hypersonic

en-adj

hypersonic (comparative more hypersonic, superlative most hypersonic)

more hypersonic (comparative)
most hypersonic (superlative)

From hyper- + sonic. A doublet of supersonic.

He said there was worry among intelligence and military officials that China or Russia could be experimenting with hypersonic technology.

2021 June 3, Julian E. Barnes, Helene Cooper, “U.S. Finds No Evidence of Alien Technology in Flying Objects, but Can’t Rule It Out, Either”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

(of a speed, aviation) Equal to, or greater than, or capable of achieving, five times the speed of sound.

(of a speed, aeronautics) Far enough above the speed of sound as to cause significant differences in behaviour due to chemical reactions or dissociation of the air.


rotation

en-noun

rotation (countable and uncountable, plural rotations)

/ɹoʊˈteɪʃən/

Borrowed from Latin rotatiō. By surface analysis, rotate + -ion.

(aviation) The step during takeoff when the pilot commands the vehicle to lift the nose wheel off the ground during the takeoff roll. (see also: V2)


droop

Inherited from Middle English droupen, from Old Norse drúpa (“to droop”), from Proto-Germanic *drūpaną, *drupōną (“to hang down, drip, drop”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰrewb- (“to drip, drop”). Doublet of drip and drop.

der

(aviation) A hinged portion of the leading edge of an aeroplane's wing, which swivels downward to increase lift during takeoff and landing.

bec

aviation: a hinged portion of the leading edge


backtrack

en-verb

backtrack (third-person singular simple present backtracks, present participle backtracking, simple past and past participle backtracked)

backtracks (present singular third-person)
backtracking (participle present)
backtracked (participle past)
backtracked (past)

Speedbird One: enter and backtrack Runway 27 Left.

(aviation) To taxi down an active runway in the opposite direction to that being used for takeoff.


surge

From Middle English surgen, possibly from Middle French sourgir, from Old French surgir (“to rise, ride near the shore, arrive, land”), from Old Catalan surgir, from Latin surgō, contraction of surrigō, subrigō (“lift up, raise, erect; intransitive rise, arise, get up, spring up, grow, etc.”, transitive verb), from sub (“from below; up”) + regō (“to stretch”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃réǵeti (“to straighten; right”), from the root *h₃reǵ-; see regent. Doublet of source. Doublet of sourd.

der

(aviation) A momentary reversal of the airflow through the compressor section of a jet engine due to disruption of the airflow entering the engine's air intake, accompanied by loud banging noises, emission of flame, and temporary loss of thrust.

ryntäys

(aviation) a momentary reversal of the airflow


surge

en-verb

surge (third-person singular simple present surges, present participle surging, simple past and past participle surged)

surges (present singular third-person)
surging (participle present)
surged (participle past)
surged (past)

Use of maximum reverse thrust at low speeds can cause the engine to surge from ingesting its own exhaust.

(intransitive, aviation, of a jet engine) To experience a momentary reversal of airflow through the compressor section due to disruption of intake airflow.


flare

→ Italian: flare

Origin unknown, first recorded in the mid 16th century, probably related to Latin flagrō (“I burn”). Norwegian flara (“to blaze; to flaunt in gaudy attire”) has a similar meaning, but the English word predates it. Possibly related to Middle High German vlederen (“to flutter”), represented by modern German flattern.
The noun is derived from the verb.

unknown

Origin unknown

ярка светлина

source of brightly burning light or intense heat

Stulp

widening of an object with otherwise roughly constant width

разкрояване

widening of the lower legs of trousers and jeans

The captain executed the flare perfectly, and we lightly touched down.

In normal operations, the rate of descent (or sink rate) will be approximately constant as the airplane approaches the runway. The objective of the flare is to reduce the vertical speed to an acceptably low value at the time when contact is made with the ground. […] Typically, the airplane will slow down a little in the flare and the touchdown speed will be about 3 to 5 kt less than the speed at the screen height[…].

2018, Trevor M. Young, “Approach and Landing”, in Performance of the Jet Transport Airplane: Analysis Methods, Flight Operations, and Regulations, Hoboken, N.J., Chichester, West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, section 11.2.2 (Landing Flare), page 285:

(aviation) The transition from downward flight to level flight just before landing.


flare

en-verb

flare (third-person singular simple present flares, present participle flaring, simple past and past participle flared)

flares (present singular third-person)
flaring (participle present)
flared (participle past)
flared (past)

unknown

Origin unknown

After a brief refueling stop in Fairbanks, Billy continued on to the cabin. As he flared the Huey [a helicopter] to land, he could see Moses running out of the cabin to greet him

2012, Wil Johnson, chapter 6, in Revenge and Restoration, [Bloomington, Ind.]: Xlibris, →ISBN, page 35:

I had one instructor that called and said he had tried everything to solo his student but the guy just couldn't get the picture of what was expected. One time around the airport the student would flare the airplane twenty feet in the air, and the next time around he would fly the nose into the ground. […] He either flared out very high, or didn't flare out at all.

2013 May 31, Steve Grizzle, “As Flight Instructor”, in The 3 ‘P’ Man: Memoirs of a Perfect Life Adventure: A Preacher, a Pilot, and a Police Officer All in One Person, Bloomington, Ind.: iUniverse, →ISBN, pages 71–72:

(ambitransitive, aviation) To (operate an aircraft to) transition from downward flight to level flight just before landing.


airship

airships (plural)
air-ship (alternative)
air ship (alternative)

From air + ship.
* (jocular British sense): is in imitation of worship "form of address for magistrates et al., possibly also an oblique reference to Colonel Blimp.

Airships are posited to be cheaper to operate over time than fixed-wing aircraft, but as there are no large fleets, this is hard to prove in practice.

(aviation) A lighter-than-air aircraft that can be propelled forward through the air as well as steered.

(US, law enforcement, aviation) A police air unit, a police helicopter.

On weekends, I liked to spend my time at the airport watching the various airships take off and land.


dihedral

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-dihedral.wav

(aeronautics) The upward slope of an aircraft's wing


dihedral

(aviation) Of wing pairs, inclined at an upward angle to each other.


anhedral

(aeronautics) the downward slope of an aircraft’s wing


Starfighter

(military, aviation) The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, a jet fighter-interceptor.


dirigible

/ˈdɪɹɪdʒəbəɫ/

From French dirigeable, from ballon dirigeable (“steerable balloon”).

On the opposite wall, the R101 tragedy is recalled by the airship's tattered ensign in a glass case, a plaque from the Royal Airship Works and a photograph of the dirigible at her moorings.

1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 101:

People had time to think up some questions, including reporters who shouted “Are you going to shoot down the balloon?” at President Biden shortly before the dirigible came down.

2023 February 4, Katie Rogers, “Look! Up in the Sky! It’s a … Chinese Spy Balloon?”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

(aviation) A self-propelled airship that can be steered.

lugskip

a self-propelled airship that can be steered


trim

en-verb

trim (third-person singular simple present trims, present participle trimming, simple past and past participle trimmed)

trims (present singular third-person)
trimming (participle present)
trimmed (participle past)
trimmed (past)

From Middle English trimen, trymen, trümen, from Old English trymman (“to make firm; strengthen”), from Proto-West Germanic *trummjan, from Proto-Germanic *trumjaną (“to make fast; strengthen”), from Proto-Germanic *trumaz (“firm; strong; sound”).

tasapainottaa

to modify the angle of a ship relative to the water

(transitive, aviation, of an aircraft) To adjust the positions of control surfaces, sometimes using trim tabs, so as to modify or eliminate the aircraft's tendency to pitch, roll, or yaw when the cockpit controls are released.

уравновесявам

to adjust the positions of control surfaces, sometimes using trim tabs


trim

en-noun

trim (countable and uncountable, plural trims)

varustelutaso

the manner in which something is equipped

(uncountable, aviation, of an aircraft) The state of adjustment of control surfaces such that the desired attitude can be maintained without requiring the continuous application of force to the cockpit controls.

compensation

the state of adjustment of control surfaces such that the desired attitude can be maintained

(uncountable, aviation, by extension) The mechanism(s) used to trim an aircraft in roll, pitch, and/or yaw.


jetlag

(aviation) Alternative spelling of jet lag.


kk

(aviation, travel) confirm (originally a GDS status code, now often used as shorthand).


Lincoln

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-Lincoln.wav

Inherited from Middle English Lincolne, from Old English Lincolle, Lindcolen, Lindcylene, from Latin Lindum Colōnia (“the Roman settlement Lindum Colonia”), from Proto-Brythonic *llɨnn (“pool”), from Proto-Celtic *lindos (“lake, liquid”), in reference to the Brayford. In the United States, many of the places established since 1865 are named after Abraham Lincoln.

der

(aviation) A high-altitude, long-range bomber based on the Avro Lancaster.


P

en-noun

P (countable and uncountable, plural Ps)

(US, military, aviation) Initialism of patrol (“a patrol aircraft, a patroller”).


Sandy

Sandy (given name)
Sandy, Bedfordshire
Sandy, Carmarthenshire


Zeppelin

Zeppelins (plural)
zeppelin (alternative)

Borrowed from German Zeppelin. Named after Ferdinand von Zeppelin, whose surname derives from the German town name Zepelin. Doublet of cepelinas.

(aviation) A type of large dirigible rigid airship of the early 20th century, built by the German Luftschiffbau Zeppelin and designed to carry passengers or bombs.

zepelín

a type of large German dirigible airship of the early 20th century

(aviation, by extension, informal) A rigid airship dirigible, not restricted to Germany nor the early 20th century.


RAAF

Royal Australian Air Force
w:Royal Australian Air Force

(Australia, military, aviation) Initialism of Royal Australian Air Force.


cabin

→ French: cabine (see there for further descendants)

→ Hawaiian: kāpena

→ Japanese: キャビン (kyabin)

→ Korean: 캐빈 (kaebin)

From Middle English caban, cabane, from Old French cabane, from Medieval Latin capanna (“a cabin”); see further etymology there. Doublet of cabana and cabane.

(travel, aviation) The section of a passenger plane having the same class of service.

сало́н

section of passenger plane having same class of service


MAC

MAC (countable and uncountable, plural MACs)

(aviation) Initialism of mean aerodynamic chord.

(aviation) Initialism of mid-air collision.

merchant aircraft carrier
w:merchant aircraft carrier

(military, nautical, aviation, historical) Initialism of merchant aircraft carrier.


oleo

If the oil leaks out of the oleos, they won't be able to cushion the aircraft against a hard landing.

(aviation) A type of energy-absorbing landing gear strut in which sudden compression or extension of the strut causes a gas-filled chamber to push or pull a piston which forces oil through a small orifice, resulting in absorption of energy through viscous effects.


affirm

From Middle English affermen, from Old French afermer, affermer, from Latin affirmare, adfirmare (“to present as fixed, aver, affirm”), from ad (“to”) + firmare (“to make firm”), from firmus (“firm”).


tiller

From Middle English teler, from Anglo-Norman telier (“beam used in weaving”), from Medieval Latin telarium, from Latin tēla (“web”).

der

(aviation, by extension) A steering wheel, usually mounted on the lower portion of the captain's control column, which is used to steer the aircraft's nosewheel or tailwheel to provide steering during taxi.


