Questions tagged [terminology]
For questions about words, phrases, and definitions that are specific to aviation or used in a different way in aviation. (Questions about standard words, phrases, and abbreviations used by pilots and ATC specifically in radio transmissions should usually use the [phraseology] tag instead.)
417
questions
0
votes
0
answers
63
views
Is there an equation to solve for bank angle using load factor and wing loading as variables? If so, what is it?
The problem is that I'm looking for both wing loading and load factor as variables to solve for bank angle and cannot find any equation that represents this. After searching various websites and not ...
- 13
0
votes
2
answers
153
views
Why do I keep getting different results to an aircraft's turn radius when I plug variables into different calculators and solve on my own?
I'm trying to solve for an aircraft's turn radius at mach 3.17 (2432 mph) and a bank angle of 19.8; however, after using various online calculators and personally solving the equation, I keep getting ...
- 13
1
vote
1
answer
125
views
What is meant by "shroud" in a gas turbine? For example, an inner shroud and an outer shroud in a vane device in a gas turbine? Thank You
Vane device comprises inner shroud, outer shroud, aerofoils. I cannot understand what shrouds are, and their function.
2
votes
3
answers
160
views
accelerated turns in helicopter
In flight Manual of Russian Mi-17 helicopter, it is give that ”max bank permitted in accelerated turns is 45 deg up to 1km altitude”. At the same time it also mention max bank permitted is 30 deg up ...
- 603
6
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Is the DC-6 Supercharged? And what is a Turbosupercharger?
What it says on the tin. Is the DC-6 supercharged? I thought all planes that fly above around 10,000-15,000 feet need forced induction, but wikipedia doesn't list the DC-6s engines as supercharged or ...
- 61
6
votes
2
answers
4k
views
What does "Splitting the throttles" mean?
In Top Gun Maverick (2022), Maverick flies F14 and evades from enemy flight:
Maverick: Splitting the throttles. Coming around.
What does "Splitting the throttles" mean?
- 85
2
votes
3
answers
218
views
What do you mean by "high-G climb out"?
In Top Gun Maverick (2022), Vice Admiral Beau "Cyclone" Simpson speaks to squadrons about enemy terrain:
Vice Admiral Beau "Cyclone" Simpson: Well, Lieutenant, you have a fighting ...
- 85
-5
votes
1
answer
122
views
What "north wall" is Simpson refer to?
In Top Gun Maverick (2022), Vice Admiral Beau "Cyclone" Simpson speaks to squadrons about enemy terrain:
Vice Admiral Beau "Cyclone" Simpson: Well, Lieutenant, you have a
fighting ...
- 85
0
votes
1
answer
224
views
What does "Bull's-eye 090, 50, tacked southwest" mean?
In Top Gun Maverick (2022), Capt Pete and his squadrons enters enemy terittory meanwhile
they noticed two bandits on the radar:
Pheonix: Comanche, what's their heading?
Comanche: Bull's-eye 090, 50, ...
- 85
-2
votes
1
answer
226
views
What does "a pop-up strike with a steep dive" mean?
In Top Gun Maverick (2022), Capt Pete trains squadrons:
Capt Pete: It's the most difficult stage of the mission.
It's a pop-up strike with a steep dive, requiring nothing less
than two consecutive ...
- 85
3
votes
2
answers
558
views
What would define a thunderstorm that you would stay 20 miles away from?
In summer time, we get pop up cumulonimbus clouds that often develop into thunderstorms. So is there a defined point at which it would be considered a thunderstorm to stay 20 miles away from? Is it ...
- 297
13
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What is the FAA definition of a "flight"?
For the purposes of aeronautical experience for glider ratings, the FAA requires a certain number of "flights". However, I cannot find a definition of "flight" in the federal ...
- 4,913
3
votes
1
answer
273
views
Why do acronyms aviation often have words in orders unusual?
"Airplane Single Engine Land" (rather than "Single Engine Land Airplane"
"Certified Flight Instructor Instrument" (rather than "Certified Instrument Flight ...
- 6,564
20
votes
6
answers
6k
views
What is a "pickle switch" in civil aviation?
In an episode of "Air Crash Investigation" the term "pickle switch" was used. I tried to search this term in all the resources available to me and I didn't find any citation, ...
8
votes
2
answers
3k
views
What is the difference between an aircraft and a projectile?
18 U.S. Code § 31(a)(1) says,
The term “aircraft” means a civil, military, or public contrivance invented, used, or designed to navigate, fly, or travel in the air.
What exactly is an aircraft? ...
- 6,564
8
votes
3
answers
2k
views
What does Line imply in Line Replaceable Unit?
Does line indicate the aircraft is lined up in hangar (!) and maintenance crew can replace it?
