FP

words twice

'Communication is difficult. Please send every word twice' or 'Since communication is difficult, every word in this message will be sent twice'.

FL 100

'Flight Level one zero zero' is correct ICAO standard phraseology. However, given the well-documented cases of confusion which have occurred between 'FL 110' and 'FL 100'，the UK CAA and other European ANSPs have decided to adopt 'hundred' for all levels ending in '00'（FL 100: Flight Level one hundred; FL 200: Flight Level two hundred etc.) rather than 'zero zero'. For this and the other differences between ICAO and UK phraseology notified to ICAO, see CAA CAP 413 Radiotelephony Manual, Appendix 1.

Are you visual?

'Have you got the runway in sight?'

unable

'I cannot comply with your request, instruction or clearance'； 'unable' is usually followed by a reason.

roger

'I have received all your last transmission'. Roger is not to be used in reply to a question which requires a direct answer or readback

discretion

'at your discretion'： timing or navigation is to be decided by the pilot

how do you read?

'how clear is my transmission?'

few

0.25 or less of the sky covered by clouds

"oversight

1) As an uncountable noun, oversight means supervision, from the verb 'to oversee,: The Federal Aviation Authority has oversight of air traffic control and safety regulation within US airspace.

clear

1) CLR: no cloud cover: METAR KANB 172253Z 35008^710SM CLR 08/M06 2) easy to understand, both in terms of vocabulary and pronunciation: the briefing was very clear

tight

1) In the case of a tank, a pipe or a join between mechanical parts, secure or leakproof: The join between the two fuel hoses was tight enough. 2) in the case of a nut or a fastener, difficult to turn: These nuts are tight, can you loosen them? 3) in the case of a turn, with a short radius or a small angle: Small aircraft can land even straight after a tight turn

shift (n)

1) a change of wind direction: there has been a sh'rft in the wind which is now blowing from the northeast 2) a period of working time: the next shift is ready to take over

caution

1) a crew alert symbolised by the colour amber and less urgent than a red warning: the master caution light came on and the single-stroke chime sounded 2) RT recommendation to proceed with additional care: taxi with caution

strip

1) a piece of paper or cardboard, or an electronic equivalent, which enables a controller to record basic data about a flight and manage flow control. Before the development of hi-tech visual displays,these strips were the main source of information for ATCOs. They are still used as a backup system in case the electronic systems fail.2) Strip can also refer to an airstrip or small runway.

pylon

1) a structure used to mount engines to the underside of an aircraft wing 2) a tall steel structure to which wires carrying electricity are fixed so that they are safely held high above the ground: there is a row of pylons rising to 150 fe^t on final approach to the left of the centreline

threat (n)

1) a suggestion that something unpleasant or violent will happen: there is a threat of airport closures caused by the strike; the threat of tropical storms 2) a danger: Bird strikes remain a serious threat to aircraft safety

rollout / roll-out (n)

1) an aircraft's ground roll along the runway after touchdown; 2) returning to level flight

acute

1) at a sharp angle, at an angle of less than 90° 2) severe: acute pain

ceiling

1) bottom of cloud cover 2) aircrafts highest operating altitude 3) top of the cabin

payload

1) carrying capacity of an aircraft 2) the part of the useful load from which revenue is derived

readout

1) data which is displayed visually: the FOB (Fuel On Board) readout is showing 38 tonnes 2) data said / played audibly: the PNF made a radio altitude readout during approach

elevator

1) flight control surface located on the horizontal stabilizer trailing edge, which controls the aircraft on the pitch axis; servo actuators move the elevators. 2) hydraulic ground loader used to raise containers

against

1) in relation to, compared with: the airspeed against angle of attack ratio was a concern 2) in contact with: the aircraft overran the end of the runway and came to a stop against the boundary fence.

airborne

1) in the air 2) installed or carried on the aircraft: The ADF is an airborne navaid

leg

1) part of a long-haul journey, where the plane stops to refuel one or more times on the way: The first leg of the journey is from Beijing to Anchorage; we then fly on to Washington. 2) a phase of a circuit or traffic pattern: departure, crosswind, downwind and base legs

component

1) part of an aircraft system: a valve, a pump, a control unit 2) a constituent or contributing part, a factor: clear, concise communication is an essential component of safety 3) a coordinate of a vector: crosswind component

clearance

1) phraseology referring to authorisation: expect onward clearance at time 38 2) removal of an obstacle: snow clearance is under way 3) distance between a moving object and a potential obstacle: monitor our wing tip clearance; the engine ground clearance on the B737 is quite small

target

1) point which you aim at, which you wish to reach or hit: There is a white painted touchdown target on the runway; A target speed can be set on the speed scale 2) a radar echo displayed on the screen

flag

1) red indicator which shows that an instrument is not supplied or that the indication is unreliable 2) red warning placed on the outside of the aircraft to show that ground safeties are installed which must be removed before flight

dispatch (n)

1) the airport service which is responsible for liaising with the crew about operational matters: ask Dispatch for an updated weight and balance sheet 2) the Flight Ops department of an airline which plans and monitors each flight and provides operational information in abnormal situations: when the flight crew encountered volcanic ash they contacted their company dispatch

bearing

1) the angular direction of a distant point measured in degrees clockwise from a local meridian or other reference. Usually relative bearings are described clockwise from 000° to 360° 2) a surface that supports and reduces friction between moving parts. Types of bearing include ball, roller and needle bearings

recovery

1) the completion of a flight manoeuvre and return to straight and level flight 2) the return to normal operation, for example the restarting of engine of the regaining of a previously lost system

range

1) the distance that can be covered by an aircraft without refuelling: the maximum range of the B777-200ER is 7,700 nautical miles 2) the distance that can be covered by a radar / radio / navigation aid signal or an instrument: the weather radar can be set to ranges of up to 320 nautical miles.

hold (n)

1) the holding pattern followed by aircraft typically while waiting to descend and land. It is also called a stack in the US: taxi into position and hold ; hold position 2) the series of underfloor cargo compartments in an aircraft: bulk cargo and animals are loaded into hold 5

track

1) the path of the aircraft over the Earth's surface from take-off to touchdown 2) the angle between a reference datum and the actual flight path

seize (v)

1) to block, lock or jam: the flap linkage appears to be seized up 2) to grab or take hold of: seize the handle and turn clockwise

operate (v)

1) to cause to function, to run, to keep in operation: Singapore Airlines operates a fleet of A380s; after the bird ingestion, the crew operated the engine at flight idle 2) to be enforced, to apply: when RVSM operate, vertical separation is reduced to 1,000 feet

ground (v)

1) to connect to the electrical ground or earth: the aircraft must be grounded during refuelling 2) to prevent or prohibit from taking off: the fle^t has been grounded b^y the CAA until the inspections have been carried out.

maintain (v)

1) to continue to follow, or work within, certain conditions: maintain Flight Level 290 until further advised 2) to make sure that certain conditions continue: ATC mu^t maintain separation

extend (v)

1) to deploy or move down and out flaps, slats or landing gear: the flaps are extended to the 25° position 2) to cover an area of land or sky: the cloud cover extends for 200 miles

pick up (v)

1) to detect something heard on the frequency, the Lan Chile crew picked up the pan call from the TAROM flight and relayed it to ATC 2) In a more technical sense, it refers to sensors, detectors etc. detecting a signal, movement,vibration, temperature etc.

cross (v)

1) to fly over: cross NES at Flight Level 250 2) to move from one side to the other: request cross Runway 29 Left

threaten (v)

1) to give signs or warnings of harm or danger: Windshear can threaten the stability of aircraft on final approach 2) to force someone to act under duress: the terrorist is threatening the crew

wear (v)

1) to have clothing, etc. on your body: Marshallers mu^t wear ear protection on the ramp ^t all times. 2) to become weaker, damaged or thinner because of continuous use: ^t is the moving parts within the engine which wear most quickly.

monitor (v)

1) to listen to the frequency 2) to watch indications over time: monitor the Engine 2 parameters

veer (to)

1) to move off course, to change direction, to move diagonally away from the centreline or correct path 2) for the wind to change direction clockwise

intend (v)

1) to plan to do something: we intend to maintain our present heading 2) to wish to send a message to a specific aircraft: that clearance was intended for Japan Air 465

relieve(v)

1) to remove pressure, strain or pain: Good ground support during turnaround can relieve pressure on flight crews. 2) to take over from someone: Regulations state that controllers must be relieved after an eight-hour shift and that there must be at least ten hours between shifts.

disconnect (v and n)

1) to stop or interrupt a connection; to switch off 2) disconnection: the pilot disconnected the autopilot with the instinctive disconnect pushbutton and took over control of the aircraft

manage (v)

1) to succeed in doing something: we managed to isolate the failure 2) to control a situation: ATC manages traffic flow

noise

1) unwanted signals within an electronic system: We're getting a lot of noise on the tower frequency 2) sound: What was that noise from the cabin?

emergency code

4-digit international transponder signals used by the crew to alert ATC in the event of an emergency. 7500 indicates unlawful interference, 7600 lost communication and 7700 a general emergency.

bruise

A mark on the skin caused by a blow: Some passengers suffered minor c^ts and bruises when the flight encountered turbulence

checklist

A series of checks performed and confirmed orally by two crew members; one reads out the action to be performed, the other performs the action and confirms aloud that it has been performed. Checklists are typically performed at specific phases in the flight ('Before descent' checklist) or in abnormal or emergency situations ('Engine fire' checklist). They are contained in the Quick Reference Handbook.

Area Control (Centre)

ACC: ATCOs responsible for planes overflying a large area of airspace en route at altitude

Air Data Computer

ADC: a digital computer serving as a central source of information on the surrounding atmosphere and the aircraft flight through it. It provides the pressure altitude, outside air temperature, airspeed, Mach number and angle of attack data to the automatic flight control system, the flight instruments and other systems.

Automatic Direction Finder

ADF: a flight instrument which indicates the direction from which the signal from a non-directional beacon is coming, i.e. a relative bearing

auto-flight system

AFS: the combination of autopilot, autothrottle / autothrust, flight director, autoland systems etc. used to control the flight through the Flight Management System (FMS)

aircraft maintenance technician

AMT: an aircraft mechanic or engineer who inspects and services the aircraft (engine oil levels, tyre pressure and wear, signs of fuel or hydraulic leaks, impact damage to the engine air intakes and wing leading edges etc.), performs any small repairs and makes entries in the aircraft technical logbook. These activities are line maintenance

angle of attack

AOA or a: the angle between the chord line of the wing of an aircraft and the vector representing the relative motion between the aircraft and the atmosphere. Information from the angle of attack sensor, or alpha probe, is used to trigger a stall warning.

Autopilot

AP: a computerised system which provides the flight controls with orders: The FAA wants new software installed on Boeing 777s to prevent crews from inadvertently engaging the autopilot before takeoff.

We 'may' request a diversion

ATC has responded to utterances like this as full emergencies on several occasions due to the fact that they did not pick up the fact that the flight crew had used the modal verb 'may' or 'might' in a statement

autothrottle

ATHR, an automatic engine power control system: When using the autothrottle during autoland, position command speed to VREF +5 knots

current Information K

ATIS Information Kilo in a series of updates (...India, Juliet, Kilo...)so that pilots can check easily that they have the most recent meteorological information about the airport: Cleveland Hopkins Information Kilo, 1755 Zulu Automated Weather, Wind 260 at 15 gust 19, Visibility 6, light snow, 2,600 broken, 3,500 overcast, Temperature -5, Dewpoint -11, Altimeter 2999.

U/S

Abbreviation for unserviceable.

ANSP

Air Navigation Service Provider: organisation providing air traffic control within a given region for example, Aerothai, Airways NZ, DFS, FANA, FAA, NAV Canada, NATS, PANSA, ENAV etc.

ASU

Air Start Unit: ground support vehicle which compresses air and delivers it to the aircraft engine if the APU is not available

ACAS

Airborne Collision Avoidance System: an aircraft system using Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) transponder signals, which operates independently of ground equipment to alert the flight crew about conflicting aircraft

A.C.

Alternating Current: the type of electrical power generated by the engine generators and characterised by frequency oscillation as opposed to D.C. (Direct Current).

alar

Approach and Landing Accident Reduction: more accidents occur during approach and landing than during any other phase of flight. The Flight Safety Foundation has gathered extensive research on this issue and published the ALAR Tool Kit.

ADF

Automatic Direction Finder: airborne radio navaid tuned to non-directional beacons; the intersection of two bearings provides the aircrafts position: ^f the ADF needle points up, the NDB is ahead

ATIS

Automatic Terminal Information Service: a continuous broadcast of recorded non-control information in selected high-activity terminal areas. The report is identified by a sequence of letters (...Kilo, Lima, Mike, etc.) For example, "Hong Kong Arrival Information Kilo at 17:05Z; Runway 07 closed for maintenance; Wind 340°, 15 knots; Visibility 8 km

APU

Auxiliary Power Unit: a small gas turbine engine, usually located in the tail cone, which is used on the ground when the engines are shut down to generate electricity, to provide air conditioning and high pressure air to start the engines. The APU can also be used in flight up to 25,000 feet for back-up electrical power in the event of an engine failure

aviation English

Aviation English is broader than ICAO standard phraseology, but it is the language used by pilots and controllers in an operational context. In the ICAO context, fuel prices, low-cost airlines, aerobatics or the four forces of flight are not Aviation English. Non-aviation English would also include vocabulary from completely unrelated fields, idiomatic language, slang, etc.

