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.)
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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?
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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 ...
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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? ...
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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?
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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 ...
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(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 ...
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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
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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{\...
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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?
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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.
...
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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?
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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
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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?
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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 "...
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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 ...
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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?
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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
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"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 ...
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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 ...
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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?
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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 ...
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How to "address" a flight plan to additional stations
Airspace around the Swiss village of Davos is restricted as part of the World Economic Forum every year. The amendment to the Austrian AIP instructs pilots who would still like to cross the affected ...
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Difference between Maintenance planning document(MPD) and Maintenance Manual (AMM)
Could someone explain to a layman, relatively new to Aviation maintenance, the difference between the Maintenance planning document(s) (MPD) and the Maintenance manual (AMM). Is one a subset of the ...
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What is the difference between MOCA and OCA?
Can someone explain me the difference between minimum obstacle clearance altitude and obstacle clearance altitude? I read definitions in Doc 8168 but i don't really see the difference. I would be ...
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What's the difference between itinerary and segment? [duplicate]
I know that a segment is defined as the full flight from the airport where passenger A initially boarded on the airplane to his/her last destination. A segment could be composed of multiple legs. ...
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Are the terms "FMGS" and "MCDU" just Airbus-terms, or are there technical reasons behind the terminology?
I often see commotions online regarding the terminology. Are they just Airbus vs Boeing terms, or are there technical reasons behind them? In everyday speech FMC, FMS, FMCS, FMGS, CDU, MCDU can all be ...
user14897
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What does the abbreviation "SCMOH", related to an engine overhaul, mean?
Scrolling through controller.com. I noticed this, "121.3 SCMOH". Does anyone know what this means?
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What do the 3-character aircraft type codes mean?
On some aircraft lists, including Eurocontrol's Aircraft Performance Database, aircraft have a 3 character code as their type. For example, an Airbus A320neo has a type of "L2J", a Boeing ...
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What is the name of the effect that causes a plane in a dive to go up?
What's the name of the effect that causes the aircraft to automatically pull out of a dive and buffet up due to aerodynamic lift produced at high speeds?
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In the context of aerodynamics, what is a polar?
Many aerodynamics discussions (including several on this site) talk about "polars" without ever explaining what they actually are.
As with any technical term common to a field, once the ...
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What is a "fixed wing" aircraft?
I’ve been trying out different hobbies over the last year, and plane spotting is my current one.
I’ve heard some terms being thrown around about planes like the ones at the Airport - what is a Fixed ...
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Unclear about how you can have high RPM but no power
I did see this question: Manifold pressure vs power vs rpm
But I'm still a bit unclear about the following. I've only flown cherokee pa28s, so I might not have empirical knowledge of the following.
I ...
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What is the difference between the series and parallel yaw-damper systems for the 707?
Some excerpts from the Pan Am 707 AOM indicate that the 707 can have one of two different yaw-damper systems, "series" and "parallel", with differing capabilities:
YAW DAMPER
The ...
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What is Automatic Radial Centering on a VOR indicator?
As the title says - some steam VOR indicators got an ARC indicator lamp. According to the POH of an aircraft featuring such a VOR indicator this means Automatic Radial Centering. What is that ? I ...
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What is the difference between "cruise" and "en-route"?
I have a little misunderstanding about the two concepts: Cruise and En-route.
Could you guys help me to compare the similarities and differences between these two concepts, maybe in some aspect like ...
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What is the definition of Height Above Threshold (HAT)?
I could use some help settling a disagreement about the definition of HAT.
So my company uses the word HAT to mean “height of the aircraft above TDZE…at any given distance…at any given time”
So as an ...
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What is the difference between "origin date" and "departure date"?
In different sources e.g. OAG's API:s (Application Programming Interface), there are both (scheduled) "departure date" and "origin/origination date". In general (so not ...
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What does "time at temperature" mean in the maintenance manual of the J79 engine?
I was reading the maintenance manual of the General Electric J79 and saw these two charts:
and
What does "time at temperature" mean?
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What is the metal sheet in front of the engine called on a Cessna 182 or similar?
I need to know the name of that metal sheet covering the front of the engine in small Cessnas (specifically the Cessna 182), just behind the propeller. I mean the one where the cowl plugs are put into:...
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What does the term "Thru Pax" mean?
I am trying to find the meaning for a group of words used by professionals in the airline industry and this was one of them.
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