FD

(aviation) Initialism of flight director.


FOP

en-noun

FOP (countable and uncountable, plural FOPs)

(aviation, travel) Initialism of form of payment.


PT

PT (countable and uncountable, plural PTs)

(US, military, aviation) Initialism of patrol trainer (“a trainer that is also a patrol aircraft”)


AAL

(aviation) Initialism of above aerodrome level.


ADR

ADR (countable and uncountable, plural ADRs)

/eɪ diː ˈɑː/

(aviation) Initialism of air data reference.


CAA

Civil Aviation Authority
Civil Aviation Authority#English

(aviation, government) any of several particular civil aviation authorities:

(of Norway, UK) Initialism of Civil Aviation Authority.

CAAP

Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines

Civil Aviation Agency
Civil Aviation Agency#English

(of Ethiopia, Latvia, Slovenia) Initialism of Civil Aviation Agency.

Civil Aviation Administration
Civil Aviation Administration#English

(of China, Norway, Sweden, Vietnam) Initialism of Civil Aviation Administration.


CAA

civil aviation authority
civil aviation authority#English

national aviation authority
national aviation authority

(government, aviation) Initialism of civil aviation authority, the national aviation authority (NAA) for civil aviation.


uplift

en-verb

uplift (third-person singular simple present uplifts, present participle uplifting, simple past and past participle uplifted)

uplifts (present singular third-person)
uplifting (participle present)
uplifted (participle past)
uplifted (past)

извисявам

to raise something or someone to a higher level

(aviation, travel) To be accepted for carriage on a flight.


uplock

The left and right wing landing gear uplock assemblies had separated from their attachment points on the fuselage structure. The interior skin and associated ribs on the left and right wing gear inboard doors were damaged in the vicinity of their striker plates and the striker plates also were damaged. The doors were damaged in the area where the tires are located when the gears are retracted.

1986 March 29, National Transportation Safety Board, “1.12 Wreckage and Impact Information”, in Aircraft Accident Report: China Airlines Boeing 747-SP, N4522V, 300 Nautical Miles Northwest of San Francisco, California, February 19, 1985, archived from the original on 2022-07-10, pages 12–13:

(aviation) A mechanism that secures an aircraft's landing gear in the retracted position, helping to prevent an uncommanded gear deployment during flight.


LOC

en-noun

LOC (countable and uncountable, plural LOCs)

WARNING: If CSS is not selected immediately for some 2 EO RTLS contingency abort situations, the vehicle may pitch up and out of control, due to the low thrust-to-weight situation and relatively high dynamic pressure. When a second engine fails, the vehicle will pitch up and try to maintain its trajectory at a lower thrust to weight. However, the dynamic pressure may be too high to maintain this attitude at this angle of attack and the flight control system will quickly become saturated, resulting in LOC.

2007 February 14, NASA, “4.5.4 RTLS Two-Engine-Out CSS Required”, in Contingency Aborts 21007/31007, archived from the original on 2021-02-26, page 46:

(aviation) Initialism of loss of control.


PTT

PTT (countable and uncountable, plural PTTs)

w:Flight simulator#Flight simulators and flight training devices

(aviation) Initialism of part task trainer (See Flight simulator at Wikipedia).


RFC

(aviation, military, historical) Initialism of Royal Flying Corps (previous title of the Royal Air Force)


CRC

(aviation) Initialism of continuous repetitive chime, the "cricket" aural warning intentionally designed to be extremely difficult for pilots to ignore.


FTA

FTA (countable and uncountable, plural FTAs)

(aviation) Abbreviation of flight test article (such as a test aircraft, a prototype).


avionics

(aviation) The science and technology of the development and use of electrical and electronic devices in aviation.

avionica

the science and technology of the development and use of electrical and electronic devices in aviation

(aviation) The devices used in avionics.


ACC

ACC (countable and uncountable, plural ACCs)

area control center
area control center#English

(aviation) Initialism of area control center.


scramjet

(aeronautics) A jet engine capable of propelling an aircraft at hypersonic speeds, in which combustion of the fuel/air mixture occurs at supersonic speeds.


LAT

(firefighting, aviation) Acronym of large air tanker, a class of waterbomber.


FAA

Again he bats back and forth the pages of the thick clipped sheaf of close-typed pages that comprise the results of the FAA investigation into Naomi’s fatal encounter with the northwest slope of Mount Dunkelblum.

2007, Michael Chabon, The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, 4th Estate (2010), page 244:

Great River Energy utilized the FAA’s Notice Criteria Tool² to determine if it would be required to file notice to the FAA prior to construction.

2024 August 19, “LAKETOWN 115-kV TRANSMISSION LINE PROJECT IN CARVER COUNTY, MN”, in Great River Energy, page 25:

Federal Aviation Administration
w:Federal Aviation Administration

(aviation) Initialism of Federal Aviation Administration (agency regulating U.S. aviation).

(military, nautical, aviation) Initialism of Fleet Air Arm (carrier-borne air force of the U.K.'s Royal Navy).


ATF

ATF (countable and uncountable, plural ATFs)

(aviation) Initialism of aviation turbine fuel; jet fuel

(US, military, aviation) Initialism of advanced tactical fighter.


CAM

(aviation) Initialism of cockpit area microphone.


IRS

inertial reference system
inertial reference system#English

(aviation) Initialism of inertial reference system.


TPM

TPM (countable and uncountable, plural TPMs)

ticket point mileage
ticket point mileage#English

(aviation, travel) Initialism of ticket point mileage.


CPA

CPA (countable and uncountable, plural CPAs)

closest point of approach
closest point of approach#English

(nautical, aviation) Initialism of closest point of approach.


ATO

ATO (countable and uncountable, plural ATOs)

(aviation) Acronym of assisted take-off.


MSA

MSA (countable and uncountable, plural MSAs)

(aviation) Initialism of minimum safe altitude.


RH

RH (countable and uncountable, plural RHs)

(US, army, aviation) Initialism of reconnaissance helicopter.


PSR

primary surveillance radar
w:primary surveillance radar

(aviation) Initialism of primary surveillance radar.

(aviation, navigation) Initialism of point of safe return.


CAS

CAS (countable and uncountable, plural CASes)

calibrated airspeed
calibrated airspeed#English

(aviation) Initialism of calibrated airspeed.

(aviation) Acronym of collision avoidance system.

(military, aviation) Acronym of close air support.


MRO

MRO (countable and uncountable, plural MROs)

(chiefly aeronautics) Initialism of maintenance, repair, and overhaul.


ATP

ATP (countable and uncountable, plural ATPs)

airline transport pilot
w:airline transport pilot

(aviation) Initialism of airline transport pilot.


tallyho

1772, UK, probably alteration of French taïaut (interjection used in deer-hunting), from Middle French tahou, tayo, from Old French taho, ta ho, tielau (interjection given to hounds to return) (second half of 13th century), composed of ta (particle used to prod animals) + ho ! (“halt!, hold!”). More at ho.

uder

(Air Traffic Control): Speedbird 123, New York, traffic at two o’clock, seven miles, a Boeing 737, west-bound, at 4000 feet.”

(Pilot): New York, Speedbird 123, tallyho.


polyhedral

en-adj

polyhedral (comparative more polyhedral, superlative most polyhedral)

more polyhedral (comparative)
most polyhedral (superlative)
polyedric (alternative)
polyedrical (alternative)
polyedrous (alternative)
polyhedric (alternative)
polyhedrical (alternative)
polyhedrous (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-polyhedral.wav

(aeronautics, of a fixed-wing aircraft) Having multiple dihedral angles along the wingspan.


Ouija board

Ouija boards (plural)
ouija board (alternative)

/ˈwiːd͡ʒə bɔɹd/

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Ouija board.wav

(aviation) A tabletop model of the individual aircraft and their locations on a carrier.


PCR

en-noun

PCR (countable and uncountable, plural PCRs)

(aviation) Initialism of pitch control rod.


AST

AST (countable and uncountable, plural ASTs)

(aviation) Initialism of advanced supersonic transport.


AAS

AAS (countable and uncountable, plural AASs)

(aviation) Initialism of Advanced Automation System, a system for radar control of transoceanic air corridors.


TCA

TCA (countable and uncountable, plural TCAs)

terminal control area
terminal control area#English

(aviation) Initialism of terminal control area.

traffic conference area
traffic conference area#English

(aviation, travel) Initialism of traffic conference area.


SSR

secondary surveillance radar
w:secondary surveillance radar

(aviation) Initialism of secondary surveillance radar.

en:special service requirement, special service request

special service requirement
special service requirement#English

special service request
special service requirement#English

(aviation, travel industry) Initialism of special service requirement or special service request.


RTO

RTO (countable and uncountable, plural RTOs)

rejected takeoff
rejected takeoff#English

(aviation) Initialism of rejected takeoff.


HGV

hypersonic glide vehicle
w:hypersonic glide vehicle

(aviation, aerospace, military) Initialism of hypersonic glide vehicle.


waterline

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-waterline.wav

(aviation) A horizontal line indicating the shape of an airfoil.


AND

en-adj

AND (comparative more AND, superlative most AND)

more AND (comparative)
most AND (superlative)

(aviation) Initialism of airplane nose down.


AGL

The company shard specific data from today’s flight on social media, revealing that the New Shepard capsule that carried Katy Perry, Gayle King and their crewmates to space hit 346,802 feet above ground level (AGL) and 350,449 above mean sea level (MSL).

2025 April 14, Jackie Wattles, Ashley Strickland and Taylor Nicioli, “Blue Origin launches star-studded crew on space tourism rocket”, in CNN:

(aviation) Initialism of above ground level: designating a measured distance from the ground to a higher level, i.e. altitude.


jetliner

jetliners (plural)
jet liner (alternative)
jet-liner (alternative)

From jet + liner; Blend of turbojet + airliner.


run up

en-verb

run up (third-person singular simple present runs up, present participle running up, simple past ran up, past participle run up)

runs up (present singular third-person)
running up (participle present)
ran up (past)
run up (participle past)

(aviation, transitive) To warm up and test an airplane before a flight.


punch out

punch out (third-person singular simple present punches out, present participle punching out, simple past and past participle punched out)

punches out (present singular third-person)
punching out (participle present)
punched out (participle past)
punched out (past)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-punch out.wav

With the engine on fire he had to punch out and hit the silk.

(intransitive, aviation) To eject from an airplane.


POS

en-noun

POS (countable and uncountable, plural POSes or POSs)

(navigation, aviation) Initialism of position and orientation system.