AGNIS

Azimuth Guidance for Nose-In Stand: one of the most popular forms of stand guidance, i.e. ways of guiding a plane to its correct position in the stand

broken

BKN: cloud cover of between 0.5 and 0.9 (i.e. 50% and 90%) of the sky: METAR KMWN 142255Z 32026KT 120SM BKN/// FEW180 SCT210

calibrated airspeed

CAS: the indicated airspeed (IAS) corrected for airspeed indicator errors

clear air turbulence

CAT: significant turbulence where no clouds are present, normally at high altitude near a jetstream

cumulonimbus

CB: a type of cloud characterised by its density, large size and height, its tendency to create stormy conditions and the hazard it represents for aircraft. It often has a characteristic 'anvil' shape

Controlled Flight Into terrain

CFIT happens when an aircraft, which is airworthy and under the control of the flight crew, is flown unintentionally into terrain, obstacles or water, usually without the crew being aware.

crew resource management

CRM: a branch of human factors which analyses the ways in which team work and good communication can reduce the effects of human error. CRM training has become part of mainstream pilot training. See James Reason's seminal works in this field: Human Error (1990) and Managing the risks of organisational accidents (1997)

cockpit voice recorder

CVR: an automatic recycling recorder storing all crew radio and intercom traffic, including crew speech and background noise: The crew can only erase the CVR recording after engine shut-down.

cat IIIC

Category three C: the crew, aircraft and aerodrome are qualified and equipped to land in conditions with theoretically 0 feet vertical Decision Height and 0 feet longitudinal visibility

cavok

Ceiling and Visibility OK, pronounced 'CAV-O-KAY':. TAF SCAR 142230Z 1500/1524 25005KT CAVOK TN18

CFIT

Controlled Flight Into Terrain: CFIT happens when an aircraft, which is airworthy and under the control of the flight crew, is flown unintentionally into terrain, obstacles or water, usually without the crew being aware.

decision altitude

DA: the altitude at which the flight crew must decide to land or go around

digital flight data recorder

DFDR / FDR: a device for automatically recording information on aircraft operation (altitude, airspeed, vertical acceleration, heading, elapsed time, attitude, flight control surface position and engine speed). Such recorders are designed to survive crash accelerations, impacts, crushing and fire and often carry underwater transponders or beacons

decision height

DH: the height above the ground shown on the radio altimeter in final approach at which the pilot must decide to land or go around: '100 above' - 'Continuing'

drifting snow

DRSN: snow that has been blown by the wind to form a deep deposit

drizzle

DZ: very light but constant rain

DME

Distance Measuring Equipment: a transmitter which will be located on the airport and provide distance information for the aircraft during approach by timing the delay of VHF or UHF radio signals

EPR indication

Engine Pressure Ratio: indication of the ratio between engine turbine discharge pressure and compressor inlet pressure, which is used on certain engines

EGPWS

Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System: a system providing crews with forward warning of the risk of collision with terrain in sufficient time for them to take avoiding action. EGPWS or TAWS (Terrain Awareness and Warning System) is combined with a Global Positioning System (GPS) for greater accuracy in remote areas

eta

Estimated Time of Arrival: the time at which an aircraft is expected to arrive at its destination or pass a waypoint

ETD

Estimated Time of Departure: the time at which an aircraft is expected to depart

EGT

Exhaust Gas Temperature: one of the principal engine parameters monitored by the crew with N1 and N2 or EPR

ETOPS

Extended Twin Operations: the use of long-haul, twin-engine aircraft over the sea, desert or arctic regions where there is no suitable airport within 60 minutes of flight which can be used in case of a diversion being necessary following the loss of an engine. A more facetious interpretation of the acronym 'ETOPS' is 'Engines Turning Or Passengers Swimming'！

Flight Control Unit

FCU: a control panel on the glareshield which, on an Airbus aircraft, fulfils the same function as a Mode Control Panel (MCP) on a Boeing aircraft, i.e. entering altitude, heading, speed, vertical speed (rate of climb / descent) values into the autopilot and autothrust / autothrottle

FAF

Final Approach Fix: the fix or reference point from which the final IFR approach to an airport is executed and which identifies the beginning of the final approach segment

fir

Flight Information Region: an airspace of defined dimensions within which flight information and alerting services are provided by an air traffic control centre: en route from Lagos to Cairo you ffly over the N'Djamena, Khartoum and Cairo FIRs

FMS

Flight Management System: an aircraft computer system that uses a large data base to 1) allow routes to be pre-programmed; 2) interface with the AFCS (Automatic Flight Control System) i.e. autopilot and flight director; 3) memorise and update navigation aids; 4) provide information to the EFIS (Electronic Flight Instrument System) for PFD and ND displays

Ground Proximity Warning System

GPWS: an airborne system which alerts the flight crew that they are approaching terrain or that there sink rate is excessive. If the GPWS detects a flightpath deviation 'pull up'，'sink rate'，terrain' or 'glide slope' audio warnings are triggered.

hail

GR (French, grele): precipitation in the form of compacted ice and snow: hail storms can cause significant structural damage

GNSS

Global Navigation Satellite System: the underlying technology behind the GPS GNSS Landing System, which combines satellite and local data to provide very accurate navigational positioning for landing

GSE

Ground Service Equipment: combination of GPUs, ASUs, tow vehicles, tow-bar etc.

heading

HDG: the angle between the horizontal reference datum (compass north, magnetic north or true north) and the longitudinal axis of the aircraft: turn left heading 230. It is not to be confused with the track which is either 1) the path of the aircraft over the Earth's surface from take-off to touchdown, or 2) the angle between a reference datum and the actual flight path.

haze

HZ: fine dust or vapour causing an unclear, clouded atmosphere

Hz

Herz: a unit of measurement of frequency

HF

High Frequency: the high radio frequencies (3 MHz to 30 MHz). HF radio bands are less used than VHF (30 MHz to 300 MHz) in aeronautical radio communication, but they are not limited by the line-of-sight characteristic of VHF, so may sometimes be convenient at low altitudes.

hirl

High Intensity Runway Lighting. The brightness of runway lighting can be adjusted by the Tower according to the atmospheric conditions and time of day

initial approach fix

IAF: the point from which the initial segment of an ILS approach begins.

instrument approach procedure

IAP: the procedure for a given ILS approach

indicated airspeed

IAS: the relative velocity between the aircraft and the surrounding air: the indicated airspeed is displayed on the airspeed scale of the PFD

in accordance with

IAW: in agreement with, in compliance with, following

glideslope antenna

ILS aerial connected to a transmitter of a radio beam providing vertical flight path guidance

localizer antenna

ILS aerial connected to a transmitter providing directional guidance

Instrument Landing System

ILS: a system which uses radio transmitter signals to guide a aircraft down, typically when visibility is poor. ILS consists of the glideslope (G/S), localizer (LLZ) and Locator (LOC).

inertial navigation system

INS: a system of laser gyros and accelerometers which sense all aircraft movements on all three axes and so calculates the aircraft's present position to a high degree of accuracy

request (v)

In radiotelephony, this means 'I would like to know' or 'I would like to obtain': request departure instructions

ILS

Instrument Landing System: a system which uses radio transmitter signals to guide an aircraft down, typically when visibility is poor. ILS consists of the glideslope (G/S), localizer (LLZ) and Locator (LOC)

imc

Instrument Meteorological Conditions: weather conditions (cloud, fog) which make it impossible to fly visually (VMC) and so which require the crew to use their instruments to fly

landing distance available

LDA: the actual length of runway which can be used for landing and roll-out. This is a key consideration for pilots when considering which alternate airport to choose for a diversion, especially towards the beginning of a flight when the aircraft is heavy with fuel and if, for example, one engine is operating at idle resulting in the thrust reversers being unavailable or only partly available. All these factors will increase the landing distance required with the necessary safety margin and may be compounded by a wet or icy runway surface, which will reduce the braking coefficient and increase the stopping distance. In addition, the LDA may be reduced due to work being carried out on the runway

local time

LT: time used at a given geographical location or in a time zone as opposed to Universal Coordinated Time or GMT

LH

Left Hand; in aviation 'Left Hand' / 'Right Hand' are generally used to avoid confusion with 'right' meaning 'correct' and 'left' meaning 'remaining'.

missed approach point

MAP: last point (altitude and distance from threshold) at which the crew should decide to land or go around

mode Control Panel

MCP: a control panel on the glareshield which, on a Boeing aircraft, fulfils the same function as a Flight Control Unit (FCU) on an Airbus aircraft, i.e. entering altitude, heading, speed, vertical speed (rate of climb / descent) values into the autopilot and autothrust / autothrottle

Minimum Descent Altitude

MDA: the altitude in the terminal area (around the airport) below which no aircraft must descend unless it is on its approach path. In some airports, the MDA will be different in different directions depending on the terrain

shallow mist

MIBR (French, mince brume): a thin layer of mist near the ground, usually in the early morning, above which the aircraft climbs quickly

maximum landing weight

MLW: the weight at which an aircraft can land without risking structural damage

mel

Minimum Equipment List: a list of instruments and equipment on an aircraft which must be serviceable before the aircraft can be dispatched: if they are in doubt, the flight crew refers to the MEL. The MMEL (Master Minimum Equipment List) provides a list of equipment which are allowed to be inoperative under certain conditions when the aircraft is dispatched

MSA

Minimum Safe Altitude: altitude in the terminal area below which aircraft should not descend except on approach

Navigation Display

ND: one of the main pilot instruments which provides compass heading, navigational and weather radar return data; it is located in front of each pilot next to the PFD (Primary Flight Display)

Non-Directional Beacon

NDB: a ground-based beacon with a given Morse identifier used by the pilot in conjunction with the ADF in order to establish his / her position: with the spread of VOR and GPS, NDBs tend to be used less

nose gear

NLG: the wheels, leg, steering system etc. at the front of the aircraft. The taxi and take-off lights are mounted on the nose gear. A safety pin is inserted in the nose gear during turnaround until the tow-bar has been disconnected.

nautical mile

NM: 1,853.18 metres. Compare statute mile, 1,609.34 metres.

notam

Notice to Airmen: document giving information about changes to aeronautical facilities, services, procedures or hazards. NOTAM are available in the form of Pre-Flight Information Bulletins (PIB) using a live database.

overcast

OVC: complete cloud cover, 0.9+ (i.e. over 90%) cloud cover

ops

Operations, flight ops

passenger address

PA: a communication system for the flight and cabin crew to talk to all the passengers or the communication itself

primary surveillance radar

PSR: a radar system which operates independently of the target: unlike Primary Surveillance Radar, SSR (Secondary Surveillance Radar) uses a transponder onboard the aircraft to obtain a return.

PSU

Passenger Service Unit: component located on the lower side of the overhead baggage racks above the passengers' heads and containing oxygen masks, air gasper outlets, 'no smoking, and 'fasten seat belt' signs

PNF

Pilot Not Flying or Pilot Non-Flying: the pilot who is monitoring the PF, entering data, communicating with ATC etc. Captain and First Officer takes these roles in turn.

PAPI

Precision Approach Path Indicator: a series of lights leading to the runway threshold which enable pilots to control their rate of descent visually

Quick Engine Change

QEC: the replacement of an aircraft engine in the field

Quick reference Checklist / Handbook

QRC / QRH: concise document listing actions to be performed in abnormal situations

resolution Advisory

RA: a message delivered by the TCAS instructing the crew to climb or descend. An RA requires the crew to take immediate action. If there is a conflict between an ATC instruction and a TCAS Resolution Advisory, the crew must obey the Resolution Advisory. If the TCAS instructs the crew of one aircraft to descend, and ATC also instructs the non-TCAS equipped aircraft to descend, the TCAS will give the crew a contrary instruction after a few seconds in order to avoid collision.

radio management Panel

RMP: a control panel located on the centre pedestal between the two pilots which allows them to tune to different VHF and HF radio frequencies as well as to various navigation aids. There is an ACTIVE and a STANDY window which enables a new frequency to be pre-tuned and then selected when needed

area navigation

RNAV: area navigation allows pilots to fly on a direct course using, but not actually overflying, ground-based radio aids. RNAV systems can provide distance to waypoints in nautical miles, crosstrack deviation from the selected course, groundspeed in knots and time-to-waypoints: LORAN-C and GPS are forms of area navigation.

rat

Ram Air Turbine: a small electrical generator driven by a propeller, which is lowered into the airstream below the wing to provide essential electrical (and hydraulic) power in the event of multiple engine driven generator failures

RVSM

Reduced Vertical Separation Minima: the reduction of vertical separation from 2,000 to 1,000 feet with aircraft flying in opposite directions every 1,000 feet in order to accommodate more aircraft in the same airspace

RH

Right Hand; 'Right hand' / 'Left hand' are generally used to avoid confusion with 'right' meaning 'correct' and 'left' meaning 'remaining'.

RVR

Runway Visual Range: a value representing the horizontal distance a pilot will see centreline or edge lights or runway markings down the runway from the approach end measured from three points on the runway: threshold, mid point and stop end: R12/1200, i.e. RVR Runway 24 1,200 metres

Antonov

Russian aircraft manufacturer. The Antonov 124 and 225 are currently among the world's largest cargo aircraft; the Antonov 225 has a maximum take-off weight of approximately 600 tonnes

scattered

SCT: showers or clouds which are distributed irregularly: PAEL 182245Z 30010KT 25SM SCT050

statute mile

SM: 1,609.34 metres, land mile. Compare nautical mile (1,853.18 metres).

standard operating procedures

SOP: specific procedures defined by an airline to respond to all contingencies

squall

SQ: a sudden violent wind often with rain or snow

secondary

SSR: an ATC radar system which detects and measures the position of aircraft as well obtaining

standby (adj)

STBY: alternate, backup, redundant or precautionary system, instrument or mode of operation: The Radio Management Panel has ACTIVE and STANDBY windows

amt

See aircraft maintenance technician

glideslope

See glide path.

IAF

See initial approach fix

SID

Standard Instrument Departure, a pre-planned, coded ATC IFR departure routing

System 1

System 1 refers to the fact that nearly all systems are 'duplexed'，i.e. there are two systems operating in parallel. In the case of instrumentation, System 1 usually provides the captain with information and System 2 the first officer.

traffic Advisory

TA: A TCAS message informing the crew of the presence of traffic in their vicinity. A TA does not require crew action. This allows them time to seek the traffic visually and question ATC

TCAS Resolution Advisory

TCAS RA: an automatically-generated warning such as 'descend, descend' requiring immediate crew action

go-around thrust

Take-off / Go-around thrust (TOGA on Airbus); this is the maximum engine power setting

TAF

Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts: TAFs use a similar format and coding to METARs, but provide weather forecast information, rather than current weather reports, for a five-mile radius around a given point

TMA

Terminal Control Area / Terminal Manoeuvring Area: airspace around an airport used for departures and arrivals

far end

The end of a runway at the opposite end from where the aircraft touches down or starts its take-off run

fuselage

The fuselage is the main body of a plane (i.e. excluding the wings, tail, landing gear, etc.).

go ahead (v)

This can mean 1) move forward, or 2) do what you intended to do. It is a dangerously ambiguous phrase and should be avoided in aviation communication.

TCAS

Traffic Collision Avoidance System: TCAS is a communication between aircraft equipped with an appropriate transponder. Each TCAS-equipped aircraft "interrogates" all other aircraft in a determined range about their position, and all other TCAS-equipped aircraft reply to other interrogations. This interrogation-and-response cycle may occur several times per second. Through this constant back-and-forth communication, the TCAS system builds a three dimensional map of aircraft in the airspace, incorporating their bearing, altitude and range. Then, by extrapolating current range and altitude difference to anticipated future values, it determines if a potential collision threat exists.

THS

Trimmable Horizontal Stabilizer: a horizontal surface mounted on the aircraft tail on which the elevators are installed; its angle can be adjusted to minimize drag and optimize aerodynamic efficiency. It is also called a tailplane or empennage.

ULD

Unit Load Device: a pallet or container which can be loaded onto a plane as a single unit

vertical speed mode

V/S: the basic pitch autopilot mode

vor

VHF Omnidirectional Range: a type of ground-based navigation transmitter which sends signals in all directions to enable aircraft to identify their position. The intersection of two VOR radials provides the aircraft's position.

