aircraft, made in case of an on-board emergency or another reason requiring an immediate landing.

end item

(In an airline reservation system) a symbol, usually represented by the hash or plus key, used to join several lines of instruction together without the need to enter each separately.

face-on

With the broadside, propeller or stern directed towards something.

fat tax

The additional airfare charged to obese individuals who take up more than one seat on an aeroplane.

feet dry

Flying over land.

feet wet

Flying over water.

final approach

The last part of a landing before touchdown, involving a descending flight path directly in the direction of the runway.

finger-four

A flight formation used by fighter aircraft. It consists of four aircraft, and four such formations can be combined into a squadron.

flat spin

An especially dangerous type of spin (abnormal stalled flight mode) with a very high angle of attack (typically between 65° and 90°), such that the aircraft's nose is pointed near the horizon despite an extreme…

fleet leader

The airframe or component with the longest time in service, compared to others of the same design.

flight control

A system for controlling an aircraft's rotational or translational motion in one or more axes.

flight director

A system of a narrow horizontal and vertical bar overlaid on an aircraft's attitude indicator, with the bars deflecting to provide guidance as to the pitch and roll inputs required to maintain the desired flightpath.

flight engineer

A member of the flight crew in certain (mainly older) aircraft who monitors and operates many to most aircraft systems.

flight information region

A specified region of airspace in which a flight information service and an alerting service are provided.

flight instrument

A device that measures and displays data concerning one or more aspects of the situation of an aircraft, such as its altitude, attitude, airspeed, etc.

flight level

a pressure altitude measured in terms of hundreds of feet above sea level (ie. flight level 120 (FL120) is 12,000 ft. ASL)

flight line

The precise movement of a civil photogrammetric aircraft along a predetermined course at a predetermined altitude during the actual photographic run.

flight number

A callsign assigned to a commercial flight for the purposes of reservation and ticketing, typically consisting of a 2 character airline code and a 1 to 4 digit number to indicate a particular service.

flight nurse

The predecessor to flight attendants, who were registered nurses.

flight status

An updated notice of a flight's departure and arrival times compared to its scheduled times.

flight time

The total amount of time spent piloting aircraft, serving as the primary measure of a pilot's experience.

fly-by-wire

A system that replaces the conventional manual flight controls of an aircraft with an electronic interface, especially on airliners.

flying wing

A tailless fixed-wing aircraft that has no definite fuselage

full-stop landing

A landing in which the aircraft comes to a full stop (rather than performing a go-around or touch-and-go).

gate time

The moment in time at which an aircraft pulls back from the gate, or passes a certain point on the track.

general aviation

The section of the aviation industry that excludes both military and commercial passenger transport; for example, sightseeing, pleasure flights, etc.

ghost flight

An empty or near-empty flight run by an airline to fulfill contractual obligations.

ghost plane

An aeroplane that is flying after its pilots become incapacitated.

global distribution system

a multi-access reservation system used by the travel industry and airlines. Abbreviated as GDS.

go-around

An abort of a final approach where the pilot circles the airport to make another attempt at landing.

gold-film

A transparent, microscopic coating of gold or similar metals applied to aircraft windshields and canopies, functioning as a lightweight, conductive element for defogging or de-icing.

gravity drop

The deployment of an aircraft's landing gear by the use of gravity.

green-on-green

Pertaining to the pairing of a new or green captain or pilot with a new or green first officer or co-pilot as the cockpit crew of a flight.

ground effect

Any aerodynamic effects occurring due to a vehicle's body or appendages moving in close proximity to the ground.

ground loop

A sudden, potentially damaging turn made by an aircraft while on the ground, owing to user error or adverse weather conditions.

ground staff

staff employed by an airline, or an airport, that work on the ground, as opposed to aircrews.

ground stop

The halting of air traffic for a particular airport, with no arrivals allowed and all departures held on the ground.

ground-effect vehicle

An aircraft that uses aerodynamic ground effect to attain level flight near the surface of water.

hard deck

In air combat training, the minimum allowed altitude below which the aircraft is considered destroyed by ground impact.

hard-land

To land (a vehicle or other payload) on the surface of a body in such a manner that it does not survive the landing mostly or entirely intact and is unusable or unable to operate, even briefly, following touchdown.

hidden city

A connecting city between the origin and destination of a passenger flight, where a passenger can save money on the airfare by disembarking rather than continuing to the destination.

high yo-yo

A dogfighting maneuver used by a rapidly-closing attacker to avoid an overshoot during a turn, involving pulling up into a climb to exchange airspeed for altitude and allow the attacker to make a slower, tighter turn…

high-lift device

A mechanical device or control surface which, when deployed or activated, increases the lift generated by an aircraft, allowing it to fly at lower airspeeds.

hold

The cargo area of a ship or aircraft (often holds or cargo hold).

hold short

To wait before entering a runway or a taxiway until given clearance to proceed.

holding pattern

A path taken by an aircraft waiting to land.

hot and high

Operating in hot climates and at high altitude.

hot rock

A daredevil pilot of great skill.

industry discount

A discounted air fare for airlines staff.

inside loop

An aerobatic maneuver in which a vertical circle is entered from straight and erect level flight, with a positive pitching movement used at all points in the loop to draw the circle.

instrument approach

An approach (pre-landing procedure) using flight instruments for some or all navigation to the landing airport and runway, as opposed to one flown solely by visual reference to the ground.

iron bomb

A dumb bomb, a type of gravity bomb, an unguided bomb dropped from an aircraft.