Canuck

Canucks (plural)
canuck (alternative)
Canack (alternative)
Cannack (alternative)
Canuc (alternative)
canuc (alternative)
Canuk (alternative)
Conuck (alternative)
Cunnuck (alternative)
Kanuck (alternative)
Kanuk (alternative)
K'nuck (alternative)

American Dialect Society
Greenwood Publishing Group
John Benjamins Publishing Company
Leiden University
University of Alabama Press

Origin uncertain, often hypothesized to derive from the name or speech of an early Canadian minority, later broadened to denote all Canadians:
* Since 1975, many scholars have come to think the name is from Hawaiian kanaka (“man”), a self-appellation of indentured colonial canoemen and Hawaiian sailors working off the Pacific Northwest, Arctic, and New England coasts, from French canaque (“indigenous Melanesian inhabitant of New Caledonia, Kanak”); or, more likely, American whalers’ pidgin, then re-interpreted as Can(adian) + a suffix. (More below on that [specific] putative suffix.) Compare English Kanak and German Kanake.
* Some dictionaries suggest it is derived from the first syllable of Canada, or its etymon Laurentian kanata (“village”), or a related word kanuchsa meaning “villager” in either Laurentian or another Iroquoian language; with the second syllable connected to Inuktitut inuk (“man; person”), from Chinook (“Aboriginal people of the U.S. Pacific Northwest”), or another First-Nation language ending like -oc, -uc, or -uq.
* Fanciful and unlikely suggestions include German genug von Canada (literally “enough of Canada”) (allegedly uttered by German mercenaries during the American War of Independence), French quelle canule (“what a bore”) (allegedly uttered by the French during a siege of Quebec), or the surname Connaught /ˈkɑ.nəxt/ (supposedly a French-Canadian nickname for the Irish).

noncog

(aviation, military, historical) The Avro Canada CF-100 fighter-interceptor aircraft, in use between 1952 and 1981.


airway

But British Airways Flight 112 made the trek in under five hours, setting a new record for the fastest subsonic commercial flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

2020 February 9, Alina Selyukh, “British Airways Sets Record, Crossing The Atlantic In Under 5 Hours In Strong Winds”, in NPR:

(aviation) A flight path used by aeroplanes.


toboggan

en-verb

toboggan (third-person singular simple present toboggans, present participle tobogganing or tobogganning, simple past and past participle tobogganed or tobogganned)

toboggans (present singular third-person)
tobogganing (participle present)
tobogganning (participle present)
tobogganed (participle past)
tobogganed (past)
tobogganned (participle past)
tobogganned (past)
tobogin (alternative)
toboggin (alternative)

/təˈbɑːɡ.ən/

The noun is attested since 1829, the verb since 1846. Both derive from French tabaganne, which derives from an Algonquian word, probably Mi'kmaq tepaqan or Abenaki dabôgan, influenced by similar words in other Eastern Canadian Algonquian languages. The sense of "hat" is recorded since 1929 and is short for toboggan cap (1928), a cap suitable for wearing while tobogganing.

Aircraft returning to refuel at about three o'clock have tobogganed down to their spats in the mud whilst early in the morning one could bounce a crowbar on the frozen ground.

How did a piston engine tanker refuel a faster jet bomber? It "tobogganed" - the refueling connection would be made high up and then the bomber and tanker flew "downhill" together enabling the tanker to pick up more speed.

2005, The Mobility Forum: The Journal of the Air Mobility Command, page 21:

(aviation, intransitive) To fly sharply downward so as to build up speed to facilitate in-flight refueling of a faster aircraft.


squawk

First attested in 1821. Unknown, but probably of imitative origin (compare dialectal Italian squacco (“small-crested heron”)).

(aviation) A four-digit transponder code used by aircraft for identification or transmission of emergency signals.

We think instructors should stress the importance of writeups on all maintenance squawks after the completion of each flight. More important, something should be done by the aircraft operator to correct such squawks.

(aviation) An issue or complaint related to aircraft maintenance.


squawk

squawk (third-person singular simple present squawks, present participle squawking, simple past and past participle squawked)

squawks (present singular third-person)
squawking (participle present)
squawked (participle past)
squawked (past)
squawk (infinitive)
squawk (first-person present singular)
squawked (first-person past singular)
squawk (present second-person singular)
squawkest (archaic present second-person singular)
squawked (past second-person singular)
squawkedst (archaic past second-person singular)
squawks (present singular third-person)
squawketh (archaic present singular third-person)
squawked (past singular third-person)
squawk (plural present)
squawked (past plural)
squawk (present subjunctive)
squawked (past subjunctive)
squawk (imperative present)
squawking (participle present)
squawked (participle past)

After discovering that the hydraulic system is faulty, the pilots squawked 7700 and declared mayday.

(aviation) To set or transmit a four-digit transponder code. (Normally followed by the specific code in question.)


pull out

pull out (third-person singular simple present pulls out, present participle pulling out, simple past and past participle pulled out)

pulls out (present singular third-person)
pulling out (participle present)
pulled out (participle past)
pulled out (past)

After releasing its bomb, the plane pulled out of its dive.

(aviation, intransitive, of an aircraft) To transition from a dive to level or climbing flight.


loiter

loiter (third-person singular simple present loiters, present participle loitering, simple past and past participle loitered)

loiters (present singular third-person)
loitering (participle present)
loitered (participle past)
loitered (past)

From Middle English loitren, from Middle Dutch loteren ("to shake, wag, wobble"; > modern Dutch leuteren (“to dawdle, ramble”)), ultimately connected with a frequentative form of Proto-Germanic *lūtaną (“to bend, stoop, cower, shrink from, decline”), see lout. Cognate with Dutch leuteren (“to dawdle”), Alemannic German lottern (“to wobble”), German Lotterbube (“rascal”). More at lout, little.

gl

"to shake, wag, wobble"; > modern Dutch <i class="Latn mention" lang="nl">leuteren</i> (“to dawdle, ramble”)

der

(military, aviation) For an aircraft to remain in the air near a target.


AT

en-noun

AT (countable and uncountable, plural ATs)

(aviation, navigation) Initialism of aerotriangulation.

air tanker
air tanker#English:_Q17485593

(firefighting, aviation) Abbreviation of air tanker.


Schwalbe

(aviation, military) The World War II Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighter.


avionic

(aviation) of, or relating to avionics (aviation electronics)


sortie

PIE word
 *upó
The noun is borrowed from French sortie (“act of exiting; exit, way out; (military) sally, sortie”), the feminine past participle of sortir (“to exit, go out”), from Old French sortir, from Latin sortīrī, the present active infinitive of sortior (“to cast or draw lots; to choose, select; to distribute, divide; to obtain, receive; to share”), from sors (“something used to determine chances, a lot; casting or drawing of lots; decision by lot; a share”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to bind, tie together; a thread”)), possibly influenced by surrēctus (“arisen, having been caused to arise; gotten up, having been gotten up”), the perfect passive participle of surgō (“to arise, get up, rise”), from subrigō (“to lift up; to straighten”), from sub- (prefix meaning ‘beneath, under’) + regō (“to direct, guide, steer; to govern, rule; to manage, oversee”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- (“to right oneself, straighten; just; right”)).
The verb is derived from the noun.

scramble

emergency defensive air force mission to intercept attacking enemy aircraft

Their aircraft had no belly gunners and were at the mercy of Luftwaffe fighters that attacked from below. Whenever they lifted off on a mission, they departed with the knowledge that this sortie could easily be their last.

2019 May 8, Aron Heller, “These Jewish World War II Veterans Would Be Legends, if People Knew Their Stories”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

They are vastly outnumbered: Russia is believed to fly some 200 sorties per day while Ukraine flies five to 10.

2022 March 22, Maria Varenikova, Andrew E. Kramer, “How Ukraine’s Outgunned Air Force Is Fighting Back Against Russian Jets”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

(military, also attributively and figuratively)

(aviation) An operational flight carried out by a single military aircraft.


meatball

→ Japanese: ミートボール

→ Korean: 미트볼 (miteubol)

During a pitching deck recovery a pilot must average out the meatball oscillations at the ramp in an attempt to maintain his airplane on the desired glide slope.


airspeed

Holonym: air data

(aviation) The speed of an aircraft relative to the air through which it is flying.


airspeed indicator

en-noun

airspeed indicator (plural airspeed indicators)

(aviation) An instrument that displays an aircraft's current airspeed.


grounded

en-adj

grounded (comparative more grounded, superlative most grounded)

more grounded (comparative)
most grounded (superlative)

From Middle English grounded, i-grounded, equivalent to ground + -ed.

(aviation, of an airman or aircraft) Not allowed to fly.


gunship

I'm sending down five more dropships, combat EMVs, and a thopter gunship.

1997 September 7, Dan Simmons, The Rise of Endymion, New York: Bantam, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 363:

(aviation) An armed helicopter tasked to attack the enemy.


depth charge

The trailblazing Oaxacan chef Alejandro Ruiz […] has spiked this black-bean sauce with a hidden depth charge of flavor: patches of foliage from a local avocado tree. The leaves electrify the sauce with an unexpected thrum of black licorice.

2014 October 25, Jeff Gordinier, “In search of the perfect taco”, in T: The New York Times Style Magazine (international edition), page 100:

(military, nautical, aviation) 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.

глыбі́нная бо́мба

bomb designed to detonate at a certain depth underwater


depth charge

en-verb

depth charge (third-person singular simple present depth charges, present participle depth charging, simple past and past participle depth charged)

depth charges (present singular third-person)
depth charging (participle present)
depth charged (participle past)
depth charged (past)
depth-charge (alternative)

After the freighter was torpedoed, its escorting destroyers depth charged the submarine for two hours, but failed to sink it.

(transitive, military, nautical, aviation) To attack (a target, usually a submarine) with depth charges.


bandit

en-noun

bandit (plural bandits or (archaic) banditti)

bandits (plural)
banditti (archaic plural)

Borrowed from Italian bandito (“outlawed”), a derivative of Italian bandire (“to ban”), from Late Latin bandīre, an alteration (due to Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍅𐌾𐌰𐌽 (bandwjan, “to signal”)) of Late Latin bannīre (“to ban”), from Frankish *bannan (“to ban”). Doublet of bandito.

(military, aviation) An aircraft identified as an enemy, but distinct from "hostile" or "threat" in that it is not immediately to be engaged.


air-to-air

The attack also afforded Helena to a front-seat view of literal air-to-air melee combat, as one Wildcat pilot of the Cactus Air Force, who was swooping in to help break up the attack, found himself out of machine-gun ammo; instead, he dropped his landing gear, positioned himself above the nearest bomber, and begun beating it to death, in midair, using his landing gear as clubs. After a bit of evasive action that the fighter easily kept up with, the repeated slamming broke something important, and the bomber spiralled down into the sea.

2021 March 10, Drachinifel, 5:50 from the start, in Guadalcanal Campaign - The Big Night Battle: Night 1 (IJN 3(?) : 2 USN), archived from the original on 2022-10-17:

(aviation, of an act or action) With the participants being two or more aircraft in flight.