VSI

Vertical Speed Indicator: instrument which displays the vertical speed, or rate of climb or descent, of the aircraft in feet per minute: the PNF using the VSI after to call 'positive rate'.

reference speed

Vref: the speed at which the aircraft should be flying in a given configuration

stand by

Wait and I will call you

worn

Weaker, damaged or thinner because of continual use: The painted taxiwa^y markings appear to be very worn.

wilco

Wilco means 'I understood your message and will comply with it'. Wilco should not be used in reply to a question which requires a direct answer or readback.

Pan-pan, pan-pan, pan-pan"

a 'pan' call indicates an urgency call which concerns the safety of the aircraft, but does not require immediate assistance. It is a lesser degree of urgency than the distress call 'Mayday'.

triple seven

a Boeing 777 wide-body, twin engine, long-range jet airliner

Hercules

a Lockheed C-130, four engine turboprop military transport plane

parameter

a basic definable value or quantity which can be expressed numerically: %, °C, kts, ft, psi, rpm, fpm etc.

primary radar target

a blip (symbol) displayed on controller's radar screen

rupture (n)

a break or failure

surge (n)

a breakdown of airflow resulting from local stall and often accompanied by a muffled bang and an increase in turbine temperature

freight terminal

a building used for the storage and handling of containers, pallets etc. their dispatch to specific aircraft and their loading onto cargo flights. See also cargo terminal.

follow-me car

a car used to guide taxiing aircraft

long way round

a change of heading in which the aircraft turns more than 180°.

pattern

a circuit of procedural turns: traffic pattern, holding pattern

onward clearance

a clearance to pursue the flight after a waypoint or holding action: expect onward clearance at 09

dome light

a cockpit ceiling light

stretcher

a collapsible canvas bed for carrying an injured person: we will need a stretcher to carry off the injured passenger

pax

a common abbreviation for passengers: We have 164 pax on board

no-go item

a component or system on the Minimum Equipment List (MEL) which, if it is unserviceable, prevents the aircraft from being dispatched for a flight

bus control unit

a computer controlling the connection of the electrical busbars

autobrake

a computer-assisted system which controls and monitors landing gear brake applications in order to achieve maximum braking efficiency: the PF selects an autobrake MIN, MED or MAX setting according to the runway conditions.

bypass mode

a condition in which an ILS transmitter circuit is shunted and is not transmitting an operational signal to approaching aircraft

generator overload

a condition which occurs when an excessive amount of electricity is being taken from the generator

radome

a conical protective cover in composite material over the weather radar antenna and forming the nose of the aircraft: the radome was damaged by the lightning strike

warning

a crew alert symbolised by the colour red and requiring immediate crew action. We have an engine fire warning

microburst

a dangerous vertical gust of wind

thud

a deep, dull noise caused by an impact: the cabin crew heard a thud shortly before lift-off; we are wondering whether a tyre had burst

surveillance minimum altitude area

a designated area in the vicinity of an aerodrome, in which the minimum safe levels allocated by a controller vectoring IFR flights with radar equipment have been predetermined

de-icing station

a designated location where aircraft are de-iced in cold weather before departure

ahead of the aircraft

a desirable condition meaning that the flight crew can anticipate what the aircraft will do and what they should plan for in advance: the crew must ahead of the aircraft all times.

eleven o'clock

a direction, not a time (which would be pronounced eleven hundred hours) used to locate objects in space. 12 o'clock means straight ahead, so 11 o'clock means a little to the left.

weight and balance print-out

a document recording distribution of weight and CG (centre of gravity) at take-off; also referred to as the weight and balance sheet

wake turbulence

a downdraught caused by the movement of a large aircraft through the air. For this reason, ATC usually provides additional horizontal separation after the passage of particularly large aircraft; also wake vortex

downdraught / downdraft

a downward movement of air caused by a descending body of cool air

windsock

a fabric sleeve hung from a mast to give a rough indication of the local wind strength / direction

readback error

a failure to correctly repeat all or part of message to verify accuracy

readback/ hearback error

a failure to notice and correct a readback error

hearback error

a failure to notice when one's own error is correctly repeated by the interlocutor

fire extinguishing agent

a fire extinguishing chemical: AGENT 1 discharged

low pass

a flight at low altitude in landing configuration above the aerodrome usually so that the Tower controllers can check whether the landing gear seems correctly extended and locked down

yaw damper

a flight control system which sends inputs to the rudder in order to counter the effects of turbulence and avoid the aircraft oscillating from side to side, which is called Dutch roll. If the yaw damper fails the aircraft may suffer from Dutch roll

relief crew

a flight crew on the ground or on board who replaces a crew at the end of their period of duty

VFR traffic

a flight following Visual Flight Rules, i.e. in this case, making an approach using visual references rather than flying on the instruments (IFR) making an ILS approach

level 160

a flight level, corresponding approximately to a height of 16,000 feet. Flight levels are calculated based on atmospheric pressure read by a barometer at ISA (International Standard Atmosphere), i.e. 1013 hectoPascal, rather than actual distance above the ground or sea.

ferry flight

a flight whose purpose is to reposition an aircraft to another location and not to transport a payload: the crew are making a ferry flight to Casablanca so that there is an aircraft in place to ensure the Casablanca-Paris flight tomorrow

lift dumper

a function of the ground spoilers on the upper surface of the wing during landing to reduce the lift of the wing and improve wheel brake traction, the lift dumper mode of the spoilers is armed before landing

inoperative

a general term meaning that a system or part cannot operate correctly, also inop, unserviceable

slope

a gradient, angle to the horizontal: the aircraft is descending on a 3-degree slope

Short term Conflict Alert

a ground-based safety net intended to assist the controller in preventing collision between aircraft by generating ...an alert of a potential or actual infringement of separation minima

higher

a higher flight level: request higher due icing conditions at this level

horizontal stabilizer

a horizontal part of the empennage at the rear of the plane, which can be trimmed, i.e. deflected to a position in which it produces the least aerodynamic resistance; it is also referred to as the tailplane or THS (trimmable horizontal stabilizer)

damper

a hydraulic shock absorber

aileron power control unit

a hydraulically powered servo-control which moves the ailerons on the outer wings

reluctance

a lack of willingness, often because of fear of embarrassment or simply to save time and effort: The First Officer showed a lot of reluctance to question the Captain's decision

fast landing

a landing made above the usual landing speed of the aircraft either because of adverse wind conditions or because the flaps are not fully extended. This will probably result in a hard landing.

windshear

a large local wind gradient, i.e. sudden changes in wind speed and direction which may cause aircraft to lose airspeed and altitude and are especially dangerous close to the ground during approach and landing

centre pedestal

a large standing panel between the two pilots which contains the thrust / throttle levers, radio and navigation control panels: the RMP is located on the centre pedestal.

air conditioning pack

a large unit comprising an air cycle machine and pre-cooler which regulates bleed air from the engine compressor for use in conditioning the cabin air

late flare

a late flare occurs when the aircraft passes the runway touchdown target area before it is rotated.

foam carpet

a layer of foam put down on the runway by fire tenders to cushion the impact of an aircraft making a wheels-up landing.

slightly(adv)

a little, a small amount: the door is only slightly damaged

trench

a long hole, typically dug in order to lay underground pipes or cables

flameout / flame-out

a loss of combustion in a gas turbine engine

humming

a low buzzing noise

lower level

a lower flight level which the crew wishes to descend to for operational, technical or meteorological reasons

radial

a magnetic bearing from a navigation aid: a fix m^y be the intersection of two VOR radials; proceed to PRL along the 238 degree radial FROM PRL

stabilizer trim runaway

a malfunction which occurs when the Trimmable Horizontal Stabiliser (THS), or tailplane, on the aircraft tail fails to stop at the selected position and continues to deflect up or down

braking action

a measure of likely adhesion of tyres to the runway, braking efficiency, which can be characterised as 'good'，'medium' or 'poor'

braking coefficient

a measurement of braking efficiency based on the friction coefficient of the runway, i.e. if the runway surface is wet or icy, it will be slippery, there will be less friction and the braking coefficient will be low

TCAS Advisory

a message given by the Traffic Collision Avoidance System warning the crew of the presence of another aircraft with which there may be conflict; there are two levels of message: 1) Traffic Advisory (TA), which does not require immediate crew action, and 2) Resolution Advisory (RA) which does, and supersedes any ATC instruction

gantry

a metal framework shaped like a bridge used for de-icing at the airport

sticking mike

a microphone which is blocked in the open position

go-around (n)

a missed approach, discontinuing an approach, pulling up and performing a traffic pattern or circuit: if we are not visual at 250 feet, we will perform a go-around

working memory

a model to describe how we use short-term memory to manipulate information

miss (n)

a near-collision, an airprox: It was a near miss, as separation was reduced to 650 feet vertically and 1,200 metres horizontally.

full-stop landing

a normal landing which ends with the aircraft stopping and exiting the runway rather than doing a training exercise of touch and go

pitch-down movement

a nose-down movement of the aircraft attitude

no show (n)

a passenger who is booked on a flight, but does not check in

marshaller

a person in charge of guiding the aircraft to its stand using hand signals: marshallers often use bats or lighted batons to give signals

runway confusion

a pilot approaching, entering, or landing on the wrong runway

general aviation pilot

a pilot who flies a light aircraft for pleasure and holds a PPL (private pilot's license)

challenge-response call

a pilot-to-pilot exchange which consists of a request for confirmation and a response; in this way, each action and condition is double-checked: 'Climb' - 'Climb set'; '80 knots' - 'Checked'

transient parking

a place for planes to park temporarily

holding point / position

a place indicated by painted ground markings, illuminated signage and (often) stop bars where aircraft stop until they are authorised to enter the runway: taxi holding point Lima 1 Runway 08 via taxiwa^/s Charlie and Hotel

contingency plan

a plan B; a pre-prepared plan to be implemented in case events do not take place as initially planned: we need a contingency plan in case we have to divert

freighter

a plane for carrying heavy freight, such as industrial equipment, raw materials, livestock, food, parcels and goods

access platform

a platform mounted on wheels with steps which allows technicians to gain access to the higher parts of the aircraft

blind spot

a point on a radar screen where information is not displayed or an area outside the aircraft hidden from the pilot by the airframe

waypoint

a point on the journey to the final destination, i.e. a pilot may fly from Warsaw to London by flying first via Berlin and then Amsterdam

item

a point, a piece of information or an action: the checklist consists of six items

take-off point

a position on the runway, beyond which an aircraft is travelling too fast to slow down again safely, and therefore must take off

traffic circuit

a predefined flight movement used either for holding or to prepare an approach

traffic pattern

a predefined flight movement used either for holding or to prepare an approach; a circuit

back course

a procedure when a reverse ILS localizer signal can be used for an approach

surface movement radar

a radar system to monitor aircraft movements on the ground

blade

a radial aerofoil designed to rotate about an axis: the bird ingestion caused some minor damage to the fan and 2nd stage LP compressor blades

fix

a radio beacon that a pilot can use to identify the aircraft's position and direction: VOR/DME fix, initial approach fix (IAF), final approach fix (FAF)

transponder

a radio device which when triggered sends out a pre-coded reply on the same wavelength. ATC allocates Modes A and B four-digit numbers to provide aircraft identification. Mode C gives autoreading from the encoding altimeter

escape slide

a rapid-inflation pneumatic channel to enable passengers and crew to evacuate quickly also referred to as a chute: inflatable escape slides can also be used as life rafts in case of ditching

chute

a rapid-inflation pneumatic channel to enable passengers and crew to evacuate quickly, it is also referred to as an escape slide

slide

a rapid-inflation pneumatic channel to enable passengers and crew to evacuate quickly; also referred to as a chute: one of the slides failed to deploy

log book

a record of all technical incidents and maintenance action carried out on a given aircraft, signed by the crew and technicians and kept on the flight deck; also referred to as the aircraft technical log

technical log

a record of all technical incidents and maintenance action carried out on a given aircraft, signed by the crew and technicians and kept on the flight deck; also referred to as the log book

penalty

a reduction in aircraft or system performance caused by a failure: we have a 20-knot speed penalty due to the engine malfunction

Air Safety report

a report written after an operational incident. Transparent, non-blaming reporting of incidents contributes significantly to improvements in safety and a better understanding of error chains

Please give us five miles behind the heavy

a request by the pilot for a horizontal separation of five miles between himself and the preceding wide-body aircraft in order to avoid the effects of wake

spacing

a safe distance between aircraft. A key role of an ATCO is to maintain spacing at all times. See also separation.

DME arc

a segment of a circle which is flown as a transition from en-route flight to begin an instrument (ILS) approach using a set distance from a DME transmitter

do-list

a series of actions to be performed in the form of a procedure; it may be performed by one crew member, technician or controller. It is often used for routine actions

stop bar

a series of lights indicating whether access to a runway is authorised or not: do not proceed if the stop bar lights are red

runway centreline marking

a series of painted marks showing the runway centreline

axle

a shaft on which one or more landing gear wheels are mounted

scratch (n and v)

a shallow line or incision in the surface of a material; to make a shallow line with a sharp object

runway exit

a short taxiway which allows aircraft to leave a runway

zero deviation signal

a signal which indicates that the aircraft is correctly aligned on the ILS; this should not be confused with no deviation signal, which means that no information is displayed

airprox

a situation in which the distance between aircraft and their relative positions and speed is such that their safety may be threatened. After such an incident a pilot or ATCO can file a report.

runaway (n)

a situation where something increases in an uncontrolled manner or moves out of control: thermal runaway, stabilizer runaway

reporting point

a specific location in relation to which the position of an aircraft should be reported

base turn

a specified outbound track followed by a turn of more than 180° to intercept the inbound track

call-out / callout

a spoken data read-out by a crew member or an automatic synthetic voice: The First Officer made airspeed call-outs during approach

audio warning

a standardised sound (repetitive chime, single stroke chime, clacker, cavalry charge, woofer) which draws the crew's attention to an anomaly: the ENG 1 red fire warning light came on accompanied by the repetitive chime audio warning.

stratiform cloud

a stratified or layered cloud

post-incident analysis

a study conducted after an event: a po^t-incide^t analysis revealed th^t the crew had not performed a full approach briefing

stall

a sudden breakdown of fluid flow around the aerofoil (wing) or in an engine: stall can result in the aircraft losing stability and lift and in engine failure

surge

a sudden irregular flow of fluid, especially in the engine, electrical or hydraulic system, which causes a malfunction; in the case of an engine, this results in an engine stall

stack

a superimposed series of holding patterns at assigned flight levels

Captain probe heat

a system of electrical resistances inside the angle of attack sensor, pitot probe, static port etc. which supply the captain's instruments with attitude, airspeed and altitude data. The heating prevents the probes from being obstructed or seized up by ice

laser gyro

a system which senses rotation by measuring the frequency shift of laser light in a closed circuit

control tower

a tall ATC building with overall visibility of the airport

repair station

a technical facility where certain types of aircraft, engines and equipment can be repaired and maintained

jetway

a telescopic walkway for passengers disembark from and board the aircraft directly to and from the terminal building; also airbridge or jetty

airbridge

a telescopic walkway for passengers to board and disembark from the aircraft directly from and to the terminal building; it is also referred to as a jetway or jetty

jetty

a telescopic walkway for passengers to disembark from and board the aircraft directly to and from the terminal building; also airbridge or jetway

power transient

a temporary electrical surge or impulse, causing a sudden peak of variables and very short power cuts, especially at power up

satellite

a terminal building at an airport, attached to a larger terminal, which is located to bring passengers nearer to the gates

bomb warning

a threat of a bomb on board or on the ground; a bomb scare. Even bomb scares which do not seem credible have to be taken seriously and the aircraft must divert and land as soon as possible.

holding pattern identifier

a three-letter code identifying the location of a particular hold or holding pattern by the beacon it refers to: LAM is the holding pattern identifier for Lambourne to the east of London Heathrow.

tractor

a towing vehicle, used especially during pushback, i.e. moving a plane backwards from the stand. It is also referred to as a tug or tow vehicle

tug

a towing vehicle, used especially during pushback. It is also referred to as a tractor or tow vehicle: We are waiting for the tug to arrive so that we can push back

magnetic track

a track / course using the Earth's magnetic field. Given the fluctuations in magnetic field in the polar regions, magnetic navigation cannot be used here

tight circuit

a traffic pattern turn with a short radius

touch and go (n)

a training exercise by which pilots practise approaches, touch down on the runway, but do not roll out and stop; also referred to as circuits and bumps

circuits and bumps

a training exercise by which pilots practise approaches, touch down on the runway, but do not roll out and stop; also referred to as touch and go

handoff (n)

a transfer of a flight from one controller or area to another: also handover

handover(n)

a transfer of a flight from one controller or area to another; also a verb, to hand over (v). See also handoff.

blocked transmission

a transmission that fails to get through, typically because of a technical fault

squawk (n and v)

a transponder identifier code which enables an ATC to identify each aircraft on radar screens. "Squawk 6422" means "select transmission code 6422". Pilots may sometimes use the expression 'Squawking 6422'，with squawk as a verb in the present continuous.

