English Aviation Terms

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English Aviation Terms

Below are some English terms that are frequently used in aviation and that you may encounter.

Term	English Definition
Absolute Altitude	Height of an aircraft above ground level.
Absolute Ceiling	Maximum altitude an aircraft can reach and maintain level flight.
Accelerated Stall	A stall caused by increased load factor during turns or maneuvers.
Adverse Yaw	When the aircraft’s nose moves opposite to the direction of roll.
ADF (Automatic Direction Finder)	A radio navigation instrument showing direction to a station.
Adiabatic Lapse Rate	Rate at which temperature decreases with altitude due to pressure change.
AGL (Above Ground Level)	Height measured from the surface directly below the aircraft.
Aileron	Wing control surface that controls roll.
AIM (Aeronautical Information Manual)	Guide containing aviation procedures and standards.
Airfoil	Shape of wing or blade designed to create lift.
Airline	Company providing passenger or cargo air transport service.
Airspace Classes	Categories defining airspace rules and control requirements.
Airspeed Indicator (ASI)	Instrument that measures an aircraft’s speed through the air.
Air Taxi Operator	Company providing small-aircraft charter services.
Alpha Code	NATO phonetic alphabet letter designation.
Altimeter	Instrument measuring altitude using air pressure.
Altitude Indicator	Instrument showing aircraft pitch and bank relative to horizon.
AMT (Aviation Maintenance Technician)	Certified aircraft mechanic.
Angle of Attack	Angle between the chord line of the wing and the relative wind.
Annual Inspection	Mandatory yearly aircraft maintenance inspection.
Approach	Flight phase when aircraft prepares to land.
Apron	Airport area where aircraft are parked, boarded, or serviced.
ATC (Air Traffic Control)	Ground service responsible for aircraft movement safety.
ATIS	Automated broadcast of airport conditions.
Avionics Master Switch	Main switch controlling aircraft electronic systems.
AWIS	Service providing aviation weather information.
Base Leg	Flight path before final approach in a traffic pattern.
Best Lift Over Drag Ratio	Wing efficiency producing maximum distance per power.
Bleed Air	Engine-compressed air used for systems like cabin pressurization.
Cabin Crew	Staff responsible for passenger safety and comfort.
Calibrated Airspeed	Indicated airspeed corrected for instrument error.
Camber	Curvature of an airfoil that affects lift.
Ceiling	Lowest cloud layer reported as broken or overcast.
Center of Gravity (CG)	Point where aircraft weight is balanced.
Checkride	Certification test flight with an examiner.
Chord Line	Straight line between leading and trailing edges of an airfoil.
Clearance	Permission from ATC to conduct flight operations.
Climb	Aircraft ascent increasing altitude.
Cockpit	Control compartment where pilots sit.
Contrail	Vapor trail formed behind aircraft engines.
Controlled Airspace	Airspace where ATC services are provided.
Cross-Country Flight	Flight beyond a specific distance from departure airport.
Crosswind	Wind blowing perpendicular to flight direction or runway.
DA (Density Altitude)	Altitude corrected for air density changes.
Descent	Controlled reduction in altitude.
DME	Radio navigation system measuring slant distance to a station.
Drag	Aerodynamic force opposing forward motion.
EASA	European aviation safety regulatory agency.
Elevator	Tail control surface adjusting pitch.
Empennage	Tail assembly of an aircraft.
ETA	Estimated arrival time.
ETD	Estimated departure time.
ETE	Estimated travel time between points.
FAA	U.S. authority regulating civil aviation.
FARs	Official federal aviation regulations.
FBO	Fixed provider of fueling, hangar, and maintenance services.
Feathering	Adjusting propeller blades parallel to airflow to reduce drag.
Ferry Flight	Flight moving aircraft without passengers for positioning.
Final Approach	Last leg before landing.
Fuselage	Main airframe body of an aircraft.
General Aviation	All civil aviation excluding airlines and military.
Glass Cockpit	Digital display-based flight instrument panel.
Go-Around	Aborted landing maneuver to try again.
Ground Effect	Increased lift and reduced drag near ground surface.
Groundspeed	Speed of aircraft relative to the ground.