(aviation, military, of a missile) Fired from an aircraft in flight at another one.

vzduch-vzduch

fired from an aircraft in flight at another one


DME

(aviation) Initialism of distance measuring equipment.


excursion

Borrowed from Latin excursio (“a running out, an inroad, invasion, a setting out, beginning of a speech”), from excurrere (“to run out”), from ex (“out”) + currere (“to run”).

bor

(aviation) An occurrence where an aircraft runs off the end or side of a runway or taxiway, usually during takeoff, landing, or taxi.


braked

On most aircraft, the mainwheels are braked, but the nosewheel or tailwheel is not.

mechanical engineering
mechanical engineering

(mechanical engineering, rail transport, aviation, of a wheel) Equipped with brakes (the vehicle-stopping devices).


airbrake

airbrakes (plural)
air brake (alternative)

The BAe 146 and Fokker 100's tailcone-mounted airbrakes allow them to slow down quickly for steep approaches without experiencing the lift degradation seen with spoiler-only aircraft.

(aviation) A movable control surface that extends to increase drag without affecting lift (unlike a spoiler); a device that provides aerodynamic braking.


gyrocopter

(aviation) An autogyro, similar to a helicopter.


CRM

en-noun

CRM (countable and uncountable, plural CRMs)

(aviation) Initialism of crew/cockpit resource management.


Emirates

United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates

(aviation) One of the two flag carrier airlines of the United Arab Emirates


HALO

HALO (countable and uncountable, plural HALOs)

Weather balloons at maximum altitude are considered HALOs.

(aviation) Acronym of high altitude, low orbiting.


Winchester

French: Bicêtre

Hungarian: vincseszter

Russian: винчестер (vinčester)

From Middle English Wynchester, Winchestre, from Old English Wintanċeaster, from Latin Venta Belgārum (literally “Venta of the Belgae”), perhaps ultimately from Proto-Celtic *wentā (“town, place”), Proto-Indo-European *h₁wen- (“place (?)”) + Old English ċeaster, from Latin castra (“camp”).
The bottle is named for the former customary units of the English city. The rifle is named named after American businessman Oliver Winchester (1810–1880). The computer disk is named for the rifle.


airfield

(aviation) An open field designated for the taking off and landing of aircraft, but which, unlike an airport, does not necessarily have terminals or paved runways.

vliegveld

place where airplanes can take off and land


cockade

On the bank of the river in French territory lies a wrecked plane bearing the cockade of the French service.

1920, “Nerve-Strain”, in James Norman Hall, Charles Nordhoff, editors, The Lafayette Flying Corps, volume 2, Houghton Mifflin Company, page 103:

(aviation) An emblem of concentric circles of different colours, identifying the country to which an aircraft belongs.

amblem

aviation: An emblem of concentric circles of different colours


CATO

(aviation) Acronym of catapult assisted takeoff.


ceo

en-noun

ceo (countable and uncountable, plural ceos)

(aviation) Alternative letter-case form of CEO.


elevon

(aviation) A movable surface at the trailing edge of a tailless airplane (such as the space shuttle) that provides pitch and roll control.


VTOL

Acronym of vertical takeoff and landing.

Radio for VTOL, heavy lift gear. We're not leaving him here.

2007 September 25, Bungie, Halo 3, spoken by Avery Johnson (David Scully), Microsoft Game Studios, Xbox 360, level/area: Arrival:

(aviation) A fixed-wing aircraft that is capable of ascending into the air straight up as opposed to needing to accelerate horizontally first.


Airbus

(aviation) A European multinational commercial aircraft manufacturer.


Airbus

Airbus (plural Airbuses or Airbusses or (humorous) Airbii)

Airbuses (plural)
Airbusses (plural)
Airbii (humorous plural)

The new plane was the first Airbus in the airline's fleet.

(aviation) An aircraft produced by the Airbus consortium.


DIA

(US, aviation) Initialism of Denver International Airport.


air corridor

some were planning to fly into London from Europe, though, like many of us, they could only try their best to keep up with the government’s air corridor whack-a-mole.

2020 August 29, Rebecca Nicholson, “Tom Cruise: another groundbreaking role for cinema's cheerleader”, in The Guardian:

(aviation) A predefined route, or series of routes, in which a commercial or military aircraft must fly.


air hostess

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-air hostess.wav

(UK, aviation) A female flight attendant; a stewardess.


ramp

From French rampe, from Middle French rampe, deverbal of ramper, from Old French ramper (“to crawl, climb, scale up”), from Frankish *hrampōn (“to contract oneself, wrinkle, rumple, crumple, curve”), from Proto-Germanic *hrimpaną (“to shrivel, shrink”). Cognate with German Rampf (“retraction, curvature, shrinkage, spasm”). Doublet of romp.
Akin also to Old English ġehrimpan (“to wrinkle, rimple, rumple”), Old High German rimpfan (German rümpfen (“to wrinkle up”)). Compare Danish rimpe (“to fold" (archaic), "to baste”), Icelandic rimpa. More at rimple.

cog

(aviation) A mobile staircase that is attached to the doors of an aircraft at an airport.

(aviation) A large parking area in an airport for aircraft, for loading and unloading or for storage (see also apron and tarmac).

(aviation) A surface inside the air intake of a supersonic aircraft which adjusts in position to allow for efficient shock wave compression of incoming air at a wide range of different Mach numbers.


Dakota

Dakotas (plural)
Dacota (alternative)
Dacotah (alternative)
Dahcotah (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Dakota.wav

(military, aviation) Out of air-to-ground ordinance.


antiskid

To help keep from using up the limited pressure stored by the brake accumulator, antiskid is not available with both engines out.


turbulence

en-noun

turbulence (countable and uncountable, plural turbulences)

From Middle English turbulence (“turbidity, cloudiness”), from Late Latin turbulentia (“trouble, disquiet”). By surface analysis, turbulent + -ence.

der

(uncountable, aviation) Specifically, a state of agitation or disturbance in the air which is disruptive to an aircraft.


FDR

en-noun

FDR (countable and uncountable, plural FDRs)

FDRs (plural)
F.D.R. (alternative)
F. D. R. (alternative)

flight data recorder
flight data recorder#English

(aviation) Initialism of flight data recorder.


delta wing

From the triangular shape of the majuscule Greek letter delta (Δ).

(aeronautics) An aircraft wing having a swept-back shape in the form of an isosceles triangle; used mostly on supersonic aircraft


flaperon

(aviation, aeronautics, aircraft) An aircraft control surface at the trailing edge of a wing that acts as an aileron (controlling movement around the longitudinal axis) and a flap (changing the chord line of the wing, thus affecting the angle of attack).


angle of attack

angle of attack (plural angles of attack)

(aeronautics) The angle between the chord line of an airfoil and the airflow over it; one of the determiners of the amount of lift produced by an airfoil.


avgas

avgas (countable and uncountable, plural avgases or avgasses)

avgases (plural)
avgasses (plural)
av-gas (alternative)

Cylinder cracks are nothing new, however, and there is no reason to expect autogas-burning engines to have a higher incidence of head cracking than avgas-users

1988, Kas Thomas, Fuel and oil systems: basic and advanced light plane maintenance:

In the area of autogas volatility, a Reid vapor pressure of 9.0 to 15 is very common, compared to the vapor pressure of avgas, which is 5.5 to 7

1994, Michael J. Kroes with Thomas W. Wild, Aircraft powerplants:

Autogas can be obtained for a fraction of the cost of avgas, but its use is not without controversy.

2006, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, The AOPA pilot: voice of general aviation, volume 49:

(aviation) Gasoline fuel for piston-engined aircraft.


bang out

en-verb

bang out (third-person singular simple present bangs out, present participle banging out, simple past and past participle banged out)

bangs out (present singular third-person)
banging out (participle present)
banged out (participle past)
banged out (past)

The pilot promptly banged out and the aircraft flew almost as far as the airfield, eventually crashing into a farmer's field.

2010, Tony Doyle, Flying at the Edge, →ISBN, page 253:

(intransitive, aviation, slang) To eject.


midair

en-noun

midair (countable and uncountable, plural midairs)

(countable, aeronautics) A collision between two or more aerospace vehicles in flight.


NEO

NEO (countable and uncountable, plural NEOs)

NEOs (plural)
N.E.O. (alternative)
N. E. O. (alternative)
neo (alternative)

(aviation) Acronym of new engine option.


TSO

Technical Standard Order
w:Technical Standard Order

(aviation) Initialism of Technical Standard Order; minimum performance standard issued by the United States Federal Aviation Administration for materials, components and processes used in civil aircraft.


prop wash

prop wash (countable and uncountable, plural prop washes)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-prop wash.wav

The plane's large rear doors swallowed up my friend in superfast time, its departure sandblasting everyone in red prop wash as it vaporised down the main street and into the afternoon's dust-bowl sky.

2005, Paul Carter, Don't Tell Mum I Work on the Rigs, Crows Nest: Allen and Unwin, page 23:

(aviation, nautical) The disturbed mass of air or water pushed aft (or forward when in reverse) by the propeller of an aircraft or propeller-driven watercraft.

We sent the new recruit to obtain a bucket of prop wash.

(aviation, nautical, humorous, in military or other social organizations involving aircraft or boats) A mythical substance supposedly used to wash propellers.


T-tail

The C-5 Galaxy is the mightiest of all T-tails.

horizontal stabilizer
horizontal stabilizer

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


let-down

let-down (countable and uncountable, plural let-downs)

let-downs (plural)
letdown (alternative)

The flight received a radar letdown from air traffic control.

(aviation) The clearance of an aircraft to descend through clouds to clear air below, or the process of granting such a clearance.


trim tab

(aviation, nautical) A control surface set within or attached to a larger control surface that provides trim to obtain a desired attitude without constant inputs to the primary control surfaces (e.g., ailerons and rudders).


unload

en-verb

unload (third-person singular simple present unloads, present participle unloading, simple past and past participle unloaded)

unloads (present singular third-person)
unloading (participle present)
unloaded (participle past)
unloaded (past)

Boeing's article stressed prioritizing roll control during recovery from nose-down bank upsets unless the airplane was in a stall condition; if the airplane was stalled, Boeing recommended recovering from the stall before recovering from the upset. The article described the nose-down upset recovery technique as follows: "Reduce angle of attack. This unloads the wing, allows the airplane to accelerate, which reduces rudder deflection and improves lateral control ability. […]"

1999 March 24, National Transportation Safety Board, “1.18.10.2.3 1997 Through 1998—Information and Changes Disseminated by Boeing”, in Aircraft Accident Report: Uncontrolled Descent and Collision with Terrain, USAir Flight 427, Boeing 737-300, N513AU, Near Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, September 8, 1994, archived from the original on 2022-06-04, pages 205–206:

(transitive, aviation) To reduce the vertical load factor on (an airplane's wing or other lifting surface), typically by pitching downwards toward the ground to decrease angle of attack and reduce the amount of lift generated.


tombstone engineering

“As pilots in the USAF, we used the term ‘Tombstone Engineering’ to describe a known potential catastrophic flight event that could have been avoided through additional design and funding, but ended in the death of pilots and/or aircrews, thus forcing that design change/aircraft modification. Emergency procedures, especially the warnings, in our flight manuals are literally written in blood…,” Coffindaffer said.