ATR

a twin-engine turboprop regional transport manufactured by a consortium of Alenia Aeronautica and EADS. There are two versions: the ATR 42 and larger ATR 72.

radar surveillance approach

a type of radar instrument approach provided by ATC; only an operational radio transmitter and receiver are required. The radar controller vectors the aircraft to align it with the runway centreline

nose-in

a type of stand directly in contact with the airport passenger terminal; parking or docking is usually assisted by an automatic system

blow-out (n)

a tyre burst: The blow-out left some rubber debris 600 metres from the threshold of Runway 17 Left.

deflated

a tyre, escape slide or other inflatable device which is missing air / gas or empty: Will you change one of our RH main gear tyres; it looks a nttle deflated.

crossfeed valve

a valve which allows fuel to be transferred from one wing to another

trim fuel valve

a valve which allows fuel to flow from the trim tank to the main fuel tanks in the wings and wing centre box (between the wings)

crossbleed valve

a valve which is part of the pneumatic system and allows hot 'bleed' air taken from each engine compressor for air conditioning purposes etc. to be transferred from one side of the aircraft to the other

outflow valve

a valve which regulates cabin pressure by controlling the amount of air which is allowed to flow out of the cabin. They are large door-type valves which are quite visible on the outside of the fuselage

flow control valve

a valve which regulates fuel supply to the engines and APU

tow vehicle

a vehicle used especially during pushback to move an aircraft backwards from the stand or to pull it to another location at the airport. It is also referred to as a tug or tractor

report (n)

a verbal or written account of an incident: Pilots and controllers file reports on a^y airprox they encounter

seepage

a very slow fluid leak

Saint Elmo's fire

a visible discharge on blades, windshields, etc. caused by the build-up of electrical potential

INS warning

a warning about a malfunction in the Inertial Navigation System, i.e. the main system using gyros and geographical coordinates to calculate the aircraft's precise position

interpretation

a way of understanding something: people's interpretation of di^ere^t cultural behaviour varies

METAR

a weather report from an airport or weather station often used by pilots as a print-out during the preflight briefing. It can be obtained for any location in the world and is usually updated hourly

headwind

a wind blowing in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the aircraft. Its opposite is tailwind.

crosswind

a wind blowing in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the aircraft

tailwind

a wind blowing in the same direction as the direction of travel of the aircraft. Its opposite is headwind.

missing

absent, not present, lost: the pitot covers are missing. In the case of radio communication, it can mean 'not transmitted or heard'： part of the transm/ss/on was missing

build-up

accumulation, accretion, growth

prevention

action to stop or avoid something: accident prevention has developed greatly over the past few years and has resulted in improved safety statistics

stopway

additional paved area beyond the normal end of the runway to allow for aircraft overrunning in an emergency

unruly

aggressive, belligerent, badly behaved: we have a group of unruly football fans on board

belligerent

aggressive, rude, provocative, violent: the cabin crew are dealing with some very belligerent football fans who are abusing the other passengers

probes

air data probes: pitot probe, static port, angle of attack sensor, temperature sensors. There are three sets of probes: one usually connected to the captain's instruments, one to the first officer's and a standby set which can be used if either of the others fails or for crosschecking

sequencing

air traffic controller's action placing aircraft in order with a safe separation during approach

traffic

aircraft in movement

line maintenance

aircraft maintenance performed at the flight line or ramp between two flights

Dutch roll

aircraft oscillating from side to side: our Yaw Damper system is inoperative and we are experiencing some Dutch roll

red cap

airport agent who provides the weight and balance sheet which must be checked and signed by the captain. The weight and balance sheet contains updated information about the aircraft payload (passengers, baggage, cargo and fuel) and its location. This allows the aircraft's centre of gravity,which must be within certain limits for safe take-off and flight, to be calculated.

ground handler

airport agent who usually installs and removes wheel chocks and supervises the push-back of the aircraft with a tractor / tow vehicle / tug

no-entry sign

airport sign which indicates that a taxiway etc. is closed or unserviceable. A no-entry sign is a white rectangle on a red circular background.

outbound destination sign

airport sign which indicates the direction to common taxi routes

taxi location sign

airport sign which indicates the taxiway that an aircraft is currently on

ground handling personnel

airport staff including the dispatcher, the loadmaster, baggage handlers, mechanics or engineers, the tug driver, caterers, water servicing staff, waste water staff, refuelling agent, cleaners etc.

ditching

alighting on water in an emergency: the successful ditching in the Hudson River of US Air 1549 has become famous in aviation history

anti-ice / anti-icing

all the pneumatic systems which prevent the accumulation of ice on the wing leading edges and engine air intakes: wing anti-ice, engine anti-ice

slot time

allocated take-off times for flights: we mu^t push back in the next 5 minutes or we will miss our slot time

Citation

an American twin engine business jet

outer marker

an ILS marker beacon usually on the runway centreline, often coinciding with the final approach fix, approximately 4 to 7 miles from the runway threshold

aft

an adjective referring to the back part of a plane. Rear is also used with the same meaning. It contrasts with forward. The words before and after are only used to talk about time relationships

A.C. bus

an aircraft electrical power distribution point for alternating current to which several power circuits are connected

fuel manifold

an aircraft fuel distribution line to which a nozzle is attached

traffic on the roll

an aircraft is moving on the runway

stick shaker

an aircraft stall warning system which when triggered by the angle of attack sensor causes the stick or control column to vibrate so that the pilot gives a nose-down order

turboprop

an aircraft with propellers which are driven by a gas turbine (ATR 72, Dash 8, Fokker 50, Saab 2000, C-135, A400M)

alternate (n)

an airport along or near the scheduled route to which the aircraft can divert and where it can land in case of an incident during the flight

runway exit sign

an airport sign which indicates an approaching taxiway to vacate a runway

controlled airspace

an airspace of defined dimensions within which air traffic control service is provided to controlled flights. It is divided into different classes according to altitude

radio altitude

an altitude above the ground displayed by the radio altimeter during the last 2,500 feet of the approach

avoiding action

an announcement by the controller to alert the crews that they must modify their flightpath to avoid coming into conflict with other traffic

precautionary landing

an anticipated landing decided on by the crew in order to manage an abnormal situation (technical failure, illness etc.) but which is not an emergency: due to the failure of engine 1, we have decided to return to Bogota and make a precautionary landing

high-speed approach

an approach at a higher than normal airspeed using a flaps-up (clean) aircraft configuration for longer in the early stages in order to expedite arrival

surveillance radar approach

an approach guided by primary radar determining position, track and (with secondary surveillance radar) the identity of an aircraft

visual approach

an approach to a given runway where the pilot relies on visual references such as VASI (Visual Approach Slope Indicator), PAPI (Precision Approach Path Indicator) and topography rather than using the Instrument Landing System

VOR-DME approach

an approach using a combination of two types of navaid: VHF Omnidirectional Range and Distance Measuring Equipment

long straight-in approach

an approach which does not involve a turn and during which the crew has time to stabilise

manoeuvring surface

an area where aircraft move on the ground and which should be clear of all obstacles and other vehicles

ILS critical area

an area which an ATCO may instruct an aircraft to hold short of in order to avoid interference with an ILS signal

updraught

an ascending current of air

risk factor

an aspect which can be a source of danger or threat: Poor visibility, crew fatigue, failure to follow SOPs are all potential risk factors during approach and landing

QNH

an atmospheric pressure altitude setting with reference to mean sea level within a certain defined region; also referred to as 'Q' in METAR: Q0994, Q1023

autoland

an autopilot function which enables the aircraft to be landed automatically. ILS installations now often support fully automatic "hands-off" autoland approaches to below 50 feet above the runway threshold in visibility, or Runway Visual Ranges (RVR) as low as 200 metres or less

static discharger

an electrical conductor on the outer trailing edges of the wings and stabilizers designed to discharge static electricity which accumulates in the aircraft during the flight or as the result of a lightning strike; also referred to as a wick

drive motor

an electrical motor which moves containers etc. into position

circuit breaker

an electrical protecting safety device which opens a circuit in case of an excessive flow of current. Most circuit breakers are located on the cockpit overhead panel and rear cockpit bulkhead.

pack controller

an electronic device which regulates airflow and temperature within the air conditioning pack / air cycle machine, which adjusts the temperature of hot engine compressor bleed air for use in the aircraft

indication problem

an erroneous or spurious indication is being given when there is not necessarily anything wrong with the system itself

buttoned up

an example of aviation jargon, meaning doors and panels closed. It is unacceptable aviation English.

fire extinguisher squib

an explosive cartridge which discharges a fire extinguisher and releases the fire extinguishing agent; also referred to as a cartridge

walkaround inspection

an external check of the aircraft made by the first officer at the stand between two flights; he makes sure that there is no apparent damage

step-down fix

an identified point permitting descent in a segment of an ILS approach once an obstacle has been overflown

approach gate

an imaginary point used as a basis for vectoring the aircraft to the final approach course. The gate will be established along the final approach course 1 mile from the final approach fix on the side away from the airport and will be no closer than 5 miles from the landing threshold

hypoxia

an inadequate amount of oxygen being supplied to the brain, for example at high altitude in the event of cabin depressurisation. In the case of rapid decompression at 40,000 feet the resulting hypoxia will mean that the time of useful consciousness will be about 20 seconds; it is therefore essential to don oxygen masks and initiate an emergency descent immediately.

short circuit

an inadvertent electrical connection which can cause an electrical failure, a circuit breaker to open or an electrical fire

sign

an indication mounted vertically on a signpost and illuminated at night

failure

an inoperative state or the process of becoming inoperative: a temperature sensor failure; 2) an omission or the inability to perform an action: there was a failure by the crew to use the Standard Operating Procedures

report vacating / vacated

an instruction from ATC requesting the crew to report that they are leaving or exiting a runway or parking stand

join downwind runway 21

an instruction to make an approach to Runway 21 facing the wind

readback

an instruction to make the interlocutor acknowledge specific instructions or information: The readback was both incomplete and given with the wrong stop altitude; the ATCO had corrected the omission but missed the stop altitude error

straight-in

an instrument approach in which the final approach is begun without a prior procedure turn. In VFR, straight-in means the entry of a traffic pattern by interception of the extended runway centreline without executing any portion of a traffic pattern.

non-precision approach

an instrument approach which uses horizontal guidance (Localizer, DME, VOR, NDB etc.), but not vertical guidance (glideslope)

overhead panel

an instrument panel above the pilots' heads in the cockpit which contains most of the system control panels on aircraft with a two-man crew

broken up

an interrupted transmission

altitude restriction

an obligation for the crew to not fly above or below a certain altitude at a given point or in a given area

anomaly

an unusual, incorrect or abnormal event: we experienced an oil pressure indication anomaly on Engine Number 3.

bank (n)

angle at which the aircraft is inclined about its longitudinal axis: bank angle, turn and bank indicator

high-speed exit

angled taxiway allowing aircraft to vacate runway without decelerating completely

Advanced Visual Docking Guidance System

another term for the Nose-in Guidance System or PAPA (Parallel Aircraft Parking Aid). Different technologies are used, but basically they all use a system of lights to guide the crew to the correct position for their aircraft type

field

another term for the aerodrome or airport; airfield is also used

airframe

another word for the aircraft structure or fuselage and wings; hull is also used

yoke

another word for the control wheel which controls the ailerons on a conventional aircraft

aerodrome

any place from which aircraft flight operations take place

terrain

any rising ground, north, south, east or west. Its height and direction are important. Terrain determines the value of the Minimum Safe Altitude (MSA) or Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA) in the aerodrome area.

emergency

any unplanned, threatening situation which requires immediate action

suitable

appropriate, convenient: we need to divert to a suitable a^tern^te

touchdown zone

area after threshold where aircraft usually touch down initially on landing

ramp

area around the terminal buildings where aircraft are parked and serviced. Also apron.

touchdown aim point / target

area on runway materialised by white paint on which pilot intends to land

asap

as soon as possible: immediately, very quickly

timely

at the right time: the controller made a timely decision and instructed the aircraft to climb immediately

chime

audio warning: single-stroke chime, repetitive chime

joining clearance

authorisation to join a circuit prior to approach and landing

trim tank

auxiliary fuel tank in the tail. Some long-range aircraft have fuel tanks in the horizontal stabilizer; the weight of this fuel is used to regulate the aircraft's centre of gravity (C.G.)

severely (adv)

badly, considerably, seriously: the lower wing surface was severely damaged by the burst tyre

belt conveyor

baggage loader with rotating rubber belt used to load the bulk cargo compartment, hold 5

tow-bar

bar connecting the aircraft nose gear to a tow vehicle for pushback and towing

fire station

base for fire service and their fire-fighting equipment

BECMG

becoming (METAR): BECMG 0812/0815 21015KT PROB30

below minima / minimums

being below the limits of vertical and horizontal visibility for which the airport, aircraft and crew are certificated

compliance

being in agreement or in accordance with: each operator shall demonstrate compliance with the requirements

unconsciousness

being without awareness

stuck

blocked in one position, unable to move: the microphone selector is ^tuck

jammed

blocked in position, especially used about the flaps, slats and servocontrols: the trailing edge flaps seem to be jammed in the 15-degree position

concussion

blow to the head: one of the passengers was in the aisle when we encountered the turbulence and is suffering from concussion.