Jesus pin

The lock pin used to help secure the Jesus nut of some helicopters.

jet bridge

An elevated, usually enclosed, corridor connecting an airport to an aeroplane for embarking and disembarking crew and passengers.

jet fuel

The fuel that powers a jet aircraft.

landing roll

The distance from the point of touchdown to the point of deceleration where the aircraft can be brought to a complete stop or exit the runway.

lazy eight

An aerobatic maneuver consisting of 1/4 looping up, wingover (left or right), 1/2 looping down+up, wingover (right or left), 1/4 looping down.

light carrier

A category of aircraft carrier smaller in size and with a lower aircraft complement than a navy's standard carriers.

listening watch

Continuous monitoring for incoming communications.

long sell

(in a GDS) To reserve a flight by typing the required computer commands with the itinerary details together and entering the command once, rather than selecting from displayed availability.

low cost carrier

An airline that sells very inexpensive tickets but which does not provide (or charges for) typical services like meals or the carriage of baggage.

main gear

The primary landing gear of an aircraft, generally located slightly behind the aircraft's center of mass (or slightly ahead of it on a taildragger aircraft) and carrying the majority of the aircraft's weight.

married sector

Any of two or more flight sectors in an itinerary that can not be rebooked or changed separately from the other sectors, due to fare rules or market restrictions.

mean sea level

The mean altitude of the ocean surface, averaged over all high and low tides at a particular location.

middle of the market

The market for airliners whose specification falls between narrowbody and widebody.

missed approach

A go-around from an instrument approach performed, for whatever reason, at a time when the aircraft is at or above the applicable decision height or minimum descent altitude.

missed approach point

The point during descent at which a pilot must initiate a go-around maneuver if the runway is not in clear sight.

missing man formation

An aerial salute to commemorate a deceased person, consisting of a formation of flying aircraft with a space where one plane should be flying.

narrow-cut

Composed of moderately-heavy hydrocarbons with boiling points in the kerosene range, without a significant proportion of lighter, gasoline-type hydrocarbons; Jet A is an example of a fuel of this type.

near space

The region of the atmosphere between the Armstrong limit (above which atmospheric pressure is sufficiently low that water boils at the normal temperature of the human body) and the Kármán line (one boundary between…

no-fly list

A confidential list containing the names of people who are not permitted to board an aircraft, prepared by government authorities in various jurisdictions and distributed to commercial airlines.

nose over

To crash by landing such that the nose of the plane hits the ground first, causing the plane to topple forward.

on instruments

(Flying) by reference to one's flight instruments, rather than by visual contact with the ground.

on the deck

Flying at a very low altitude.

open fan

unducted fan, propfan

outside loop

An aerobatic maneuver in which a vertical circle is entered from straight and erect level flight, canopy pointing out of the loop.

over the fence

Entering, or having entered, the airfield in preparation for landing.

over-the-pole

transpolar

P-factor

An aerodynamic phenomenon experienced by a moving propeller, whereby the propeller's center of thrust moves off-center when the aircraft is at a high angle of attack.

paper ticket

A conventional airline ticket, consisting of a coupon for each flight together with other administration coupons.

piece system

Airline baggage allowance that restricts passengers to a specific number of bags, rather than a specific weight.

pilot flying

In a two-pilot flight crew, the pilot currently making tactical decisions to ensure the aircraft keeps to the approved route, handling the primary flight controls (the yoke or sidestick, rudder pedals, and…

pilot in command

The pilot in a one-pilot flight crew.

point of no return

The point in an aircraft's flight when there is insufficient fuel to reverse direction and return to the place of origin.

positive control

The air traffic control practice of controlling aircraft whose positions are determined by direct radar observation.

power-egg

A complete unitized modular engine installation, consisting of engine and all ancillary equipment, which can be swapped between suitably designed equipment.

pressure suit

A sealed, full-body garment, usually with an attachable helmet, which maintains air pressure or mechanical pressure around the body of an astronaut or aviator to compensate for the low density of the air at high…

protect

To book a passenger on a later flight if there is a chance they will not be able to board their earlier reserved flight.

push over

To abruptly lower the nose of an aircraft by a large angle.

range safety

The ensuring of the monitoring of the flight paths of missiles and launch vehicles, as well as the enforcement of strict guidelines for rocket construction and ground-based operations.