2024 March 19, Mary Baily, “Digital Access”, in Sand Mountain Reporter:

(aviation, slang) The practice of letting accidents or failures (perhaps occasioning death, but not necessarily) identify engineering problems.


gremlin

Oxford English Dictionary
Roald Dahl
The Gremlins

Uncertain; the following etymologies have been suggested:
* A variant of goblin.
* From Irish gruaimín (“gloomy little person”); or from Dutch gremmelen (“to soil, stain; to spoil”), or griemelen, grimmelen (“(obsolete) to abound, teem; to swarm”), but according to the Oxford English Dictionary there is little evidence for such derivations.
The word was popularized, especially in the United States, by the children’s novel The Gremlins (1943) by the British author Roald Dahl (1916–1990), in which gremlins sabotage Royal Air Force aircraft in revenge for the destruction of their forest home to make way for an aircraft factory; the creatures later join forces with the British to fight the Nazis.

der

(originally British, aviation, Royal Air Force slang)

Like Abominable Snowmen, gremlins have never actually been seen; but nobody who works with electronic gear doubts the existence of these mischievous and elusive entities. There are too many malfunctions and failures that can have no other explanation.

1963, Arthur C Clarke, chapter 8, in Glidepath, New York: Simon and Schuster, pages 72-73:

Crucial time was saved by the fact Nexus didn't require a Transport & Works Act. Nevertheless, other gremlins kept raising their heads.

2023 November 29, Richard Foster, “Tyne & Wear Metro goes with the flow”, in RAIL, number 997, page 34:

An imaginary creature reputed to be mischievously inclined, for example, to damage or dismantle machinery.

гремлин

imaginary creature reputed to be mischievously inclined to damage or dismantle machinery


ground proximity warning system

en-noun

ground proximity warning system (plural ground proximity warning systems)

ground proximity warning systems (plural)

(aeronautics) A device which warns the pilot that their aircraft may be in danger of collision with the ground.


GPWS

ground proximity warning system
ground proximity warning system#English

(aviation) Initialism of ground proximity warning system.


GPU

(aviation) Initialism of ground power unit (a ground mobile unit that supplies electrical power to an aircraft while on the ground, without needing to power up the engines or APU).


drogue

Uncertain; probably related to drag in some way.

(aeronautics) A conical parachute used as a brake for some kinds of aircraft, or as a means of extracting and deploying a larger parachute, or to slow a rapidly-moving vehicle to a speed where it can safely deploy a larger parachute.

(aeronautics) A conical basket or device used variously as a target for gunnery practice, and as a docking point for aerial refuelling.

panier-entonnoir (for refuelling)

aeronautics: conical device pulled by aircraft


hypergolic

/hʌɪpɚˈɡɒlɪk/

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-hypergolic.wav

From Ancient Greek ὑπέρ (hupér) + ἔργον (érgon, “work”) + -ol + -ic, after the model of German Hypergol and hypergolisch. Equivalent to hypergol + -ic.

Although the LF₂-LH₂ cryogenic combination is hypergolic, the toxicity of the fuel and the products of combustion have made the use of this system impractical. In general, the commonly used hypergolic propellants are considered conventionally storable, that is, they do not need special refrigeration equipment to keep them liquid.

2016, Pasquale M. Sforza, Theory of Aerospace Propulsion, 2nd ed., Elsevier (Butterworth-Heinemann), page 565

(chemistry, aeronautics, of a reactant, fuel, or propellant) Igniting spontaneously upon contact with an oxidizer.

hypergolisch

igniting spontaneously on contact with an oxidiser

The chemical reaction range of hypergolic mixtures varies from slow and barely visible to an instantaneous and highly visible explosive force.

1994, Stephen K. Hall, Chemical Safety in the Laboratory, CRC Press, page 65:

(chemistry, aeronautics, of a reaction) Involving such a hypergolic agent.


angle of incidence

angle of incidence (plural angles of incidence)

(aeronautics) The angle, usually fixed, between the chord line of a wing or horizontal stabilizer and the axis of the fuselage, measured at the root.

kohtauskulma

angle between a wing or horizontal stabilizer and the axis of fuselage


PAR

precision approach radar
w:precision approach radar

(aviation) Initialism of precision approach radar.


inboard

The Airbus A380 only has thrust reversers on its inboard engines.

(nautical, aviation) Positioned nearer to the centre line of a vessel.


neo

(aviation) Alternative letter-case form of NEO.


offload

en-verb

offload (third-person singular simple present offloads, present participle offloading, simple past and past participle offloaded)

offloads (present singular third-person)
offloading (participle present)
offloaded (participle past)
offloaded (past)
off-load (alternative)

(transitive, aviation, travel) To deny a person on a standby list due to lack of space.

(transitive, aviation, travel) To change a passengers' ticket status from "checked in" to "open", allowing further changes. (This applies regardless of whether the passenger has boarded the aircraft or not).


hydro

en-noun

hydro (countable and uncountable, plural hydros)

From prefix hydro-, from Ancient Greek ὕδωρ (húdōr, “water”). Canadian sense "electricity" from the fact that hydroelectricity is the prevalent source of electricity in much of Canada and many electric companies have the word "Hydro" in their names.

(countable, aviation, obsolete) Abbreviation of hydroaeroplane.


nacelle

PIE word
 *néh₂us
Borrowed from French nacelle (“rowing boat, skiff; gondola (of a hot-air balloon, etc.); structure on an aircraft to house an engine”), Middle French nacelle (“rowing boat, skiff”), from Old French nacele, from Late Latin naucella, nāvicella (“small boat or ship”), from Latin nāvis (“a ship”) (from Proto-Indo-European *néh₂us (“a boat”)) + -ella (diminutive suffix).
Cognates
* Anglo-Norman naucele, naucle (“small boat”)
* Late Latin nacella (“small boat”)

bor

The compartment that holds passengers on a dirigible, hot-air balloon, or other aerostat; a gondola.

A separate streamlined enclosure mounted on an aircraft to house, originally, an engine, and now also cargo or crew.

باسنة

separate streamlined enclosure mounted on an aircraft to house an engine, cargo, or crew

(aviation)
(archaic) The cockpit of an aircraft.


fly-in

(aviation) An informal gathering of private pilots and their aircraft at a prearranged airfield.


unspool

en-verb

unspool (third-person singular simple present unspools, present participle unspooling, simple past and past participle unspooled)

unspools (present singular third-person)
unspooling (participle present)
unspooled (participle past)
unspooled (past)

During this 14-second period, the airplane accelerated to about 173 KIAS, and the first officer retarded the throttles. By 1805:15, despite the instructions in the Delta L-1011 Pilot Operating Manual (POM), which states, “do not unspool the engines,” all three engines were either at, or very near, flight idle EPR and remained at that thrust level until 1805:22.

1986 August 15, National Transportation Safety Board, “1.16.3 Airplane Performance”, in Aircraft Accident Report: Delta Air Lines, Inc., Lockheed L-1011-385-1, N726DA, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Texas, August 2, 1985, archived from the original on 2021-03-13, page 38:

(aviation) To reduce the thrust of a jet engine to idle in flight.


instrument landing system

en-noun

instrument landing system (plural instrument landing systems)

instrument landing systems (plural)
as ILS (abbreviation)

(aviation) A collection of radio navigation aids (always including a localizer and glideslope, and often one to three marker beacons as well) used by pilots for approach guidance to a specific airport runway, especially when visibility is limited.


ILS

instrument landing system
instrument landing system#English

(aviation) Initialism of instrument landing system.


stealth bomber

(military, aviation) A bomber (military aircraft) with a smaller than usual radar signature, due to its body shape, outer coating, and thermal dissipation.


autopilot

autopilot (countable and uncountable, plural autopilots)

I set the autopilot to due south, so I could get some rest.

(aviation, nautical) A mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic system used to guide a vehicle without assistance from a human being.


landing gear

landing gear (countable and uncountable, plural landing gears)

Modern landing gear usually has a tricycle configuration.

Boeing had a problem of too much landing gear

1954, “Where Do All the Wheels Go on a B-52?”, in American Aviation, volume 18, page 42:

The comparison between the tricycle and tail-skid type of landing gears is a case in point.

1968, Astronautics & Aeronautics, volume 6, page 4:

(uncountable, countable, aviation) The wheels, tyres, brakes, shock absorbers etc of an aircraft; its undercarriage.

Large modern commercial aircraft have a nose landing gear and two main landing gears.

(countable, aviation) Any of the assemblies which support an aircraft when it is on the ground.


pull up

en-verb

pull up (third-person singular simple present pulls up, present participle pulling up, simple past and past participle pulled up)

pulls up (present singular third-person)
pulling up (participle present)
pulled up (participle past)
pulled up (past)

Terrain, terrain! Pull up! Pull up!

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see pull, up.

(intransitive, aviation) To raise the nose of an aircraft.


breakout

en-noun

breakout (countable and uncountable, plural breakouts)

Deverbal from break out. The video game genre is named after Breakout, the first game of this kind, released in 1976 by Atari.

(aviation) The point at which visibility returns after passing through clouds.


pogo stick

An acronym of the surnames of German inventors Max Pohlig and Ernst Gottschall, trademarked.

An internal cargo handling winch and “pogo stick” are provided for handling cargo inside the main cargo area.

1959, Aviation Storekeeper 3 & 2, United States. Bureau of Naval Personnel, page 394:

(aviation, informal) Synonym of tailstand.


(aviation) zero-zero, a term meaning no ceiling and no visibility


touch-and-go landing

touch-and-go landing (plural touch-and-go landings)

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


AOC

(aviation) Initialism of air operator's certificate.


helipad

(aviation) A small landing place for helicopters, denoted by a large "H".


cockpit voice recorder

cockpit voice recorder (plural cockpit voice recorders)

(aviation) A flight recorder which records the audio environment in the flight deck of an aircraft.

rečevój registrátor peregovórov v kabíne ekipáža

речево́й регистра́тор перегово́ров в каби́не экипа́жа

rečovýj rejestrátor perehovóriv u kabini ekipážu

речови́й реєстра́тор перегово́рів у кабіні екіпа́жу


flight data recorder

flight data recorder (plural flight data recorders)

(aviation) A device which records various performance parameters of an aircraft; designed to survive severe impact and fire to help in finding the causes of an accident.

飛行記錄器 /飞行记录器

a device which records various performance parameters of an aircraft


blue room

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-blue room.wav

Phyllis Ash was working a flight where the smooth routine was suddenly interrupted by a ten-year-old boy who went to the "blue room" (toilet) and proceeded to get his penis stuck in his zipper.

1980, Robert J. Serling, From the captain to the colonel, page 423:

[…] they intended to use the “blue room”, or lavatory.