explosive device

bomb

glare

bright reflected or refracted light

resuscitation

bringing someone back to consciousness

passenger terminal

building for passenger check-in, security, immigration, etc.

cargo terminal

building used for storage and handling of containers, pallets etc. See also freight terminal.

passenger coach

bus for transporting passengers to and from aircraft

congested

busy, blocked: there are several additional diverted flights and the apron is very congested

erroneously

by mistake, by error: '1023' was entered erroneously instead of 1013' when the altimeter was set

measured

calm, controlled, regular: RT delivery should be clear, concise and measured

flight crew

captain, first officer, and occasionally flight engineer working as a team

bulk cargo

cargo which is not placed in a container, but loaded into hold 5 and maintained in position by nets

en-route charts

charts providing detailed information for IFR flight in upper airspace: navaids, tracks, navigational fixes, waypoints, sectors, standard airways, airport locations, minimum altitudes etc.

fumes

chemical or industrial gases

enunciation

clear pronunciation of sounds to maximise understanding: a simple wa^y to improve enunciation is to exaggerate normal mouth movements

level change

climbing or descending

cumuliform cloud

cloud formation made of a large aggregate or mass of cloud

smooth tops

cloud tops with no irregularities

sterile cockpit

cockpit environment in which there are no audio or visual distractions from the piloting tasks: a sterile cockpit is one of the prerequisites of a safe working environment

glareshield

cockpit panel above the main instrument panels and below the windshield which protects the instruments from reflection and on which the automatic flight control panel is located

flight deck

compartment from which the crew fly the aircraft; cockpit, flight compartment, control cabin

thoroughly

completely, rigorously, methodically

autothrust

computerised system which provides the engines with orders: The autothrust was disconnected by the PF to prevent another overspeed conditon

Cat III conditions

conditions when visibility is very poor and aircraft require ILS automation for (take-off and) landing operations: when shooting a CAT II or III approach the PF must make callout of CAT 3 dual (or single)7 or CAT 2' based on FMA information.

union

connector or fitting which attaches one piece of piping to another

outer taxiway

continuous taxiway between apron and inner taxiways and runways allowing aircraft to circumnavigate (taxi around) the terminals for easier access

negative

contradicts a previous statement by the other speaker; no; permission not granted; this is not correct; not capable: 'Are you going around?' 'Negative'

split sector

controlled airspace divided vertically (by flight level) or horizontally to accommodate high traffic, preferably using different radio frequencies

under control

controlled, not out of hand: Following the engine flame-out, the captain announced that the situation was under control

human remains

corpse, dead body transported in a coffin

intersection

crossing of taxiways, runways or taxiways and runways

critical

crucial, decisive, essential. This word often refers to the turning point in a series of events: effective monitoring and communication are especially critical for safety during approach; safety-critical

CB

cumulonimbus cloud formation

wear (n)

damage from being used regularly, as in clothes, paint, mechanical parts etc. that gradually deteriorate as they get older: There is a lot of wear on the wingtips

cracked

damaged with small fissures: the outer pane of the l^^ hand windshield appears to be slightly cracked

hazardous

dangerous, representing a threat, a danger or a risk: the ramp area is hazardous during turnaround and staff wear high-visibility vests

obscuration

decreased visibility caused by fog, smoke, sandstorm etc.

sector

defined area of airspace controlled by specific controllers

contaminated

degraded by the presence of another substance: runways can be contaminated by snow, ice or standing water; fuel is sometimes contaminated with water or oil.

outgoing flight

departing flight

over-reliance

depending on somebody or something too much, which creates dangers when that person or thing is unavailable or wrong

task sharing

dividing the workload between crew or team members in a systematic and integrated way

weight and balance sheet

document recording and allowing the checking of the aircraft weight, load distribution and centre of gravity

emergency exit

door or hatch fitted with an escape slide to allow the aircraft to be evacuated in 90 seconds in the event of an emergency: the passengers on USAir Flight 1549 used mainly the overwing emergency exits to evacuate the aircraft after the ditching

elevation

elev: vertical distance above sea level: airfield elevation

catering truck

elevator truck for delivering meal trays, drinks, newspapers etc

reverse thrust

engine thrust whose direction is changed during the landing roll-out by a translating cowl, doors or buckets in order to reduce aircraft speed and assist the wheel braking

forecast

estimation of future weather

evacuation

exiting the aircraft in an emergency, often via the emergency escape slides

oblique exit / turn-off

exits designed to facilitate aircraft vacating the runway at speed, hence the term 'high-speed turnoff'， and performing a rolling start for take-off

angled exit / turn-off

exits designed to facilitate aircraft vacating the runway at speed, hence the term high-speed turnoff, and performing a rolling start for take-off

finger

extension from main terminal building extending into the apron and containing gates: Terminal 3 has six fingers and forty eight gates

outer windshield panel

external layer of a windshield; aircraft windshields comprise up to five separate layers, incorporate gold heating filaments and may weigh up to 80kg.

breakdown

failure, disintegration, collapse: Radio malfunction and inadequate language proficiency can both result in a breakdown in communication.

fpm

feet per minute: unit of measurement of rate of climb and descent: the aircraft is descending ^t 1,200 fpm

paperwork

filling in forms, records, documents, reports etc.

torching

flames coming from the engine exhaust duct due to the presence of fuel which has not been burnt

meal tray

flat support containing food: catering delivered 139 standard and 21 vegetarian meal trays

pallet

flat wooden trays transporting goods

outbound track

flight away from a navaid fix

cabin attendant

flight crew member in charge of looking after the safety and comfort of the passengers

converging

flight paths which are heading towards each other

on runway heading

flying on a heading which is an extension of the runway centreline

bound for

flying to: Air India 389 is bound for Dubai

crabbing

flying with drift due to crosswind

strength

force, volume or loudness of a radio transmission: signal strength varied during the storms

fod

foreign object damage: damage to the aircraft from stray objects on the ground or birds in flight

feet per minute

fpm: a unit of measurement for rate of climb or descent: we are descending a^ 1,500 feet per minute

smoke

fumes caused by combustion. Both smoke and fire remain number one hazards on board the aircraft. Response time is critical. The crew's priority is to land as soon as possible while trying to contain and extinguish the fire. The flight crew will be working under a lot of stress. Communication will be less clear as they crew will be wearing masks. It will be necessary to make an emergency evacuation using the escape slides as soon as the aircraft is on the ground.

molten

fused or melted: molten plastic and metal were found at the scene of the fire.

step climb (n)

gaining altitude by a series of steps, i.e. periods of level flight, between phases of climbing

cleared

given permission: cleared ILS approach Runway 03L

drift (n)

gradual lateral movement off course usually caused by a crosswind

progressive taxi instructions

gradual or step-by-step instructions for taxiing: progressive taxi instructions are recommended when taxiing is complex

flock

group of birds: a flock of seagulls has been reported near the threshold of Runway 19L.

gusty

gusty conditions are when the wind speed changes suddenly

backtrack (v)

having landed on the runway in use, to turn 180° and proceed along the runway in the opposite direction or having entered the runway lower down, to taxi to the end of the runway and turn 180° in order to have a longer take-off run: backtrack Runway 27R

unambiguous

having only one possible meaning. If a word or sentence is ambiguous, it may be interpreted in several ways

radar vectors

heading, altitude and airspeed instructions given by ATC using secondary surveillance radar: radar vectors are given to arriving flights to enable them to intercept an approach aid

jet streams

high altitude, fast-moving currents of air

unlawful interference

hijackers or terrorists attempting to take control of or threaten the safety of the aircraft. There is a specific code (7500) to alert the ground of any attempted hijacking as the flight crew may not be able or wish to communicate orally. There may be unexplained and unscheduled changes to the aircraft's course if the crew is threatened and is complying with the hijacker(s). Threatened in this way, the crew may not reply, or may not reply normally, to ATC and may not follow ATC instructions

stabilizer

horizontal and vertical surfaces mounted on the aircraft tail, also called the empennage.

bleed air

hot air taken from the engine compressor for air conditioning, anti-icing, hydraulic reservoir pressurisation etc.

injury

hurt done to a person's body: cuts, bruises, fractures, concussion, bleeding are all forms of injury

supply line

hydraulic, fuel or pneumatic piping or electrical wiring which gives a source of energy

de-icing

ice removal performed by the airport services in cold weather either by aircraft passing under a gantry or by special tankers with hydraulic platforms which spray de-icing fluid onto the wings, flight control surfaces, empennage and fuselage.

callsign

identification used to contact each flight for example Qantas 358

risk management

identification, assessment and prioritization of risks followed by coordinated use of resources to minimize them

Information Kilo, lima, mike etc.

identifies a specific ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service) broadcast in a series A, B, C, D etc. giving up-to-date information about conditions at the airport

overhead

immediately above; we are overhead the field

bird strike

impact by a bird. Birds can hit the aircraft at different points. Effects will depend on the location of the impact and the size and number of the birds (See Units 5 and 6). The ingestion of large birds may cause engine stall or failure. Although windshields are tested for bird strikes, large birds can crack or break windshields impairing vision and affecting cabin pressurisation. The crew will need to make a precautionary landing.

downwind

in a direction away from the source of the wind, 180° from the landing direction: the pilot is ftying the downwind leg and is about to make the base turn

rushed

in a hurry, in haste, too fast to do things properly: rushed decisions and actions often lead to errors and inattention

straight ahead

in a straight line, often on the extended runway centreline: climb straight ahead

on time

in accordance with the schedule, not late or early, on schedule: the flight arrived on time

degraded mode

in degraded mode means operating at a reduced capacity or in a mode with fewer capabilities

P

in excess of , greater than the highest reportable sensor in a TAF: FM191600 24012KT P6SM SKC, i.e. in excess of 6 statute miles

ahead

in front of the aircraft: there is traffic ahead ^t 10 o'clock.

established in cruise

in level flight at its maximum or cruise altitude, which is typically between 35,000 and 41,000 feet

northerly

in or from the north: they are flying a northerly route

opposite

in the contrary direction or location: there is traffic in the opposite direction 2,000 feet above

updated

in the most recent version: make sure that the charts you use have been updated

no deviation signal

in this case (NZ 60) no information is displayed; this should not be confused with zero deviation signal, which means that there is a signal which shows the aircraft to be correctly aligned

final

inbound to the active runway; typically 4 miles from touchdown

in.Hg

inches of mercury: unit of measurement of barometric pressure in the United States. 1 in.Hg = 3.386 hPa. See also hectoPascal.

abeam the runway

indicating that the runway is to the side of the aircraft, at a bearing of approximately 90° or 270° relative to the aircraft, i.e. to the right or the left

marking

indication painted horizontally onto the runway or taxiway: holding points are identified by continuous and broken yellow markings

advisory

information displayed to the crew which does not require immediate action or informational documents issued by the regulator or the manufacturer

radio operator

initially, aircraft were flown by a five-man crew: captain, first officer, flight engineer, radio operator (whose language skills were often better than those of the rest of the crew) and navigator. With the advances of navigational technology and aircraft system automation, these five-man crews have gradually been reduced to the two pilots on modern aircraft.

within

inside defined limits or boundaries: within controlled airspace, within the aircrafts flight envelope

approach charts

instrument approach charts show holding procedures, instrument approach procedures and missed approach procedures. In addition to the plan and profile views of various instrument procedures, the charts provide a wealth of other information: obstacle location and clearance height (OCH); ground speeds versus rates of descent; VOR-DME, LOC, G/S, IAF identifiers and frequencies; transition altitudes and levels; airfield elevation in feet and metres; Tower, Approach, Ground and ATIS radio frequencies; the location of outer, middle and inner markers, fixes and missed approach point; ILS minima; minimum safe /descent altitudes; final approach course; decision height / altitude; threshold crossing heights (TCH); missed approach procedure etc.

ice patches

intermittent ice cover on the ground

hot spot

intersection indicated on an aerodrome chart where the risk of collisions and incursions is high

vectoring US approach

involves the controller using radar to instruct the pilot about the headings and altitudes to fly to capture the ILS glidepath.

say again

is used when a transmission has not been heard or understood or the listener is not sure of the content; 'Isay again' announces a repetition or a rephrasing

vectoring

issuing headings to aircraft to provide navigation guidance

perishable goods

items such as fresh food which must be kept under specific conditions to protect them from spoiling too soon

surveillance radar

its identity and altitude by means of a transponder onboard the aircraft: Mode S is a Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) with a selective interrogation of aircraft and a unique 24-bit worldwide address which removes the risk of confusion due to overlapping signals.

ride (n)

jargon for flight: we are having a smooth ride

intercept (n)

joining a path, trajectory or navigation beam: fly the DME arc to intercept the ILS

wide body

large transport aircraft with two cabin aisles such as the B747, B767, B777, A330, A340, A380

non-emergency evacuation

leaving the aircraft as a precautionary measure while the aircraft is not at its parking stand

throttles

levers on the centre pedestal which control engine thrust

wheelchair

light chair with wheels for invalids

servicing

light maintenance and replenishment (fuel, water, waste, catering) during turnaround

runway centreline lighting

lighting along the longitudinal axis of runway

blast fence

long barrier which diverts efflux behind parked or taxiing aircraft: blast fences are often installed between the aircraft stands and the terminal buildings

pier

long corridor connecting airport terminal with gates

long haul

long distance or long range: 4-engine and ETOPS aircraft are operated on long haul flights

prolonged

long, over a long period of time: we were in radio silence for prolonged periods

drift-down (n)

losing height gradually

disorientation

loss of a sense of one's position in space: spatial disorientation may be caused by whiteout

cabin depressurisation

loss of cabin pressurisation and an increase in cabin altitude; the cabin altitude, normally maintained at between 6,000 and 8,600 feet, increases and at 14,000 feet cabin altitude the passenger oxygen masks are automatically deployed in the cabin. Cabin depressurisation is a perfectly manageable failure, but will result in the passenger oxygen masks dropping, an unscheduled descent, poor communication as the crew will be wearing their oxygen masks and possibly injuries (concussion, broken ribs, bruises, cuts) among the passengers and cabin crew who did not have their seat belts fastened.

power cut

loss of electrical power supply: a series of power c^ts has ^^ected the continuity of the radar

LP

low pressure. N1 is the parameter of the LP compressor rotation speed expressed as a percentage

sill

lower part of the doorway: the door sill scuff plate was slightly damaged by the catering truck

flight idle

lowest engine power setting and r.p.m at which the engine can safely operate in flight: the engine should go from flight idle to take-off power in 6 seconds for a missed approach

flow management

making the best use of airspace capacity to meet the demands of the traffic at any given time. It may result in aircraft being delayed, holding or being re-routed by ATC: The Eurocontrol Central Flow Management Unit protects controllers from overload by making sure that only a manageable number of aircraft are flying at one time.

