50 Terms Every Aviation Enthusiast Should Know

DALLAS — Aviation is full of terms and sayings that the majority of non-aviation people have a hard time understanding.

From acronyms to plain language synonyms, you can find brand-new meanings for words in the aviation industry. The following list includes 21 flight theory and six meteorological terms, 17 acronyms, and finally, six terms pilots use.

Theory of Flight — Aircraft Jargon

1. Angle of Attack- The angle between the relative airflow and the chord line (see number 6).
2. Anhedral- The angle of the wings relative to the horizontal of the fuselage.
3. Aileron- One moving portion of the wing that can move up and down to deflect oncoming air in order to roll the aircraft left and right.
4. Base Leg- The penultimate leg to turning final while approaching an airport.
5. Best Angle of Climb- The optimal angle for an aircraft to achieve the greatest altitude in the shortest distance.
6. Camber- The angle (in degrees) of the curvature of the wing.
7. Chord Line- An imaginary line connecting the leading edge and trailing edge of a wing.
8. Empennage- The collective term referring to the entire tail assembly of an aircraft
9. Elevators- Devices on the horizontal stabilizer that move up and down in order to increase or decrease pitch in order to increase or decrease altitude respectively.
10. Flaps- Devices on the wing that can extend the wing area of an aircraft in order to increase lift and decrease speed. Allowing an aircraft to maintain lift at a slower speed.
11. Drag- The backward or rearwards force acting on an aircraft.
12. Fuselage- The main body of an aircraft (excludes wings).
13. Lift- The upwards force acting on an aircraft. Required for a fight to take place.
14. Pilot in Command (PIC)- The pilot responsible for the safe operation of the aircraft.
15. Roll- The left/right motion of the aircraft about the longitudinal axis (runs nose to tail).
16. Stall- An condition of flight where the critical angle of attack is exceeded and the wings can no longer produce lift.
17. Thrust- The forward force acting upon an aircraft. Created by jet turbine engines or propellers.
18. Weight- The downward motion acting upon an aircraft.
19. Wing- The surface of the aircraft extending out from the fuselage. Used to create lift as well as house the ailerons and flaps.
20. Yaw- The left/right motion of the nose. Controlled using the rudder pedals to control the rudder.
21. Yoke- The cockpit control used to pitch the aircraft up and down, and also used to roll the aircraft left and right. Also known as the control column.

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Meteorological Terms

Meteorology is a very important component for anyone interested in working in the aviation industry to know.

1. Ceiling- The minimum height of the lowest cloud layer that is classified as broken or overcast.
2. Dew Point- The temperature at which the air must be to become saturated by already present moisture.
3. Lapse Rate- The rate at which the temperature decreases per 1000ft. The ICAO standard lapse rate is 1.98 degrees celsius per 1000ft.
4. Microburst- Strong downburst of air that produces extremely strong downdrafts, which can cause serious damage to aircraft and even be harmful to safe flight.
5. Troposphere- The first layer of the atmosphere where the majority of all weather occurs.
6. Wind Shear- A sudden change of wind speed and/or direction given a certain distance (more often a short distance).

Aviation Acronyms

Aviation is full of acronyms. Acronyms in aviation can be found in everything from flight deck instruments to meteorology and even airport operations.

1. AWOS- Automatic Weather Observation System. A weather station that automatically reports the weather instead of a human meteorologist.
2. ATIS- Automatic Terminal Information System. A radio frequency at most airports detailing the airport information such as weather, active runways as well as NOTAMS related to safety.
3. CTAF- Common Traffic Advisory Frequency. This open radio frequency is used for aircraft to communicate with one another at an uncontrolled airport. Aircraft can announce intentions in order to avoid collisions.
4. ETA- Estimated Time of Arrival. The time at which an aircraft is estimated to arrive at its destination or waypoint.
5. FBO- Fixed Base Operator. A facility at an airport that provides aircraft services such as baggage handling, fuel, and cleaning services. Mainly is concerned with the servicing of privately owned aircraft.
6. ICAO- International Civil Aviation Organization. This United Nations agency is concerned with the safety, security as well as operations of international aviation.
7. IMC- Instrument Meteorological Conditions. This condition is met when pilots are no longer able to navigate using visual flight rules and must rely on instruments for navigation and flight.
8. ILS- Instrument Landing System. A navigational system providing directional guidance to landing aircraft in low visibility.
9. METAR- This weather report is produced on an hourly basis and records the weather at the top of the hour.
10. NOTAM- Notice to Airmen/Air Missions. Notices are given to pilots regarding important and noteworthy information.
11. PIREP- "Pilot Reports". Reports given by pilots to air traffic control regarding real-time weather conditions experienced. Information can be passed along by air traffic control to other pilots.
12. POH- Pilot Operating Handbook. This manual that comes with every aircraft holds valuable information pertaining to limits and safety information.
13. PFD- Primary Flight Display. The main computer screen in an equipped aircraft displays basic flight information such as attitude, altitude, and airspeed.
14. RESA- Runway End Safety Area. An area at the end of a runway that allows aircraft to safely exit the runway surface in event of an emergency situation such as an overshoot.
15. UTC- Universal Coordinated Time. Also known as "Zulu time," this is the time used to base the 24 time zones across the world. UTC is the time in Greenwich, England.
16. VOR- Very High Frequency (VHF) Omni-Directional Range. This navigation aid can be used by pilots in specifically equipped aircraft to navigate toward an airport or specific point.
17. VTOL- Vertical Takeoff and Landing. General term for aircraft that are able to take off and land vertically. The F-35 Lightning and AV-8 Harrier are examples of VTOL aircraft.

Flight Crew Talk

Pilots have their own vocabulary and language. Here are some key phrases and terms that pilots use.

1. Crabbing- The use of the aircraft rudder in order to compensate for crosswinds during landing.
2. General Aviation- The category of aviation excluding airline and military operations. It contains business and private aviation.
3. Deadhead- A non-flying leg a pilot takes when they need to reposition to another airport in order to operate a flight. The pilot spends the majority of his time in the main cabin as a passenger.
4. Ditch- A controlled emergency landing on water.
5. Jumpseat- A folding seat in the flight deck that allows an extra pilot or crew member to fly up front in the flight deck.
6. The Phonetic Alphabet- The universal aviation alphabet, which assigns a word to each letter in order to make the letter easier to understand over the radio.

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Featured Image: Brandon Farris/Airways