2019, Colin C. Law, A Flight Attendant's Essential Guide, page 4:

(aviation, slang) The toilet/washroom on a passenger aircraft.


roll rate

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


banking

banking (countable and uncountable, plural bankings)


bird dog

en-verb

bird dog (third-person singular simple present bird dogs, present participle bird dogging, simple past and past participle bird dogged)

bird dogs (present singular third-person)
bird dogging (participle present)
bird dogged (participle past)
bird dogged (past)
bird-dog (alternative)
birddog (alternative)

United States Department of Defense Air Land Sea Application Center

(aviation, military, slang) A multiservice tactical brevity code requesting configuration of sensors.


nosedive

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-nosedive.wav

(aviation) A drop in altitude with the nose of the craft angled downwards.

pystysyöksy

aviation: drop in altitude with nose angled downwards


greaser

From grease + -er. Applied to mechanics because they frequently become greasy during the course of their work. Applied to toughs because they frequently greased their hair, and, like greaseball, to Italians for the same reason. Applied to Mexicans because, at the time the phrase originated, they commonly worked greasing the axles of carts.


DH

(aviation) Initialism of decision height.


calm wind

(US, aviation) Wind that is slower than 3 knots.


nonrev

Short for nonrevenue, as they do not pay for their tickets.

(aviation, travel, informal) Pertaining to nonrevenue travel taken by airline employees.


nonrev

nonrevs (plural)
non rev (alternative)
non-rev (alternative)

(aviation, travel, informal) An airline employee flying as a passenger.


LDA

en-noun

LDA (countable and uncountable, plural LDAs)

localizer type directional aid
w:localizer type directional aid

(aviation) Initialism of localizer type directional aid.


switchback

The noun is derived from switch (“to turn (a train) from one railway track to another using a switch”, verb) + back (“so as to reverse direction and return”, adverb).
The verb is derived from the noun.

compound

(aviation) A flight path consisting of a series of steep ascents and descents, generally flown as a stunt.


greenhouse cockpit

en-noun

greenhouse cockpit (plural greenhouse cockpits)

(slang, aviation) A distinctive style of cockpit with numerous windows, rather than simply the front windscreen, as seen on such types as the Lancaster and Stirling bombers.


RTL

(aviation) Initialism of rudder travel limiter.


boneyard

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-boneyard.wav

B-52s in a boneyard

a 440 V-8 from the boneyard

Or what is conveyed to those unversed in railway matters by reports following a shed visit that "the frame of Claud Hamilton lay in the boneyard and had many endearing messages of farewell chalked on it"?

1951 April, R. S. McNaught, “Railway Enthusiasts”, in Railway Magazine, number 600, page 269:

The “Boneyard” is a place of antiques and historic symbolism, a burial ground for aircraft.

1999, Naval Aviation News, volumes 82-83, page 37:

Beginning in December 1969, the entire fleet was retired to the “boneyard” at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, Arizona.

2017, William A. Flanagan, Aviation Records in the Jet Age:

(aviation, automotive, slang) A dumpsite for obsolete or unusable aircraft etc; a junkyard.


wind shear

wind shear (countable and uncountable, plural wind shears)

wind shears (plural)
windshear (alternative)

Wind shear from a microburst, as compared to wind shear resulting from a gust front, is particularly hazardous because it is a short-period event which creates very strong wind gusts with a large variation in direction over a very short distance (1/2 to 2 1/2 miles in diameter).

1985 March 21, National Transportation Safety Board, “1.7.3 Weather Analysis”, in Aircraft Accident Report: United Airlines Flight 663, Boeing 727-222, N7647U, Denver, Colorado, May 31, 1984, page 14:

(meteorology, weather, aviation, uncountable) Variation in wind speed or direction over a short spatial distance.

The first effect of a wind shear was detected at 34 to 42 seconds into the takeoff, at a speed of about 115 KIAS with the airplane about 3,800 feet down the runway. An average shear rate of about 2.5 knots per second resulted in an interruption in acceleration at this point with the airspeed remaining at 115 to 120 KIAS for 7 to 10 seconds.

1985 March 21, National Transportation Safety Board, “2.3 Airplane Takeoff Performance”, in Aircraft Accident Report: United Airlines Flight 663, Boeing 727-222, N7647U, Denver, Colorado, May 31, 1984, page 41:

(meteorology, weather, aviation, countable) A specific instance of variation in wind speed or direction over a short spatial distance.


combi

(aviation) An aircraft adapted to carry either cargo or passengers, or both at once.


absolute altimeter

absolute altimeter (plural absolute altimeters)

(aviation) A type of altimeter which measures vertical distance to the surface below, using radio, radar, sonic, laser, or capacitive technology.


pulsejet

pulsejets (plural)
pulsojet (alternative)

(aeronautics) a valved jet engine where combustion occurs in pulses, as used in the V-1 flying bomb

пульси́рующий возду́шно-реакти́вный дви́гатель


MGTOW

(aviation) Initialism of maximum gross takeoff weight: the maximum gross weight of a given aircraft, including its own weight and that of everything it is carrying, before being unable to take off.


VR

VR (countable and uncountable, plural VRs)

VRs (plural)
Vr (alternative)
V.R. (alternative)
V. R. (alternative)

(aviation) The rotation speed of an aircraft (the speed during takeoff at which the pilot raises the nose in preparation for liftoff).


crabbed

en-adj

crabbed (comparative more crabbed, superlative most crabbed)

more crabbed (comparative)
most crabbed (superlative)

From Middle English crabbed; equivalent to crab + -ed.

Unlike most aircraft, the B-52's fully-steerable landing gear allows it to land crabbed and stay crabbed throughout rollout without destroying its tires.

(aviation, of an aircraft) Pointed at an angle to the runway during approach and landing to compensate for a crosswind.

The Ercoupe can't be cross-controlled, so it has to make a crabbed approach in a crosswind rather than using the sideslip technique.

(aviation, of an approach and landing) Performed with one's aircraft pointed at an angle to the runway to compensate for a crosswind; performed with nonzero crab.


panhandle

The Captain Keith Handscomb was the occupant of that ejector seat and the only survivor; his narrow escape was by just being able to reach the seat panhandle with his third and fourth fingers of his left hand.

2007, Roger Brooks, Handley Page Victor, volume 2:

(aviation) The handle that activates an ejector seat.


rate-of-climb indicator

en-noun

rate-of-climb indicator (plural rate-of-climb indicators)

(aviation) An aircraft instrument that provides an indication of the vertical change in position.


Connie

(aviation, informal) The Lockheed Constellation airliner.


slipstream

slipstream (countable and uncountable, plural slipstreams)

Compound of slip + stream. Fiction sense coined by cyberpunk author Bruce Sterling in 1989.

coin

(aviation) The airflow over a propeller-driven aircraft generated by the motion of its propeller(s).


dogfight

The two bi-planes swirled around each other like angry wasps in a violent dogfight.

(aviation, military) A twisting turning battle between two or more military aircraft, especially between fighters.


MPS

en-noun

MPS (countable and uncountable, plural MPSs)

(aeronautics) Initialism of main propulsion system (of the Space Shuttle).


The inputs into the computerized JT9D condition monitoring program for this engine from September 10 through 16 likewise reflected adverse changes in trends of vital operating parameters which were indicative of the possibility of a serious engine malfunction. These data points showed a progressive increase of EGT and fuel flow while N2 showed a progressive decrease over the same period of time.

1971 February 3, National Transportation Safety Board, “Analysis and Conclusions”, in Aircraft Incident Report: American Airlines, Inc., Boeing 747-121, N743PA, San Francisco, California, September 18, 1970, archived from the original on 2022-07-05, page 12:

A test to evaluate the slight increases (25 to 30 pounds per square inch gauge [psig]) in core-driven hydraulic pump pressure indications showed that hydraulic pump pressure would begin to indicate on the FDR with about 35 rpm of core rotation. Another test showed that N2 signals would begin to indicate on the FDR and in the cockpit with about 70 rpm of core rotation.

2007 January 9, National Transportation Safety Board, “1.16.3 Engine Tests”, in Aircraft Accident Report: Crash of Pinnacle Airlines Flight 3701, Bombardier CL-600-2B19, N8396A, Jefferson City, Missouri, October 14, 2004, archived from the original on 2022-07-05, page 27:

(aviation) The rotational speed of the high-pressure spool of a two-spool gas turbine engine or the intermediate-pressure spool of a three-spool gas turbine engine, expressed as a percentage of a certain reference rotational speed.


chumming

(military, aviation, historical) The use of a lit aeroplane to draw enemy fire so that the enemy can be destroyed by another aeroplane whose lights are off.


backhaul

backhaul (countable and uncountable, plural backhauls)

higher intermediate point
higher intermediate point

(travel, aviation, fare construction) Travel to a destination via a further point, or a higher fare point, than the destination (higher intermediate point).


lomcevak

Derived from a Czech word which roughly means "headache" or "hangover", the expression "lomcovák" (sometimes spelled incorrectly by non-Czech speakers as "lomcevak") originated from the Moravia region, now in eastern part of Czech Republic, famous for its Jelinek slivovitz, a traditional Czechoslovakian alcoholic drink, and is commonly used to describe the rotating motions of one who has had one too many. The English use originates from Czechoslovakian aerobatic pilot Ladislav Bezák's mechanic, who at a 1958 air show in Brno, Czechoslovakia, jokingly called Bezák's tumble maneuvres "lomcováks" when asked by journalists what they were.

The pilot ended his performance with the most dangerous stunt in the aerobatic book, a lomcovak.

2004, Thomas Fleming, Conquerors of the Sky, page 462:

(aviation) An aerobatic flying maneuvre in which the pilot follows a knife-edge roll by flipping the airplane end-over-end and into a spin, from which the pilot then recovers control of the airplane.


barrel roll

(aviation) An aerobatic flying maneuver in which the pilot causes the airplane to complete one loop in the same time that the airplane completes one roll, creating the appearance that the airplane is riding on the inside of a cylinder.


fat tax

(informal, aviation) The additional airfare charged to obese individuals who take up more than one seat on an aeroplane.


ident

en-verb

ident (third-person singular simple present idents, present participle identing, simple past and past participle idented)

idents (present singular third-person)
identing (participle present)
idented (participle past)
idented (past)

(aviation, intransitive) To activate the aircraft transponder identification feature.


I dreamed of 747s / Over geometric farms / Dreams Amelia—dreams and false alarms

1976, Joni Mitchell, “Amelia”, in Hejira:

(aviation) A Boeing airplane, model number seven forty-seven, sold to airlines for passenger or cargo transportation.


CRS

en-noun

CRS (countable and uncountable, plural CRSs)

central reservation system
w:central reservation system

computer reservation system
w:computer reservation system

(computing, aviation, travel) Initialism of central reservation system or computer reservation system.

(US, aviation) Initialism of (FAA) certified repair station.


afterburner

(aviation) A device in a jet engine which injects fuel into the exhaust system to increase the thrust.

efterbrænder

a device in a jet engine which injects fuel into the exhaust system to increase the thrust


nonrigid

nonrigids (plural)
non-rigid (alternative)

Nonrigids are cheap and easy to build, store, and transport, but their lack of structural reinforcement limits them to smaller sizes and lower speeds than rigids or semirigids.