Or does it mean something else?
Wiki talks about operating location and distances.. What is that?
- 545
1
vote
2
answers
216
views
In a push-pull twin, which engine is number one?
I know this is kind of a silly question, but I'm curious.
On a "standard" multi-engine airplane, the engines are numbered from port to starboard, with the furthest port engine being number ...
- 12.8k
2
votes
1
answer
571
views
What altitude does the "Apt Elev" on the Jeppesen charts represent?
What altitude does the "Apt Elev" on the Jeppesen charts represent?
According to my research, the height we call "airport elevation" indicates the highest altitude on the landing ...
- 2,049
3
votes
1
answer
272
views
What is an "emergency squat switch activation"?
I understand what a squat switch does and what it's for: it indicates weight on wheels/skids to indicate that the aircraft is sufficiently on the ground for ground-only things to happen (like ...
- 15.6k
0
votes
1
answer
444
views
what does upwind engine and down wind engine mean?
can anyone illustrate with a picture what does upwind engine and downwind engine mean?
for example, i came across this - “The outer engines are critical. If there is any crosswind then the upwind ...
- 213
5
votes
3
answers
445
views
What is the name for the spherical type of attitude indicator that also shows heading?
Is there a special name for the type of attitude indicator or artificial horizon that is more or less a complete sphere and includes lines to show the aircraft heading? I've seen them in the cockpits ...
- 21.8k
2
votes
1
answer
680
views
What is the difference between position and navigation lights on light training aircraft?
What is the difference between position and navigation lights on light training aircraft (or general)? When I search for both, I find the same lights: red on the left, green on the right, and white on ...
- 2,049
0
votes
1
answer
78
views
What exactly is the interval and duration of occurrence represented by the acronym TEMPO?
What exactly is the interval and duration of occurrence represented by the acronym TEMPO? When we look at this How to interpret BECMG and TEMPO in TAF? question, we see the following in the answer ...
- 2,049
1
vote
1
answer
77
views
Why is there a FAF database identifier with the code [FS044] even though it says no FAF and why is there an RNAV fix symbol for that point?
Why is there a FAF database identifier with the code [FS044] even though it says no FAF and why is there an RNAV fix symbol for that point? The code [FS044] means FAF for the approach (What is the ...
- 2,049
0
votes
0
answers
103
views
Which values do "PANS-OPS" and "Standard" labels represent in the minimum table seperately? (minimums, circle-to-land values, aircraft categories...)
What is the difference between these two labels and which values do they represent in the minimum table exactly? ("PANS-OPS" and "Standard") What are the values that Standard and ...
- 2,049
0
votes
1
answer
67
views
What values will I use for circle-to-land in categories A and B? RVR 1800m or RVR 2200m?
What values will I use for circle-to-land in categories A and B? RVR 1800m or RVR 2200m? And if I am using them, why are the visibility values such as 1500m-1600m determined?
- 2,049
0
votes
1
answer
106
views
What is meant by the sentence, "It relates to aircraft handling speeds and circling area development."?
What exactly is meant by the sentence:
It relates to aircraft handling speeds and circling area development.
For which values does the phrase "aircraft handling speeds and circling area ...
- 2,049
1
vote
1
answer
86
views
What exactly does the expression "higher straight-in minimums" describe as "higher" relative to which value?
What does the description of note 1 that I marked in the image mean? What exactly does the expression "higher straight-in minimums" describe as "higher" relative to which value? ...
- 2,049
14
votes
3
answers
3k
views
What is the name of the pedal assembly in an aircraft cockpit?
I'm proofreading a document about rudder control systems and client insists on calling the pedal assembly under the pilot's feet the "rudder". Would this ever be used?
- 141
16
votes
2
answers
8k
views
What is meant by "Fox Two"?
Numerous Movies, Video Games, and TV shows featuring fighter pilots depict the pilots calling out "Fox Two" on the radio as they fire a missile.
The transmission (as depicted, I'm not sure ...
- 30.4k
2
votes
5
answers
724
views
(In English) is there a way/shorthand to refer to the minutes part of a plane's landing time? (I.e. omitting the hour)
For example, if a plane lands at 17:34, is it possible (in English) to only report the minutes (34) portion of the time? If so, how?
The reason/context for the question: I'm trying to translate ...
- 229
6
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Does “balls to the wall” mean “full speed ahead” or “full speed ahead and nosedive”?
Full speed ahead: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/balls_to_the_wall
Full speed ahead and nosedive: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2006/02/why-we-say-balls-to-the-wall.html
- 61
3
votes
1
answer
236
views
What is the relation between body-frame, body-fixed-frame and vehicle-frame?