hydraulic problems

malfunctions or failures (leaks, loss of pressure, filter clogging, pump failure etc.) on a hydraulic system. Several aircraft systems depend on hydraulic power: flight controls, landing gear, brakes, thrust reversers. However, most commercial aircraft have triplexed hydraulic systems, i.e. three separate hydraulic systems, at least two of which supply each hydraulically driven component. However, the complete loss of a system can cause the secondary flight controls (flaps, slats) to be downgraded and also affect aircraft braking. If the flaps are not fully extended, the aircraft will land faster and so will require a longer stopping distance. If there is not full braking capability, braking will be less effective and again the stopping distance will be increased.

chart

map used for navigation: arrival chart

first aid kit

materials used to administer basic medical attention: a first aid kit is stowed in the overhead rack

medium haul

medium range flight: medium haul flights usually last from between three to five hours

coast guards

members of a state service in charge of protecting territorial

sensory memory

memory of visual, auditory or tactile (touch) impressions

at time

mentioned prior to a given time to avoid confusion with any other value: request descent at time 45

drainage grate

metal grills on ground to evacuate rain water

met office

meteorological office: an organisation gathering and distributing updated weather reports and forecasts: the met office has announced the likelihood of electric storms in the vicinity of Adis Ababa

Met / met

meteorology / meteorological, relating to the weather: met office, met report

light chop

mild turbulence

fighter

military combat aircraft: the Sukhoi Su-27, the F-15 and the Dassault Rafale are all j^t fighters

airstairs

mobile stairs used at outlying stands for passengers to board and disembark

passenger steps

mobile stairs used for boarding and disembarking at outlying stands

precipitation

moisture released from the atmosphere and falling as rain, snow, hail etc.

advise (v)

most often used in aviation in the sense of to inform or to tell, rather than to recommend: advise intentions

diverging

moving or heading in two different directions

push-back

moving the aircraft back away from its parking stand so that the crew can start the engines and taxi: request push-back - push-back approved

eastbound

moving towards the east: ea^tbound flights from Beijing to Tokyo

westbound

moving towards the west: westbound air traffic from London to New York

mean sea level

msl: the average height of the sea surface

nosig

no significant change for the next two hours in a METAR

loose

not correctly attached or secured, detached, unfastened: there are loose pieces of plastic blowing around the apron - one of the pallets is loose.

out of phase

not following, in harmony or aligned with something else

inadequate

not good enough, not of a sufficient quantity: there was inadequate warning of the trench being dug along the side of the taxiwa^y

unaware

not knowing, not realizing: The cockpit crew were unaware of the situation in the cabin

radio silence

not using the frequency in the event of another aircraft being in an emergency. Silence is twofold: first, it means instructing other aircraft and controllers on the frequency to maintain radio silence, if necessary, ('Stop transmitting') so that the frequency is fully available for the aircraft in distress; secondly, it is keeping the controller's transmissions to a minimum so as not to disturb the flight crew.

mandatory

obligatory, compulsory, regulatory; something which you must do: the CAAs requirements are mandatory

flaps-up landing

occurs when the crew is not able to extend the high-lift flaps. This results in the minimum speed of the aircraft being higher and so the aircraft landing at a higher speed and probably requiring a longer stopping distance

heads-down

of a crew member who is focused on the flight instruments rather than looking outside the aircraft

intermittent

of a phenomenon which appears and disappears: we have had intermittent signal loss, but it seems to be operating normally now

poor

of bad quality, insufficient: poor visibility, poor braking action

dim

of light with low intensity: the dials and displays are easier to see if the ambient lighting is dim

on board

on the aircraft: we have 358 passengers on board (POB)

en route

on the way, in flight between two points: we are ^t FL 310 en route to Punta Arenas

contributing factor

one of several factors that lead to an event: A lack of English language proficiency was a contributing factor in several high-profile accidents

green system

one of the three hydraulic systems (green, blue, yellow) on Airbus aircraft. Boeing identify their hydraulic systems numerically

DME1

one of the two Distance Measuring Equipment systems which measure the time signals transmitted from the aircraft take to reach a ground station and return to the aircraft. This is converted into distances in nautical miles and is one means of calculating the aircraft's position

idling

operating an engine at its minimum smooth rotating speed

engine run-up

operating the engine on the ground over its full power range for testing purposes after an engine change or repair

taxiway ending marking

painted markings consisting of striped lines on the far end of an intersection indicating the end of a taxiway

runway holding point / position marking

painted markings of continuous and broken yellow lines which indicate where aircraft must hold until cleared onto a runway

outlying stand

parking position which is not directly connected to terminal; remote stand

remote stand

parking position which is not directly connected to the terminal; outlying stand

gate

parking stand directly connected to the airport terminal by an airbridge: we are pushing back from G^te 36; will you have an ambulance standing by at the gate?

seal

part of a union which prevents fluid leaking out

cowl panel

part of the engine cowling, the fairing which surrounds and protects the engine and provides an optimum aerodynamic profile

metal debris

parts which may become detached from aircraft during take-off and landing; they can have devastating effects as was shown by the Air France Concorde accident at Charles de Gaulle

via

passing by or through: taxi to holding position via November and Lima

taxiway

paved way for aircraft to move to and from the terminals and different parts of the airport

VOR calibration

periodic checking and resetting of VOR transmitters

ramp supervisor

person in charge of a team of handlers loading and unloading cargo and baggage in case of any special cargo. Baggage loading devices are one of the main causes of damage to the aircraft during turnaround.

loadmaster

person in charge of a team of handlers loading and unloading cargo and baggage. Baggage loading devices are one of the main causes of damage to the aircraft during turnaround

confirm

phraseology for 'I request clarification or verification': confirm runway vacated

contact(v)

phraseology for establish communications with: contact Tower 118.75

Direct madras

phraseology for flying directly to Madras or towards the Madras beacon without passing via another waypoint

delaying action

phraseology for holding or orbiting to slow down the progress of a flight: Air China 473, delaying action: turn left heading 150

copy (v)

phraseology for to hear and understand

correction

phraseology which indicates that an error has been made by the person making the transmission and that correct information will follow: climb to reach Flight Level 290 at time 58. Correction at time 55.

PIREP

pilot reports: Weather information from official sources is complemented by live updates from pilots about weather conditions they encounter en route or during approach and landing

fuel farm

place where fuel tanks are located and tankers are housed and replenished

scheduled

planned at a specific time, regular: Both scheduled and charter flights use the airport.

dot

point on the localizer and glideslope scales which indicates the degree of deviation left or right / above or below during approach

radar antenna

portion of radar system used to radiate and intercept signals

setup

preparation, calibration, selection

pro

probability (METAR)

reliability

probability that equipment will operate correctly for a specified period of time

likely

probable: It is likely that we will have to hold on arrival: ATC have announced heavy traffic

security

protection against crime, theft, terrorism: the security services are standing b^y a^ the ramp in case they need to board the aircraft

support

providing information and services. In an unexpected situation caused by a technical failure, the crew will need additional information about alternate airports, weather conditions, runway surface conditions, priority landing, emergency services on the ground, airport facilities etc.

in line

queuing, stopped, standing by: we are in line on Taxiway Golf behind a Cathay Pacific 747 and an Etihad A330 number three for departure

frequency congestion

radio saturation which occurs when there are too many transmissions on the same radio frequency;the pilot may have to wait for a break in transmissions to pass a message and may have to wait for a response from the ATCO. Congestion can result in important information (clearances, flight levels,headings, times etc.) being lost or only partially heard, conditional clearances and advice to expect being taken as clearances, pilots not being able to pass urgent information, information intended for one flight being adopted by another and a general loss of communication quality with the ensuing stress.

emergency descent

rapid descent using following a cabin depressurisation

shutdown (n)

reducing engine or APU power to zero, stopping engine operation

spurious

referring to an indication, message or warning, not based on true facts, and which may in fact be the result of a problem with the warning system

pitot heat

refers to the electrical heating of the various air data probes: pitot probe, angle of attack sensor, static port etc.

manoeuvrability

refers to the extent to which an aircraft can manoeuvre, i.e. move around, get into the right position: manoeuvrability may be reduced if there are flight control problems

nose-up elevator

refers to when the pilot pulls on the control wheel or stick in order to raise the nose of the aircraft by acting on the elevators

lateral distance

related to the aircraft's horizontal movement (heading, course, track) and the localizer part of the ILS

contextual

related to the circumstances or context of a situation

engine run-up area / pad

remote location where aircraft engines can be tested

INS check point

remote location with well-defined geographical coordinates where an aircraft's inertial navigation system (INS) can be reset

urgent

requiring immediate attention: ^f it is urgent, make it sound urgent

conveyor belt loader

rotating rubber belt for loading bulk cargo

chocks

rubber or wooden blocks placed against the aircraft wheels to prevent aircraft movement: Are the chocks in place?

fuel emergency

running short of fuel. Fuel emergencies do not usually occur suddenly, but are the result either of incorrect automatic or manual fuel management or prolonged holding. Avianca Flight 052 remains the classic case of a fuel emergency where inadequate communication, non-standard phraseology and poor language skills by the crew led to fuel exhaustion on all four engines. Different degrees of urgency (distress - pan calls; and emergency - Mayday) are at the crew's disposal once they have communicated their fuel endurance to ATC.

hardly (adv)

scarcely, almost not at all: there was hardly any damage caused to the fuselage when the catering truck skidded on the ice and failed to stop in time

perimeter fencing

security barrier around the outer limit of airport

electronic racks

shelves used to house computers in the avionics bay / main equipment centre

concise

short, efficient, not wasteful, not containing unnecessary information. Being concise is essential in radio communications, because pilots and ATCOs often have to communicate information fast

contradictory

showing different information: the Captain and Fir^t Officer airspeed displays were contradictory

hand signals

signals given by marshaller to give instructions to pilot

crew minibus

small bus to take crew to and from aircraft: we are ^till waiting for the crew minibus to pick us up

speed bugs

small plastic markers, now often replaced by digital displays, which are set manually or automatically around / along the airspeed indicator scale to give the crew easily visibly references to critical airspeeds during take-off and approach: V1 or decision speed, when the pilot must decide to take off or reject take-off; V2 take-off safety speed at which the aircraft can be safely airborne with one engine shut down; various flap retraction / extension speeds; Vref, final approach speed. They are also referred to as V-bugs.

instinctive disconnect push button

small red pushbutton on the control wheel or sidestick used to disconnect the autopilot quickly

baggage cart

small towed vehicle for transporting baggage

mud

soft wet earth

distraction

something which disturbs mental concentration and attention: a cabin attendant entering the flight deck when crew workload is high will be a distraction

alternative

something you can choose to do instead of something else. It can be related to any aspect of the flight: routing, level, heading, timing etc: We have two alternatives: uplift extra fuel or offload the la^t passengers.

shortly

soon, in a short time: we will be landing shortly

lower cargo deck

space below the cabin floor which is divided into a forward and aft cargo hold and which on larger aircraft may be subdivided into compartments. The holds / compartments are subdivided into bays each one of which corresponds to the size of a ULD or container.

black-hole effect

spatial disorientation and erroneous perception of altitude caused by a dark approach area and bright lights beyond the active runway

flight plan

specified information relating to the whole or portion of an intended flight: we filed our flight plan at 06:38; we wish to amend our flight plan

steps

stairs used by technicians

altimeter setting

standard pressure altitude with reference to sea level (QNH) or local pressure altitude at the airport elevation (QFE) set by the crew on their altimeter and critical, especially during descent and approach: The altimeter setting is 1023. Confirm.

break

standard radiotelephony phraseology which indicates a separation between messages

wick

static discharger located on trailing edges to discharge electrical charges built up in the airframe

weather bureau

station gathering and distributing updated weather reports and forecasts. See also met office.

bogged down

stuck in the mud, damp earth or sand: a tug is required to tow the Regional Jet which is bogged down off Taxiway Lima.

snow flurries

sudden rapid falls of snow

vicinity

surroundings, neighbourhood: there is VFR traffic in the vicinity of the aerodrome

triplexed

systems which consist of three independent subsystems, each of which can ensure operation in the event of one or two of the other subsystems failing

TWY

taxiway

best practice

technique, procedure or process regarded as most efficient and appropriate: all training should adopt best practice

analog(ue)

technology based on continuous variables rather than digital binary inputs: Most analog(ue) instruments have been replaced by digital displays.

scissor lift loader

telescopic loader for raising containers and pallets to the cargo compartments

mobile lounge

telescopic vehicle able to transport passengers and enable them to board directly at outlying stands

trend

tendency, general movement or direction in development: a trend forecast shall supersede, during the validity of the trend, the aerodrome forecast (TAF) for the aerodrome concerned

general aviation terminal

terminal for private, business and leisure aviation

hijacker

terrorist who tries to take control of an aircraft and its crew in order to obtain demands, make a political statement using threats, or to deliberately crash the plane: the transponder code 7500 is used in the event of a hijacker on board

drift correction

the action by which the pilot corrects the horizontal flight path by bringing the aircraft back onto the extended runway centreline or localizer beam

nose-down correction

the action by which the pilot pitches down to lose altitude or increase speed

avoidance

the action of distancing oneself from an obstacle, danger etc

pitch-down input

the action of the pilot pushing on the control column or stick

clean speed

the aircraft airspeed with flaps, slats and landing gear retracted

dispatcher

the airport agent who provides the weight and balance sheet which must be checked and signed by the captain. The weight and balance sheet contains updated information about the aircraft payload (passengers, baggage, cargo and fuel) and its location. This allows the aircraft's centre of gravity, which must be within certain limits for safe take-off and flight, to be calculated

touch-down speed

the airspeed at which the aircraft makes contact with the ground on landing: The touchdown speed of the B747 is approximately 160-170 knots.

standard pressure setting

the altimeter setting used universally above the transition level or altitude: it is 1013.25 hPa or 29.92 in Hg

transition altitude

the altitude at which the altimeter setting is changed from local atmospheric pressure to 1013 hPa and vice versa

freezing level

the altitude at which the temperature in the atmosphere drops to 0° C

amber transit lights

the amber lights neat the landing gear lever which are illuminated when the landing gear is moving between its extended and retracted positions and vice versa.

pitch attitude

the angle between the aircraft's longitudinal axis and the horizontal plane

radar coverage

the area or scope reached by a radar

cabin altitude

the atmospheric pressure in the cabin. Air pressure is artificially maintained at approximately 6,0008,000 feet inside the cabin. Flying for prolonged periods above 10,000 feet may cause hypoxia, altitude sickness, decompression sickness and acute earache and intestinal pain. Oxygen masks are deployed automatically if cabin altitude reaches 14,000 feet.