(aviation) An airship that maintains its shape only by internal gas pressure.


MMO

(aviation) Maximum operating Mach number; the Mach number which an aircraft should not exceed in the course of routine operation.


load shedding

Based on the reported weather at Carbondale, it should have been apparent that he would need electrical power to operate his radio navigation instruments on arrival since he most probably would have to execute an instrument approach to land. Therefore, to insure that he could complete the 39-minute flight to Carbondale, all unnecessary electrical loads would have to be shed in order to have residual electrical power. In addition, there was no way the captain could determine the exact charge state of the batteries when the generators failed; therefore, even with proper load shedding procedures, the captain could not have been sure that battery power would last longer than 30 minutes. Given the two options available to the captain when the generators failed, the risks involved in continuing to Carbondale were such that this option should have been rejected summarily.

1985 March 5, National Transportation Safety Board, “2.2 Operational and Human Performance Factors - The Captain's Decision”, in Aircraft Accident Report: Air Illinois Hawker Siddley^([sic]) HS 748-2A, N748LL, Near Pinckneyville, Illinois, October 11, 1983, archived from the original on 2022-05-09, page 53:

Early in the SR 111 investigation, it was discovered that the Swissair MD-11 in-flight entertainment network (IFEN) was connected to aircraft power in such a way that was not compatible with the emergency electrical load-shedding design philosophy of the MD-11 aircraft. The IFEN was powered from AC Bus 2, a bus that is not deactivated when the CABIN BUS switch is selected. Use of the CABIN BUS switch, which was the first item in Swissair’s Smoke/Fumes of Unknown Origin Checklist at the time of the occurrence, is intended to remove most electrical power from the aircraft cabin.

2003 March 27, Transportation Safety Board of Canada, “4.1.7 In-Flight Entertainment Network/Supplemental Type Certificate - 4.1.7.1 Transportation Safety Board of Canada”, in Aviation Investigation Report: In-Flight Fire Leading to Collision with Water, Swissair Transport Limited, McDonnell Douglas MD-11 HB-IWF, Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia 5 nm SW, 2 September 1998, archived from the original on 2022-02-21, page 274:

(aviation) The process of minimizing usage of electrical power by powering down nonessential equipment following an electrical generation failure, or to reduce the risk of an electrical fire in certain situations.


Machmeter

Many high performance aircraft are equipped with a Machmeter for monitoring Mcrit. The Machmeter is essentially an airspeed instrument that is calibrated in relation to Mach on the dial.

2012, Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook-Airframe Volume 2, FAA:

(aviation) An instrument that measures the speed of an aircraft relative to that of sound and displays it in Mach numbers.

مؤشر ماخ

an instrument that measures the speed of an aircraft relative to that of sound and displays it in Mach numbers


variometer

Borrowed from Latin varius (“various”) + -meter.

rate-of-climb indicator
rate-of-climb indicator


JATO

JATO (countable and uncountable, plural JATOs)

(uncountable) Acronym of jet-assisted takeoff, a method of using booster rockets to allow heavily-loaded aircraft to lift off more quickly and use less runway length for takeoff.

jet-assisted takeoff

An enduring urban legend claims that someone in Arizona strapped a JATO to their car and crashed it into a cliff.

(countable) One of the rockets used for the above purpose.


rocket pack

rocket packs (plural)
rocket-pack (alternative)
rocketpack (alternative)

(aviation) A jet pack using a rocket engine.


jet pack

jet packs (plural)
jetpack (alternative)
jet-pack (alternative)

(aviation) A piece of equipment that may be strapped to a person’s back and generate vertical thrust by a downward discharge of jet fluid, thereby rendering the person capable of flight.

መብረሪያ ስንቅ

Equipment worn on the back for vertical thrust


scooper

(aviation, firefighting, informal) A type of air tanker waterbomber airplane, which is capable of landing on water, and directly scooping up water to fill its tanks, by skimming the water's surface with scoops delopyed.


walk-up

Deverbal from walk up; (northern flicker): imitative of the bird's call.

Pilot walk-ups welcomed for real-time satellite and radar weather imaging information.

1993, Flying Magazine, volume 120, number 10, page 33:

(aviation) An informal visit to a control tower by a pilot, typically used as part of pilot training.


INOP

(chiefly aviation) Abbreviation of inoperative.


monoplane

From mono- + plane. The aviation sense was formed by analogy with biplane; compare French monoplan, as well as the earlier English aeroplane, multiplane, and triplane.

By the mid-1930s, designs for new fighters and bombers were almost all monoplane designs.

(aviation) An airplane that has a single pair of wings.


biplane

a biplane rudder

(aviation) Having, or consisting of, two superposed planes, aerocurves, etc.


biplane

(aviation) An airplane that has two main wings, one above the other and supported by struts.


triplane

(aviation) An airplane that has three pairs of wings, one above the others


RA

resolution advisory
resolution advisory#English

(aviation) Initialism of resolution advisory (a type of TCAS warning).


windsock

windsocks (plural)
wind sock (alternative)

(aviation) A large, conical, open-ended tube designed to indicate wind direction and relative wind speed, used especially at smaller airfields.

air sock

conical, open-ended tube that indicates wind direction


ramjet

(aeronautics) A jet engine in which forward motion forces air into an inlet, compressing it (as opposed to having a pump type device compressing the air for combustion with fuel), and where combustion is subsonic.


downwind

en-adv

downwind (comparative more downwind, superlative most downwind)

more downwind (comparative)
most downwind (superlative)

(aviation) in the direction opposite that of landing in a traffic pattern


heliport

Blend of helicopter + port, by analogy to airport.

(aviation) A facility, such as a small airport, designed to let helicopters take off and land.


pusher

(aeronautics) An aircraft with the propeller behind the fuselage.


general aviation

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


quartering

(by extension, aviation, of wind) Coming from aft and to one side; having both a crosswind and tailwind component.


buffeting

(aviation) random, irregular motion of the plane or of one of its parts caused by turbulences in the airflow


Catalina

Catalina
Consolidated PBY Catalina
en:Santa Catalina Island (California)

(aviation, historical, military) A twin-engined amphibious aircraft used during the Second World War.


go around

en-verb

go around (third-person singular simple present goes around, present participle going around, simple past went around, past participle gone around)

goes around (present singular third-person)
going around (participle present)
went around (past)
gone around (participle past)

ATC told the flight to go around because another plane was still on the runway.

(intransitive, aviation) To perform a go-around maneuver.


touch and go

touch and go (third-person singular simple present touches and goes, present participle touching and going, simple past touched and went, past participle touched and gone)

touches and goes (present singular third-person)
touching and going (participle present)
touched and went (past)
touched and gone (participle past)

The original sense, now obsolete, seems to have been that of brief encounters. The subsequent nautical sense then gave rise first to the abstract sense (indicating a hazardous situation) and later, by physical analogy, to the aeronautical sense.

touch-and-go landing
touch-and-go landing

(aviation) To perform a touch-and-go landing.


rudder authority

At slow taxiing speed, there is insufficient rudder authority to steer the aeroplane.

(aviation) The degree of control that the rudder can exert over the yawing motion of an aircraft; related to rudder design and airspeed.


elevator authority

The airspeed was so low that there was insufficient elevator authority to recover from the stall.

(aviation) The degree of control that the elevators can exert over the pitching motion of an aircraft; related to elevator design and airspeed.


aileron authority

At higher airspeeds there is sufficient aileron authority to perform extremely fast rolls.

(aviation) The degree of control that the ailerons can exert over the rolling motion of an aircraft; related to aileron design and airspeed.


control surface

en-noun

control surface (plural control surfaces)

Before flight, it is vital to ensure all control surfaces are clear of obstruction and can move smoothly and freely.

(aeronautics) 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.


centre of lift

centres of lift (plural)
center of lift (alternative)

(aeronautics) 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, it will roll.


attitude indicator

attitude indicator (plural attitude indicators)

(aviation, UK, military) An instrument that displays attitude of an aircraft in pitch and roll.


rate of climb

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


rate of climb indicator

rate of climb indicator (plural rate of climb indicators)

(aviation) An instrument installed in an aircraft that indicates the rate at which the aircraft is gaining or losing altitude.


VFR

VFR (countable and uncountable, plural VFRs)

(aviation, uncountable) Initialism of visual flight rules, a set of rules allowing a pilot to fly and navigate by sight references, rather than by relying on instruments.

visual flight rules

The airline's business travel went up six percent, but VFR went up nine percent.

Risk awareness and risk perception also differ between VFRs and most tourist travellers, resulting in a lower uptake by VFRs of pre-departure vaccinations or malaria prophylaxis.

2008, World Health Organization, International Travel and Health: Situation as on 1 January 2008:

(aviation, countable, uncountable) Initialism of (a person) visiting friends and relatives/relations.


nose cone

(aviation) The forwardmost part of an aircraft, rocket or missile; it is shaped to minimize aerodynamic resistance.

Nasenkegel

the forwardmost part of an aircraft, rocket or missile; it is shaped to minimise aerodymanic resistance


CAG

CAG (countable and uncountable, plural CAGs)

(military, aviation, nautical) Initialism of commander of the air group.


run-up

run-ups (plural)
runup (alternative)
run up (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-run-up.wav

(aviation, transitive) The process of warming up and testing an airplane before a flight.


turbofan

Turbofans are always multispool engines.

2005, Ronald D. Flack, Fundamentals of Jet Propulsion with Applications:

(aviation) A turbojet engine having a (typically ducted) fan that forces air directly into the hot exhaust and obtains a portion of the thrust from the turbojet and a portion from the turbojet section.


turbojet

(aeronautics) A jet engine that develops thrust solely from high-speed exhaust gases expelled from a turbine that drives a compressor.


turboprop

(aeronautics) A type of gas turbine aircraft engine that drives and obtains essentially all thrust from an external (typically unducted) propeller.

A 29-year-old mechanic took off in a Horizon Air Q400 turboprop at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Friday night […]

2018, “Airplane taken from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has crashed”, in the Seattle Times:

(aviation) An aircraft that uses a turboprop engine.


reheat

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-reheat.wav

(aeronautics, chiefly British) An afterburner.


sectional

(aviation) A sectional chart, a type of map used for navigation in the air.


point of no return

point of no return (plural points of no return)

The expression originated in air navigation planning. The point along the planned flight path beyond which an aircraft will no longer be capable of returning to the takeoff airfield or an alternate airfield due to insufficient fuel is calculated before takeoff. This is mandatory for overwater flights or flights without alternates on route.