When I first came across these three terms, I thought they were all the same. A frame attached to the body of a plane and centered at its center-of-mass with the frame's $\left\{\hat{\mathbf{i}},\hat{\...
- 193
0
votes
1
answer
130
views
What does "Get a bearing on" mean?
In Top Gun (1986), a flight got hit by a missile:
Airboss: Get a bearing on Hollywood and Wolfman
and launch the rescue helicopter immediately.
What does "Get a bearing on" mean?
- 389
-1
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What does "with information Alpha" mean? [duplicate]
In Top Gun Maverick (2022), Lt Pete Maverick speaks on comm:
Lt Pete Maverick: Tower, this is Darkstar. We are taxiing with
information Alpha.
Traffic Controller: Darkstar, you are clear to taxi.
...
- 389
12
votes
1
answer
2k
views
What does "mode-four check" mean?
I heard this line in Top-Gun (1986):
Voodoo 1: Mustang, when you get the chance, can you give me a
mode-four check?
What does "mode-four check" mean?
- 389
5
votes
1
answer
3k
views
What does "Zero for twenty" mean?
In Top Gun (1986), a flight got hit by a missile:
Pilot: I'm hit! I'm hit! We're coming apart! I can't control it! Hold on!
Zero for twenty! We're going down!
What ...
- 389
9
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Terminology: is the "normal acceleration" (nz) considered to be 1 G, or 0, when an aircraft is at rest on the ground with fuselage horizontal?
This is meant to be a question about terminology, not a request for an explanation of the underlying physics at play.
When an airplane is in constant-speed straight-and-level upright flight with the ...
- 21.8k
4
votes
2
answers
343
views
What is "negative geometric washout"?
I read that the wing of a hang glider should be tightened with cables so that it has a "negative washout", but I didn't really find anything about what this means
- 41
6
votes
3
answers
1k
views
How is expected approach time phrased in ATC communications?
For example, does an air traffic controller say the full phrase ("expected approach time XX minutes") or are there other conventions?
- 229
8
votes
3
answers
2k
views
How do pilots refer to an aeronautical/aviation chart in casual terms?
How do you refer casually to an aeronautical chart? For example, in casual conversation between pilots and/or other related personnel, do you say the entire phrase? Or is it just something like "...
- 229
1
vote
2
answers
278
views
What do air traffic controllers call themselves? Or how are ATCs referred? "Controller"? "ATC"? "Control"?
What do air traffic controllers call themselves? Or how are ATCs referred? Is it "controller"? "ATC"? "Control"? For example, if I wanted to say an airport has a shortage ...
- 229
5
votes
2
answers
651
views
What would an ATC command telling a pilot to maintain a certain speed until a certain distance from the destination sound like?
For example, instructing an aircraft to maintain a speed of 200 knots until it is 10 nautical miles from the destination / runway threshold?
- 229
0
votes
1
answer
274
views
Do these sound like plausible ATC communications (specifically in China, if that's relevant)?
Working on a small translation project that involves civil aviation. The setting is a Chinese airport. Same idea as my other question -
Do these seem like plausible radio communication dialogue ...
- 229
0
votes
2
answers
245
views
Do these phrases sound like actual things that could be said during radio communications between pilots and ATCs?
I'm working on some translations and want to make sure that I'm not making things up with the radio communications.
Here are a few sentences I would appreciate help with. Bold font indicates areas I'm ...
- 229
5
votes
1
answer
454
views
What other quasi-homophones are shunned in aviation, just as "climb" is preferred to "ascend"? [closed]
What other Rhymes does aviation spurn? ascend vs. descend are Quasi-Homophones, because they are stems that share the root -cend from Latin scandere.
What about increase vs. decrease? Again, they ...
user128
4
votes
1
answer
593
views
"Selected/commanded," "indicated," what's the third word?
Aviation terminology, in my understanding of it, makes a useful distinction between something being "selected" or "commanded" and "indicated."
For example, if I flip the ...
- 1,044
15
votes
2
answers
10k
views
What’s the difference between “Bandit” and “Bogey”
When I was watching Top Gun Maverick, the EWAC called the 2 incoming SU-57s “bandits”, but when Maverick says it he says “bogies incoming“. (Correct me if that isn’t what they said).
So why don’t they ...
- 217
13
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What does "CATs three and four" mean?
I heard this line in Top Gun (1986) film:
Airboss: Ready Willard and Simkin off CATs three and four.
What does "CATs three and four" mean?
- 389
1
vote
2
answers
206
views
What is the correct terminology for the ICON A5's wing configuration?
The ICON A5 would seem to be a "conventional" (if we stretch the limits of the term) high-wing monoplane.
But what about these things right here:
The protrusions from the hull, circled in ...
- 3,408