threshold

the beginning of the runway

expectation bias

the belief that you know in advance what you will see or hear, which affects what you actually think you see or hear. Expectation bias in ATC means that there is a strong belief or mindset that a particular outcome will happen, or there is a particular cause for a situation, even when there is evidence to the contrary. Expectation bias is reinforced by previous experience of situations which have features in common with the current situation.

filter clog

the blocking by particles of a fuel or hydraulic filter

Speedbird

the callsign for British Airways

commander

the captain of an aircraft

customer service manager

the chief cabin attendant on board a large aircraft

purser

the chief cabin attendant on medium size narrow-body aircraft

weather radar returns

the coloured patterns or outlines from the weather radar antenna displayed on the cockpit ND. Aircraft are fitted with weather radar systems using a radar antenna in the radome covering a range of up to several hundred miles. Crews use the colour-coded displays provided by this system to detect the presence of weather systems (cumulonimbus clouds, thunderstorms and resulting turbulence) in order to request a change of flight path if necessary

yaw control

the control of the aircraft about the vertical axis managed mainly by the rudder

localizer beam front course

the course indicated by the localizer transmitter antenna along the approach path of the aircraft

maintain own separation (v)

the crew uses its vision of other aircraft to keep the necessary distance from other traffic

navigation accuracy check

the crew's practice of crosschecking different navigation instruments and sources against each other in order to make sure their data is correct

refraction

the deflection of a light ray from a straight path, which causes visual distortion

RT loading

the degree of saturation of radio frequency

engine stall margin

the difference between the gas turbine operating line and the stall line

load shed

the disconnection of non-essential electrical power users (notably the galley) if there are electrical generation failures in order to give priority to the essential systems

separation

the distance between aircraft, which is carefully monitored and controlled by ATCOs: reduced vertical separation minima

width

the distance from one side to the other: 45 metres is a typical runway wi^th

buffeting

the effects of being knocked around by turbulence or the rapid oscillation of flight control surfaces

window heat

the electrical resistances in the windshield and side cockpit window panels which prevent the formation of ice and condensation

upwind end

the end of a runway which is the opposite end from where an aircraft starts its take-off roll

extended threshold

the end of the runway beyond the operational threshold which is usually only used for additional stopping distance in an emergency

tailpipe

the exhaust section of the engine aft of the turbine

slant visibility

the fact of seeing something at an angle rather than head on which causes distortion

minimum approach speed

the fact that each aircraft type (B737, A320 etc.) will have a minimum speed at which it can safely fly in a given configuration, i.e. clean configuration (all flaps and gear retracted) and then with flaps and slats extended to different degrees (5°, 15°, 25° etc.) and the gear extended. This speed will decrease as the flaps, slats and gear are extended.

lateral track offset procedure

the fact that in RVSM conditions aircraft often fly a few miles to the left or right of the actual route in order to increase separation

position report

the fact that the crew regularly informs ATC of their current position: resume position reporting

flare

the final nose-up pitch movement of a landing airplane. The landing flare is a manoeuvre that enables a pilot to reduce an airplane's vertical speed without applying engine power.

transition level

the flight level at which flight crews reset their altimeters from local atmospheric pressure (QNH or QFE) to standard atmospheric pressure at sea level (1013 hPa) and vice versa. Below this point altitude rather than level is used by pilots and controllers.

assigned level

the flight level to which a flight has been cleared by ATC

glide path

the flight path of an aircraft during approach, especially when making an ILS landing. Also glidepath, glideslope.

leading edge

the forward part of the wing, engine blades or stabilizers: the leading edge slats are extended

Approach Control frequency

the frequency used by the Approach controllers at a given airport as distinct from the Tower or Ground frequencies

skin

the fuselage, wing and empennage panels which make up the outer airframe of the aircraft

ambient lighting

the general lighting of the cockpit provided by the dome light

debris

the general name for objects which are where they shouldn't be: Debris on the ground can be extremely dangerous for aircraft

foreign object

the general name for something which should not be there: a bird, a plastic bag, metal debris etc. are all foreign objects which can damage the aircraft

right green arrow

the green arrow (or indicator light) which shows that the right hand main gear is extended and locked down

three greens

the green arrows or indicator lights on the landing gear display which indicate that the landing gear is extended and correctly locked down

arc

the ground track of an aircraft flying a constant DME distance from a navaid to intercept the ILS localizer inbound course. The DME arc is often used to transition from en route to intermediate approach.

paving

the hard surface of all parts of the apron, runways and taxiways

final approach track

the heading flown by the crew during the final approach: the final approach track to Runway 24 at Aomori is 231degrees

intercept heading

the heading the crew must follow in order to capture and follow the ILS or visual approach flight path

low ceiling

the height of the first of cloud cover at a short distance from the ground

horizontal separation

the horizontal distance between two aircraft, which is measured in metres or kilometres

climb-out (n)

the initial climb from the airport of departure

gear

the landing gear, i.e. the wheels and the mechanisms connected to them: V2 ...positive ra^e ....gear up ; the gear is retracted

short final

the last part of the approach before touchdown, typically from the inner marker, or some 2 nautical miles, to the threshold

ILS Transmitters

the localizer and glideslope transmitters. The localizer transmitter is aligned with the runway centreline within the airport perimeter some distance from the runway threshold. The glideslope antenna is located perhaps some 100 metres to the left or right of a runway to the side of the touchdown zone.

minima

the lower limits of visibility for a given aircraft at a given approach depending on its onboard equipment: The aircraft landed at Perth Airport in weather conditions that were below the prescribed landing minima for the instrument approach.

AC Essential feed

the main alternating current power supply

legal working time

the maximum number of hours that a crew may work without a break. This is an important safety issue, as tired crews are much more likely to make mistakes. In the event of long delays, a crew may exceed its legal working time and be unable to ensure a flight.

idle

the minimum smooth engine operating speed: flight idle, ground idle

shift handover

the moment one group of controllers is replaced by another or one control centre passes control to another

hectoPascal (hPa)

the most common unit of atmospheric pressure; in the plural, it does not take an 's': 1021 hectoPascal. It is the equivalent of millibars (mb), which is still referred to in many countries. Inches of Mercury (in.Hg) is used in the United States. 1 in.Hg = 3.386 hPa

flow

the movement of one flight after another, the number of aircraft passing through a given airspace

rudder deflection

the movement of the rudder from side to side: rudder deflection is reduced at high speed.

previous

the one before: there was an electrical power incident on the previous leg which we entered in the aircraft technical log

rim

the outer lip of a wheel, which holds the tyre in place

cowling

the panels (cowls) surrounding the engine; it is the main part of the engine nacelle.

surge margin

the parameter that is the difference between the operating RPM and the RPM at which the compressor blades will stall at any altitude and for transient slam acceleration

base leg

the part of a conventional landing circuit when the aircraft turns off the downwind leg and flies perpendicular to the extended runway centreline before joining the glidepath

galley

the part of the plane where the cabin attendants store and prepare food and drinks

approach segments

the parts of an instrument approach: arrival, initial approach, intermediate approach, final approach and missed approach segments

apron

the paved area around the terminal buildings, hangars and cargo terminals where aircraft park

runway

the paved surface designed for aircraft take-off and landing. Runways have different designated orientations (QFU) such as 05L / 23R 180° apart and are generally some distance from the terminal buildings. The runways may be parallel, offset or intersecting

whiteout

the phenomenon of spatial disorientation caused by the intense glare of a snowy landscape

pilot in command

the pilot flying (PF), the pilot in control of the aircraft

report short final

the pilot is instructed by ATC to advise them when he / she is on the last section of the approach

stand (n)

the place where the aircraft parks, where passengers board and disembark.

attitude

the position of the aircraft in relation to the three axes: pitch, roll and yaw. Attitude is conventionally displayed on the Attitude Director Indicator (ADI) or artificial horizon, now often incorporated into the Primary Flight Display (PFD).

power setting

the position of the engine thrust /throttle levers: the PF selected a Maximum Continuous Thrust power setting

status

the present condition: what is the status of your engine?

take-off roll

the process of accelerating down the runway in order to take off

thrust (n)

the propulsive force generated by an aircraft engine; the other three forces which act on an aircraft are lift, weight and drag

safety

the protection of people from harm, injury, danger and death: safety audit, safety management system, passenger safety: Aviation safety is the reason behind ICAO's Language Proficiency Requirements.

workload

the quantity of work to be performed in a particular time frame: Climb, approach and landing are periods of high crew workload

tolerance

the range of values within which a system can operate correctly: The A.C. power supply has a tolerance of +/- 2 vo^^s

sink rate

the rate of descent of a body in free fall

mach number

the ratio of the speed of the aircraft to the speed of sound: The aircraft is flying a^ Mach 0.89

indication

the readings on the various flight instruments

trailing edge

the rear edge of the wing, stabilisers and engine blades: trailing edge flaps

exhaust

the rear engine section which expels engine gases: exhaust gas temperature

published speed

the reference speed which is published in the flight manual for this phase of operations

radar return

the reflection of the beam off the 'target' (the aircraft) which causes a 'blip' or display on the controller's screen or a weather contour on the aircraft's weather radar

mountain wave effect

the result of a powerful air mass immediately downstream of a transverse mountain range, rotating about a horizontal axis

hot section

the section of the engine comprising the combustion chamber, high and low pressure turbines and exhaust

visual separation

the separation between two aircraft based on the pilots' visual contact rather than a distance imposed by ATC

landing sequence

the series of manoeuvres (outbound track, base turn, inbound track) prior to landing

accretion rate

the speed at which ice is accumulating; it is also referred to as the accumulation rate or build-up rate

Vref

the speed or velocity at which the aircraft should be flying in a given configuration

inboard / outboard spoilers

the spoilers on the upper surface of the wing; there are several surfaces and they are commonly identified as inboard or inner and outboard or outer spoilers.

confusion

the state of being unsure in one's mind, of being confused: runway confusion is a well-documented error

empennage

the tail section of an aircraft, consisting of the fin, the tailplane and the part of the fuselage to which they are attached

Engineering

the technical department, responsible for aircraft maintenance: we will need to call Engineering to Inspect our rear fuselage a^er a tail strike at take-off

dew point / dewpoint

the temperature at which condensation begins in cooling air. The dew point varies with different levels of atmospheric pressure, air humidity, etc: Temperature 11, Dewpoint 9

turnaround

the time between the arrival of a flight at its parking stand and its departure for the next flight; it is a period when the flight crew's attention is turned to a whole series of activities (servicing, unloading, loading, refuelling, catering, engineering, boarding etc.) where the airport ground staff is involved and contact with Air Traffic Control is limited. However, the flight crew also communicate with different categories of ground staff both by radio / interphone and face to face in situations where safety is an ongoing concern and the operational time constraints to depart on time create what is a potentially stressful environment.

duty time

the time during which a crew is scheduled and authorised to work

quiet hours

the time, typically 23:00-06:00, when aircraft movements to and from the airport are restricted or prohibited to avoid disturbance by noise: we need to expedite our departure or we will be into quiet hours on arrival

avionics bay

the under-floor avionics compartment where computers and other electronic equipment are located (Airbus). Boeing call this compartment the main equipment centre.

main equipment centre

the under-floor avionics compartment where computers and other electronic equipment are located (Boeing); on Airbus aircraft this is referred to as the avionics bay

ils cat ii, cat III, cat IIIC

the various degrees of automation which aircraft and airports are equipped with, and flight crew are qualified to use. These categories involve different landing minima, i.e. vertical and horizontal visibility.

vertical separation

the vertical distance between two aircraft, which is measured in feet, but in metres / kilometres in Russia, China and the CIS

layer

thickness, stratum, coat of material or cloud: a layer of paint ; the cloud layer extends for 15 miles

line-up check

this check performed by the flight crew involves checking the identity of the runway and the departure clearance

bomb scare

threat or fear that there may be a bomb on a plane or on the ground

endurance

time an aircraft can fly without refuelling: we have 35 minutes (fuel) endurance

response time

time taken by a human being or a machine to react to a situation or input

build up (v)

to accumulate, to increase in amount: Ice is building up on our wing leading edges

line up (v)

to align the aircraft on the runway centreline ready for take-off: line up and wait

near (v)

to approach, to come closer: we are nearing our top of climb (cleared cruise flight level) and will be levelling off in 1 minute

reach (v)

to arrive at a given point: the aircraft levelled off on reaching its top of climb

come into conflict (v)

to be at or near the same flight level heading towards each

stabilized approach

to be on the glidepath at the correct airspeed, in the correct configuration (flaps, slats, gear) and to have completed the checklists

visual

to be visual means to have something in sight, to see something, especially the runway: Are you visual yet?

wear out (v)

to become obsolete, unserviceable or need replacement, because of wear: These tyres seem to wearing out very quickly: I wonder if they are correctly aligned?

increase (v)

to become or make greater or more: increase speed b^y 20 knots

deteriorate (v)

to become worse: the weather is deteriorating at Bangkok

collapse (v)

to break down, to fold, to lose rigidity and strength: the nose landing gear collapsed

intercept US (v)

to capture the localizer and glideslope radio transmitter beams which guide the aircraft during an ILS approach

induce (v)

to cause something to happen: the crew's familiarity with this approach induced a sense of complacency

trigger (v)

to cause, to initiate, or to activate a system response or reaction: The angle of attack sensor will send a signal to trigger a stall warning

crosscheck (v)

to check one piece of information from two sources: crosscheck the pressure altitude on the Captain's and First Officer's instruments

initiate (v)

to commence, to start a procedure or manoeuvre: we will be initiating descent in two minutes

proceed (v)

to continue, to carry on, to go towards, to go forward: track 280 degrees magnetic to GAN before proceeding on course

pass through (v)

to cross, to move from one side to the other: we are passing through some dense cloud

disengage (v)

to de-activate or place in neutral an automatic function; it may, however, remain armed. i.e. ready to operate

handle (v)

to deal with or to manage a situation: flight crew are trained to handle unexpected and abnormal situations

disregard (v)

to decide not to comply with or ignore an instruction, information or recommendation etc. Flight crews may disregard controller instructions in certain situations, for example to resolve a TCAS Resolution Advisory.

drop (v)

to decrease, to go down: the oil pressure is dropping

extend the rat (v)

to deploy the Ram Air Turbine, a small electrical generator driven by a propeller, which is lowered into the airstream below the wing to provide essential electrical (and hydraulic) power in the event of multiple engine-driven generator failures

jettison (v)

to discharge fuel in flight in order to reduce the aircraft's weight; to dump

dump (v)

to discharge fuel in flight in order to reduce the aircraft's weight; to jettison: we are over our MLW (Maximum Landing Weight) and need to dump 2 tonnes of fuel

shed (v)

to disconnect certain heavy non-essential electrical loads such as the galley

go around (v)

to discontinue an approach: ^f we are not visual at 250 feet, we will go around

carry out (v)

to do, especially a standard procedure: the First Officer is carrying out an external inspection

perform (v)

to do, to carry out, to execute a procedure: we will perform a missed approach

stray (v)

to enter an area or airspace by mistake: the pilot was distracted and strayed onto the active runway

key in (v)

to enter data into a computer system using a keyboard: Key in the coordinates of our a^tern^te.