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

航線臨界點 /航线临界点

(aviation) the point in a flight when there is insufficient fuel to return to the origin

punt de no-retorn

the point when it is no longer possible to stop the process

punt vanwaaruit geen terugkeer mogelijk is


mainline

mainlines (plural)
main line (alternative)

(aviation) An airline's main operating unit, as opposed to codeshares or regional subsidiaries.


reconfirm

en-verb

reconfirm (third-person singular simple present reconfirms, present participle reconfirming, simple past and past participle reconfirmed)

reconfirms (present singular third-person)
reconfirming (participle present)
reconfirmed (participle past)
reconfirmed (past)

(aviation, travel, dated) To advise an airline of your intention to use a reservation, or risk cancellation.


radio beacon

radio beacons (plural)
radio-beacon (alternative)
radiobeacon (alternative)

(communication, aviation, nautical, navigation) A beacon that emits radio wave signals to guide ships or aircraft or to indicate the position of a ship, aircraft, or other object, person, or vehicle.

emergency position indicating radio beacon


on guard

en-adj

on guard (comparative more on guard, superlative most on guard)

more on guard (comparative)
most on guard (superlative)
on-guard (alternative)

(aviation) Transmitting on the aircraft emergency frequency.


crash pad

crash pads (plural)
crashpad (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-crash pad.wav

The first officer did not have a crash pad in the EWR area. A captain who had flown with the first officer when she was based at ORF stated that she planned to stay overnight at hotels once she began commuting from SEA to EWR. According to a cargo air carrier captain who met the first officer in December 2008 while they were jumpseat passengers, the first officer stated that she did not need a crash pad at EWR because she could stay in the crew lounge.

2010 February 2, National Transportation Safety Board, “1.5.2 The First Officer”, in Aircraft Accident Report: Loss of Control on Approach, Colgan Air, Inc., Operating as Continental Connection Flight 3407, Bombardier DHC-8-400, N200WQ, Clarence Center, New York, February 12, 2009, archived from the original on 2022-05-12, page 13:

Any place used for temporary lodging, especially without payment or permission.

(aviation) A place of temporary lodging for airline flight crews.


down line

down lines (plural)
downline (alternative)
down-line (alternative)

If you miss a flight, the airline will likely cancel the down line.

(travel, aviation) the next and subsequent flights in an itinerary.


piano keys

(aviation, slang) The large white striped section at the ends of a runway, used as a landing aiming point and as a distance indicator.


vertical stabilizer

en-noun

vertical stabilizer (plural vertical stabilizers)

vertical stabilizers (plural)
vertical stabiliser (alternative)

(aviation) The fin on the tail of an aircraft; it includes the rudder on its trailing edge.

svislá ocasní plocha

aviation: the fin on the tail of an aircraft


trailing edge

(aeronautics) The rearmost edge of a wing or other airfoil.


leading edge

(aeronautics) The frontmost edge of a wing or other airfoil of an aircraft; sometimes contains slots or slats.

caire d'atac

aeronautics: frontmost edge of an airfoil


METAR

(aviation, meteorology) Meteorological Aerodrome Report, the aviation routine weather report; a specially encoded weather observation report.


TAF

(meteorology, aviation) Terminal Aerodrome Forecast: a specially encoded weather forecast for a terminal aerodrome


TAF

(military, aviation) Initialism of Turkish Air Force.


aerodyne

Back-formation from aerodynamic. Analysable as aero- + -dyne (“motor-powered flight”).

(aviation) A heavier-than-air aircraft, deriving its lift from motion.


aircraft attitude

aircraft attitude (plural aircraft attitudes)

(aviation) The orientation of an aircraft with respect to the horizon.


available seat-mile

available seat-mile (plural available seat-miles)

(aviation) 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 passengers (e.g., seats reserved for crew rest, etc.) are excluded from this calculation.


available ton mile

available ton mile (plural available ton miles)

(transport, aviation) tons of carrying capacity multiplied by miles travelled.


breakeven load factor

breakeven load factor (plural breakeven load factors)

(aviation) The load factor necessary for an airline to break even. It is a function of the percent of seats filled at a particular yield versus the airlines operating costs.


ADS-B

w:Automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast

(aviation) Initialism of Automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast (“automated broadcast of aircraft location information from satellite navigation systems to air traffic control networks”).


eight-ball

eight-ball (countable and uncountable, plural eight-balls)

eight-balls (plural)
8 ball (alternative)
eight ball (alternative)

The angle-of-attack error indicator, located to the right of the attitude "eight-ball," requires some explanation.

1960, John Marshall Eggleston, Sheldon Baron, Donald C. Cheatham, Fixed-base Simulation Study of a Pilot's Ability to Control a Winged-satellite Vehicle During High-drag Variable-lift Entries, page 11:

He kept his eyes outside, stole a few glances at the "eight ball" attitude indictors^([sic]) inside, and relied on Irwin's callouts.

2011, David A. Mindell, Digital Apollo: Human and Machine in Spaceflight, page 254:

(countable, aviation, slang) A spherical attitude indicator.


call the ball

en-verb

call the ball (third-person singular simple present calls the ball, present participle calling the ball, simple past and past participle called the ball)

calls the ball (present singular third-person)
calling the ball (participle present)
called the ball (participle past)
called the ball (past)

- Maverick, call the ball.

(US naval aviation) 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.


consolidator

(aviation, travel) a business which buys air travel tickets in bulk, then sells them at discounted prices.


UDF

en-noun

UDF (countable and uncountable, plural UDFs)

(aviation) Abbreviation of unducted fan.


uncheck

en-verb

uncheck (third-person singular simple present unchecks, present participle unchecking, simple past and past participle unchecked)

unchecks (present singular third-person)
unchecking (participle present)
unchecked (participle past)
unchecked (past)

(travel, aviation) To remove a previously checked-in passenger from the check-in system, allowing changes to the ticket.


LH

en-noun

LH (countable and uncountable, plural LHs)

(US, army, aviation) Initialism of light helicopter.


backtracking

backtracking (countable and uncountable, plural backtrackings)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-backtracking.wav

(aviation) The usage of a runway as a taxiway, especially at private strips and smaller airports.


RCS

radar cross section
radar cross section#English

(telecommunications, aviation) Initialism of radar cross section.


wifferdill

wifferdills (plural)
whifferdale (alternative)
whifferdill (alternative)

Doolittle executed a grand wifferdill—rapidly climbing to exchange airspeed for altitude—after completing the course, then a perfect landing.

2003, Dik Alan Daso, Doolittle: Aerospace Visionary, →ISBN, page 20:

When not breeding, they whirl in rings above the earth, dive for flies with gaping, froglike mouths, and perform whifferdales and rolls, glancing in and out of sight.

2022, Thomas Halliday, Otherworlds, Penguin, published 2023, page 24:

(aviation) An elaborate, multiaxis aerobatic manoeuvre, especially one in which an aircraft makes a series of very tight turns in order to reverse its direction of travel.


OM

OM (countable and uncountable, plural OMs)


loop the loop

en-verb

loop the loop (third-person singular simple present loops the loop, present participle looping the loop, simple past and past participle looped the loop)

loops the loop (present singular third-person)
looping the loop (participle present)
looped the loop (participle past)
looped the loop (past)

(aviation, intransitive) To perform any of several aerobatic manoeuvres in which the aircraft flies around a vertical circle.


pitot tube

Name for Italian-born French engineer Henri Pitot who invented the device in the early 1700s.

(aviation) A pressure measuring instrument used to measure fluid flow velocity, especially used to determine the airspeed of an aircraft.


flying brick

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-flying brick.wav

(aviation, colloquial) An aircraft which is too heavy and lacks sufficient power to be maneuvered easily.


LSA

en-noun

LSA (countable and uncountable, plural LSAs)

light sport aircraft
light sport aircraft#English

(aviation) Initialism of light sport aircraft.

logistics support aircraft
logistics support aircraft#English

(aviation, military) Initialism of logistics support aircraft.


fruiting

fruiting (countable and uncountable, plural fruitings)

How many breakdowns or serious impairments of function (quality of return, fruiting, degradation, etc.) did your radar and communications equipment have today?

1978, United States. Office of Aviation Medicine, Aviation Medical Reports, page 244:

In this way, the problems of fruiting, garbling and over-interrogation are overcome.

2015, Phil Croucher, Air Navigation With The Jeppesen CR-3, pages 6–51:

(uncountable, aviation) The occurrence of FRUIT (false replies unsynchronized/uncorrelated in time).


CFS

CFS (countable and uncountable, plural CFSs)

Canada Flight Supplement
w:Canada Flight Supplement

(Canada, aviation) Initialism of Canada Flight Supplement (a pilot's guide to aerodromes, air control zones, and airways in Canadian airspace and Canadian air traffic control zones).


switchology

(aviation, colloquial) The configuration of switches on panels.


reentrant

re-entrant (alternative)
reëntrant (alternative)

(aeronautics, of a part of a rocket) Designed to return to the Earth's atmosphere.


flight level

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


LCA

LCA (countable and uncountable, plural LCAs)

large commercial aircraft
large commercial aircraft#English

(aviation, countable) Initialism of large commercial aircraft.


aluminum shower

aluminum shower (plural aluminum showers)

aluminum showers (plural)
aluminium shower (alternative)

As his screen displayed the falling and fragmenting wreckage of two aircraft that had collided at 2,650 ft. three miles northeast of Lindbergh Field, he muttered, "Jesus Christ, an aluminum shower."

1978 October 9, “Nation: Death over San Diego”, in Time:

Certainly one of the most stressful jobs in contemporary society is that of the air traffic controller. . . . This pressure, combined with the ever-present fear of causing a crash or collision (known with studied casualness as an "aluminum shower"), places controllers under tremendous stress on the job.

1981, Richard M. Steers, Introduction to Organizational Behavior, →ISBN, page 348:

John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton play two air-traffic controllers who are prickly and complex. . . . They use cynicism to protect themselves from the terrors of the job. One guy "has an aluminum shower in his future".

1999 April 22, Roger Ebert, "Pushing Tin" (film review), Chicago Sun Times (retrieved 20 Oct 2011)

[W]e must be able to determine when airplanes are too close for comfort.

2001, Frisco Rose et al., "Avoiding the Aluminum Shower," Eastern Oregon Science Journal, vol. 16 (Millennium Issue), p. 32

But he agrees that corporate jets are increasing the strain on air traffic controllers trying to prevent what’s known in the industry as an “aluminum shower,” a midair collision.

2007 August 26, Nelson D. Schwartz, “It’s Bird Eat Bird in a Cluttered Sky”, in The New York Times:

SAC made a big deal about getting everywhere the B-52's flew exactly on time. . . . [I]f you were late and the next aircraft scheduled in was early there was an increased possibility of an aluminum shower.

2009 August 30, Charlie Hough, “Last One Out is a Rotten Crewdog!”, in crewdogwarstories.blogspot.com, retrieved 2011-10-20:

(figuratively, aviation) The result of a midair collision of two aircraft.


leans

If you don't use your flight instruments when flying in cloud, you can easily get the leans and enter a fatal graveyard spiral.

(aviation, with the) A dangerous sensory illusion where the pilot of an aircraft believes themselves to be in a bank when they are actually wings-level, or vice-versa, often resulting in spatial disorientation and loss of control of the aircraft.