range safety system

A system that reduces the risk to the public by ensuring flight safety by monitoring the flight paths of missiles and launch vehicles.

rate of climb

The rate at which an aircraft gains altitude. A negative rate of climb implies descent.

red-eye

Often followed by it: to travel on a red-eye (“an overnight airplane flight”).

regional jet

a small narrow-bodied jetliner designed to carry 30-150 passengers in one class for flight segments of 2000 kms or less.

reporting point

A geographical reference point used to report the location of an aircraft.

revenue management

The section of an airline that deals with passenger loads and fare availability on flights.

rocket pack

A jet pack using a rocket engine.

rocket plane

A winged aircraft that is propelled by a rocket engine.

roll rate

The rate at which an aircraft can change its roll attitude, typically expressed in degrees per second

Sandy

The A-1 Sky Raider aircraft.

second officer

The flight engineer of an aircraft.

service item

Any of the consumer products (food, cosmetics, etc.) handed out or sold on board a passenger aircraft.

severe clear

Weather so bright that visibility is practically unhindered.

short finals

The last section of an aircraft's approach to a runway.

short tag

to check a bag through to an intermediate point on an itinerary rather than the destination.

show time

The time prior to the departure of a scheduled aircraft in which the passenger service representatives at an airport terminal may begin the roll call for assigning seats.

slow roll

A maneuver in which the aircraft makes a complete rotation around its roll axis while maintaining a straight and level flight path.

soft-land

To land (a vehicle or other payload) on the surface of a body in such a manner that it survives the landing mostly or entirely intact and is usable or able to operate, at least briefly, following touchdown.

space equivalent zone

The top of the Earth's atmosphere, from 50,000 ft (the start of the stratosphere) and up (to the edge of the exosphere at 1000 mi); where the effects of exposure to the environment on human life is similar to that of…

special service requirement

A request for special treatment for a passenger such as a special diet or mobility assistance, sent from an agent to an airline, to which a reply will be returned.

speed bag

An improvised airdropped resupply pack, composed of food and water, ammunition, and other supplies, stuffed into a duffle bag or bodybag.

split S

An aerobatic maneuver in which an aircraft, starting from upright level flight, rolls inverted and then performs one-half of an inside loop, ending up in upright level flight in the opposite direction at a lower…

step climb

To periodically climb to higher and higher altitudes during cruise flight, as the aircraft becomes lighter from fuel burnoff, to take advantage of the reduced drag at higher altitudes; like cruise-climbing, but with…

stick time

The amount of time that a pilot has spent flying.

super light

An aircraft classification above light and below submid.

T-tail

A type of aircraft that has the horizontal stabilizer situated atop, or near the top of, the vertical stabilizer.

taxi

An aircraft used for practicing ground manoeuvres.

technical stop

A stop performed for purposes other than loading or unloading traffic, such as refuelling, maintenance, or repairs.

terminal control area

A volume of controlled airspace set up at the confluence of airways in the vicinity of one or more major airports to protect air traffic climbing out from and descending into the airports.

test flight

a proving flight; usually of a prototype of a new aircraft design before it goes into production.

test pilot

An aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers.

three green

A confirmation given by the pilots that the landing gear has gone down successfully and has locked.

ticket time limit

The date and time by which a ticket must be issued for a reservation to avoid cancellation of the booking and/or expiration of the fare quote.

time charter

A contract securing the cargo space of a ship or aircraft for a fixed time period.

time front

A locus of points that represents the maximum ground distance from a point of departure that can be covered by an aircraft in a prescribed time interval.

touch-and-go landing

A landing on a runway immediately followed by a takeoff without an intervening full stop.

traffic conference area

any of the three IATA world-wide subdivisions used by the airline industry.

transition level

The lowest flight level above the transition altitude; depends on the transition altitude and the measured or calculated sea-level atmospheric pressure. The flight level at which a descending aircraft's barometric…

triple seven

A Boeing 777, a wide body twinjet used for commercial airlines.

unable

Indicating that a requested course of action is not possible to carry out.

up and away

Of retractable landing gear, retracted and stowed (put away), as contrasted with being down and locked (extended and secured for use).

V speed

Any of a group of standard airspeeds.

very light

A type of microlight, an aircraft type similar to ultralight or sailplane.

water landing

An emergency landing in water, especially by aircraft not designed to land on water.

wide-body

An airliner capable of seating six or more passengers in a single row of economy seating.

wide-cut

Composed of a mixture of hydrocarbons with a wide range of boiling points, including both moderately-heavy, higher-boiling kerosene-type molecules and lighter, lower-boiling, more-volatile gasoline-type molecules; Jet…

wing gear

Landing gear mounted in the roots of an aircraft's wings.

wing in ground effect

ground effect on a wing of an aircraft flying close to the ground

zero-life

To restore (equipment) to a state comparable to brand new.

zero-zero

Pertaining to the ejection of the occupant of an aircraft from a grounded stationary position (i.e. zero altitude and zero airspeed).