Heavy	ATC term for large aircraft category.
Hypoxia	Lack of oxygen affecting pilot performance.
ICAO	International organization governing civil aviation standards.
ILS	Precision landing system using radio signals.
IFR	Flight rules based on instrument navigation.
Indicated Airspeed (IAS)	Speed shown directly on airspeed indicator.
IMC	Weather conditions requiring instrument flying.
Jet	Aircraft powered by jet engines.
KCAS	Corrected calibrated airspeed in knots.
KIAS	Indicated airspeed shown in knots.
Knot	Speed unit equal to one nautical mile per hour.
KTAS	True airspeed measured in knots.
Lift	Aerodynamic force supporting aircraft in flight.
Lighting	Aircraft internal or external lighting systems.
Longitudinal Axis	Nose-to-tail axis controlling roll stability.
Mach	Ratio of aircraft speed to speed of sound.
Magnetic Compass	Instrument showing direction using Earth’s magnetism.
Mean Sea Level (MSL)	Standard reference altitude at sea level.
MTOW	Maximum approved aircraft weight for takeoff.
Narrow-Body Aircraft	Single-aisle commercial aircraft.
NDB	Radio beacon for non-directional navigation.
NOTAMs	Official notices affecting flight operations.
OAT	Outside air temperature measurement.
Overshoot	Runway excursion going past intended touchdown.
Payload	Weight of passengers and cargo carried.
PIC	Pilot legally responsible for flight.
Pitch	Nose-up or nose-down movement.
Pitot Tube	Tube measuring dynamic air pressure for airspeed.
POH	Manual describing aircraft operation limitations.
Propeller	Rotating blades producing thrust.
QAR	Device recording limited flight data quickly accessible.
Roll	Tilting left or right around longitudinal axis.
Rudder	Vertical control surface adjusting yaw.
Runway (RWY)	Airport surface for takeoff and landing.
Seniority	Experience ranking among aviation personnel.
Short Field	Runway with limited length.
Skid	Outward slide in turns due to excess rudder.
Slip	Inward slide in turns due to insufficient rudder.
Soft Field	Unpaved or low-strength runway surface.
Squawk	Transponder code assigned by ATC.
Stall	Sudden loss of lift due to excessive angle of attack.
Standard Rate Turn	Turn performed at 3° per second.
Tail	Structure at the aircraft’s rear providing stability.
Taxiway (TWY)	Airport path linking runway and apron.
Throttle	Lever controlling engine power.
Thrust	Force pushing aircraft forward.
Torque	Rotational twist effect from engine power.
Touch-and-Go	Landing followed by immediate takeoff.
Transponder	Device sending coded signal to radar.
Trim Tab	Control surface used to stabilize pitch.
True Airspeed	Actual speed through the air mass.
True Altitude	Actual height above mean sea level.
Turbulence	Irregular air movement causing bumps.
Ultralight Aircraft	Very lightweight, minimal-power aircraft.
Upwind Leg	Flight path into the wind in traffic pattern.
UTC	Standard coordinated time reference.
V-Speed	Aircraft-specific critical performance speeds.
Vertical Speed Indicator	Instrument showing climb or descent rate.
VFR	Rules using visual navigation and visibility.
VMC	Weather conditions permitting visual flight.
Weight-Shift Control	Control using pilot weight movement.
Windsock	Fabric indicator showing wind direction/speed.
Wind Shear	Sudden change in wind velocity or direction.
Yaw	Nose movement to left or right.
Yoke	Primary control column for aircraft.
Zulu Time	Aviation term for UTC

Example Sentences with English Aviation Terms

Now let’s look at some examples to see how these terms are used in sentences

Frequently Asked Questions About English Aviation Terms

Now let’s look at some questions that are mostly asked about aviation terms

What is a 4 leg flight?

The 4 leg flight called for the conditions like İstanbul – Athens , Athens – İstanbul after İstanbul; İstanbul – London, London – İstanbul.

What languages are used in aviation rather than English?

The most used languages in aviation after English are; Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic and French.

What is feet in aviation?

Feet is a unit for measurement used to determine the distance between the plane and the ground.

What is F class on planes?

The Y code usually represents economy class, C or J indicates business class, and F stands for first class.

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