assess (v)

to evaluate: After a major failure, the crew must assess the situation

vacate (v)

to exit or leave the runway: report vacated

omit (v)

to fail or forget to do something: the controller omitted to use the complete callsign

overshoot (v)

to fail to stop before the runway exit or the runway threshold

secure (v)

to fasten, to attach, to hold in position, to make safe: Have you made sure that the load is secured?

complete (v)

to finish a process: checklist completed

track (v)

to fly along a radial etc., to join a navaid or ILS fix

overfly (v)

to fly over: aircraft overfly waypoints and beacons

override (v)

to give a manual order which has priority over an automatic order: the crew can always override the automation manually and take control

exceed (v)

to go beyond or over, to go too far: the crew have exceeded their legal d^ty time; you mu^t not exceed 250 knots below 10,000 feet in this area

enplane (v)

to go on board the aircraft; to board

board (v)

to go on the aircraft, to enplane: The passengers are boarding from G^te 27.

pass (v)

to go through or by: report passing PAR/ Flight Level 160

occur (v)

to happen, to take place: a bird strike occurred during climb-out

affect (v)

to have an effect or influence on something or someone: It is well known that fatigue affects a pilot's alertness and performance

go visual (v)

to have the runway in sight and no longer be dependent only on instruments

read (v)

to hear and understand: how do you read me?

obscure (v)

to hide or conceal from view: the markings were obscured by a layer of sand

run away (v)

to increase in an uncontrolled manner: The temperature indications seem to be running away.

notify (v)

to inform, to advise, to tell: Notify all incoming flights of the recent reports of windshear near the threshold

hurt (v)

to injure, to harm, to cause pain: one of the passengers was hurt when he fell on the icy steps and cut his leg

capture (v)

to intercept the glide path; when an aircraft captures a glide path, the ILS system on board detects the localizer and glide slope ground transmitter signals and the aircraft's descent to the runway is automatically controlled under the crew's supervision

evaluate

to judge, to assess, to analyse, to decide about: in the event of a system failure or structural damage the flight crew must evaluate the situation before making a decision.

land long (v)

to land after the target / touchdown zone: They landed long because of the windshear and heavy rain

land short (v)

to land before the target / touchdown zone

exit (v)

to leave, to go out of, to vacate: the flight exited the runway via B3

give way (v)

to let another aircraft pass first during ground movements: give way to the 787 passing from right to left

scan (v)

to look systematically over a given area: the Fir^t Officer scanned the instruments and control panels; the crew scanned the sky for any traffic

separate (v)

to maintain a safe distance between aircraft. An aircraft in difficulty will need more airspace; manoeuvring may be slower and more difficult; the crew need to be able to concentrate on handling the failure and not on possible conflicts with other aircraft: ATC must separate the aircraft in distress from other traffic

divert (v)

to make a change in the flight plan, often to fly to an alternate destination; diversion

perform a 360 (v)

to make a complete turn or traffic pattern, to orbit, usually as a delaying action

facilitate (v)

to make easier, to support: computerisation facilitates revising and updating documentation

mitigate (v)

to make less serious: the crew made a long approach to mitigate the risk of landing long

compound (v)

to make more difficult or more serious, to intensify: the poor visibility only compounded the difficulty of a single-engine approach

encounter (v)

to meet, to experience: we encountered severe windshear from 500 fe^t to touchdown

reclear (v)

to modify a previous ATC clearance: recleared Flight Level 310; rest of clearance unchanged

amend (v)

to modify or change something: We wish to amend our flight plan.

deflect (v)

to move along a pre-defined arc: the rudder deflects from left to right

advance (v)

to move forward the thrust or throttle levers to increase engine power; the contrary of to retard: advance the thrust levers to TOGA (Take-off / Go-around)

skid (v)

to move in an uncontrolled way, typically because the surface is slippery (due to oil, ice, standing water etc.) or because it was going too fast to grip the surface

wander (v)

to move or enter unintentionally: The crew was unfamiliar with the airport and wandered onto the active runway.

sweep (v)

to move over a wide area in a large arc: the weather radar antenna sweeps an area of +/- 45 degrees ahead of the aircraft; the windshield wipers sweep the windshield clear of rain

pull in (v)

to move to the side of the road / taxiway, etc., to allow another vehicle to pass; also pull over

require (n)

to need: we require 117 tonnes of fuel for our next leg

relay (v)

to pass on or transmit information: Will you relay our situation to our company Ops, please?

report (v)

to pass requested information: report airborne

transit (v)

to pass through

focus (v)

to pay attention or concentrate on a particular point, subject or situation: the crew of Eastern Airlines Flight 401 were all too focused on the landing gear indicator and failed to notice that their aircraft was descending into the Everglades

orbit (v)

to perform a 360° circuit usually in order to delay: for safety reasons, the ATC will tell the pilot whether to orbit left or right.

recycle (v)

to perform a complete flight control, landing gear or door operation: extend-retract-extend, close-open-close etc.

expedite (v)

to perform as quickly as possible: we have a pressuris^tion problem and need to expedite our descent

arm (v)

to place a device in an active mode so that it is ready to operate: arm the Vertical Speed mode on the FCU / MCP; the cabin attendant armed the escape slide

set (v)

to position precisely: set the altimeter to 1019 hPa

throttle back (v)

to pull back the throttle / thrust lever⑻ on the centre pedestal to reduce the engine speed and the resulting thrust; to retard

retard (v)

to pull back the throttle / thrust lever⑻ on the centre pedestal to reduce the engine speed and the resulting thrust; to throttle back; just prior to touchdown the automatic system in the flight deck says 'retard, retard'.

don (v)

to put on a mask or life vest

decrab (v)

to re-align the aircraft on the runway centreline in crosswind conditions immediately before touchdown

gain on (v)

to reduce the distance between an aircraft and the aircraft ahead: you are still gaining on the turboprop ahead of you

reject (v)

to refuse, to abandon: the crew rejected take-off at 70 knots

discharge (v)

to release pressure, to trigger, to activate; especially used about the fire extinguishers and cabin pressure

clear (v)

to remove an obstacle: the snow ploughs are clearing the snow from the runway and taxiwa/s

de-energize (v)

to remove electrical power, to switch off

offload (v)

to remove from the aircraft: as the passenger did not show up at the gate, his baggage had to be identified and offloaded

take over (v)

to replace someone in the function they are performing: the next shift will take over at 18:00.

relight (v)

to restart an engine (past: relit), We are trying to relight our stalled engine

revert (v)

to return to: revert to flight plan call sign

rescue (v)

to save, to recover, to free from danger: search and rescue; all the passengers and crew were rescued from the icy water

acknowledge (v)

to say that you have heard and understood. It is important that the controller listens carefully to pilot input on the nature of the emergency, requests clarification if in doubt, and gives the crew reassurance that their problem is understood. Requesting and providing clarification, paraphrasing,confirming and acknowledging all play a key role in such exchanges: In case of radio failure,acknowledge by flashing headlights.

grab (v)

to seize, to get hold of: grab the handle and pull it down

retract the gear (v)

to set the landing gear lever on the right centre part of the instrument panel to UP; the landing gear is unlocked, folds and enters the landing gear bays: the landing gear b^y doors open to allow the landing gear to retract

offset (v)

to shift or displace to the side of a central axis: crews cannot offset their flight p^ths in RVSM conditions if parallel route centrelines are less than 30 nm apart

isolate (v)

to shut off the electrical, hydraulic, fuel or pneumatic supply to a failed component: we have isolated the leak

resume (v)

to start using or doing again, to return to again after an interruption: resume own navigation direct CHN

hold short of (v)

to stop and wait just before you get to a location: hold short of Runway 33 Left

blank (v)

to stop displaying data, to become dark: the power failure caused the Fir^t Officer screens to blank momentarily

abort (v)

to stop doing something or stop a process that you had intended to do or had already started to do, especially a take-off or landing: take-off must be aborted before V1.

extinguish (v)

to stop or put out a fire: we have managed to extinguish the fire and have the situation under control

ingest (v)

to suck or pull into, to swallow, to suck a bird into the engine: Canada geese were ingested into both engines at 3,000 feet, causing a dual engine loss on USAir Flight 1549

uplift (v)

to take fuel on board the aircraft, to refuel: we need to uplift 69 tonnes of fuel

roll through (v)

to taxi past, to fail to stop at: the crew inadvertently rolled through the stop bar

run up (v)

to test the engine at full power: we need to run up the engines after the inspection; engine run-up (n)

switch (v)

to transfer, to move from one position or selection to another: Can you switch to the Tower frequency?

pass your message (v)

to transmit or give your message

determine (v)

to work out, to calculate: we must determine our fuel endurance

visual references

topographical features, markings and lights which contribute to situational awareness; also visual cues

high-speed tug

tow vehicle used to tow aircraft over long distances: request a high-speed tug to tow us to the maintenance area

conflicting traffic

traffic at or near the same flight level heading towards each other

known traffic

traffic whose flight details and intentions are known by the controller through direct communication

flightpath / flight path

trajectory of the aircraft in the vertical and horizontal planes: the aircrafts flightpath can be reconstituted from DFDR data

water servicing truck

truck for replenishing aircraft's potable water supply

toilet servicing truck

truck with tank for emptying aircraft waste

bumpy

turbulent: we are having a bumpy ride ^t our present level

garbled

unclear, inaudible, typically because of technical problems: say again, your last transmission was garbled

incapacitated

unconscious or too ill to function properly: the Captain was incapacitated as the result of a stroke (obstruction of an artery to the brain)

intoxicated

under the effects of drugs or alcohol, drunk: there is a very intoxicated and belligerent passenger in the rear

fuel hydrant

underground fuel supply point

misunderstanding

understanding incorrectly: there was a misunderstanding between the pilot and the controller and the crew continued their descent.

asymmetry

unequal position or force on the two sides of the aircraft; flap asymmetry, asymmetric thrust

sudden

unexpected, rapid: there has been a sudden change in wind velocity

leakage

unintentional flow of fluid from a container or system which can be measured in drops per minute: We appear to have a fuel leakage from the inner left hand tank

inadvertently

unintentionally, without being aware: the crew inadvertently strayed onto the active runway

millibars

unit of atmospheric pressure measurement which refers to the same unit value as hectoPascal

U/S

unserviceable, not operational, out of order

speedbrakes

upper wing flight control surfaces, or spoiler function, which decrease airspeed in flight

due

used as a preposition meaning due to / because of: all departures are delayed due snow clearance

Number 1

used by ATC to inform a flight crew that they are the first in line to depart or on approach

expect (v)

used by ATC with a time or location reference for a clearance to be given later in the flight. It is important that it is not confused with a current clearance: expect onward clearance at 54

acrid

used to describe a sharp, bitter (smell), especially of smoke or fumes

inbound

used to describe an aircraft which is flying towards a point, towards a fix, arriving, approaching: we are flying inbound heading 22; track inbound to the Norfolk VOR on the 193° radial.

setting

value entered, calibration, position of flight control surface, engine, system or instrument: the altimeter setting is 1007 hPa; reduce the engine power setting

indication oscillations

variations in the display which may be caused by instrument malfunctions rather than actual changes in the parameters

navaid

various radio navigation aids: DME (Distance Measuring Equipment), NDB (Non-Directional Beacon),ADF (Automatic Direction Finder), VOR (VHF Omnidirectional Range), ILS (Instrument Landing System:localizer and glideslope), VORTAC (VOR + Tacan), GPS (Global Positioning System), GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), RNAV (Area Navigation)

fuel tanker

vehicle containing aircraft fuel

fire engine

vehicle for spraying an extinguishing agent or water: request a fire engine standing by in case our brakes need cooling

foam crash tender

vehicle for spraying fire extinguishing foam

friction tester

vehicle which can measure the braking coefficient of a runway.

snow blower

vehicle which clears runways of snow by blowing

bowser

vehicle which pumps fuel from an underground fuel distribution system. Aircraft are refuelled either by tankers or bowsers.

snow plough

vehicle which removes snow from runways with a large blade

sweeper

vehicle with rotary brush for removing dirt and debris

de-icing truck

vehicle with tank and hydraulic platform for spraying aircraft

on hold

waiting for authorisation or clearance

intention

what you plan or wish to do: advise intentions

parking brake

wheel brake applied from the flight deck by means of a handle and used on the ground at the stand until the chocks are in place or for emergency braking as a last resort

missed approach

when a aircraft approaches an airport in order to land, but does not actually land, typically because of low visibility, an obstacle on the runway etc. and goes around to make another approach

conditional clearance

when a clearance is given by a controller conditional upon another traffic movement (departure or arrival) occurring first. For example: 'Cathay Pacific 396, behind Boeing 777 on short final, line up behind.'

aquaplaning

when an aircraft's wheels are partially supported by standing water on the runway and not fully in contact with the runway surface so that braking and steering are inefficient

runway incursion

when an aircraft, vehicle, pedestrian or animal inadvertently enters an active runway

visual contact

when something is visible; the expression 'We are visual' is also used

in-flight turnback

when the crew decides to return to the airport of departure. This is dangerous because the aircraft is likely to be full of fuel and therefore over its maximum landing weight: the certified value above which fuel must be jettisoned or burnt off if landing becomes urgently necessary and structural damage is to be avoided

flap asymmetry

when the flaps are not extended the same amount on both wings: A B737 flap asymmetry occurred on final approach to a short runway. The Captain requested vectors to a nearby airport with a longer runway

traffic conflict

when two aircraft are at altitudes or on headings which, if maintained, could result in an airprox or a collision

loss

when you do not have something you had before, because it is unavailable, not working, or destroyed: We experienced a loss of power; the fire resulted in a complete hull loss.

unserviceable

which cannot be used on the aircraft and must be replaced or repaired. Also U/S.

slippery

which is likely to cause sliding or skidding: the runway is slippery when w^t

runway edge lighting

white lights, usually on stalks, on each side of the

surface wind

wind measured near ground level

upper level winds

winds blowing at altitudes typically between 23,000 and 39,000 feet for the polar jet streams and at higher levels for the subtropical jet streams. They blow from west to east and, as a result, make eastbound flying times across the North Atlantic approximately one hour shorter than the westbound ones.

undershoot windshear

windshear characterized by a decrease in aircraft airspeed

overshoot windshear

windshear characterized by an increase in aircraft airspeed

busy

with a lot of activity and traffic movements: Beijing Capital is a busy airport

bright

with intense light: the lights can be set to BRT (bright) or DIM; if the runway lights are too bright they can cause glare

concerned

worried, preoccupied: the crew is concerned about the weather at destination

degradation

worsening: there has been a degradation in our roll control; the spoilers are responding more slowly.

hard copied

written in note from a radio transmission. More complex clearances, instructions and terminal information are hard copied by the crew in the form of written notes.

affirm

yes: 'Confirm 8.33. - Affirm. 8.33.