The 101 Terms They Had to Know

Sheila Williams challenged each student to learn 101 terms contained in "An Elementary Aviation Glossary," prepared by the FAA. She told them, "You have no choice."

Aerodynamics: Study of the forces of air acting on objects in motion relative to air.

Aileron: Control surfaces hinged at the back of the wings which by deflecting up or down help to bank the airplane.

Air: A mixture of gases making up the atmosphere which surrounds the Earth.

Airfoil: A streamlined surface designed in such a way that air flowing around it produces useful motion.

Airplane: A mechanically driven, fixed-wing, heavier-than-air craft.

Airport: A tract of land or water for the landing and takeoff of aircraft. Facilities for shelter, supply, and repair are usually found there.

Airspeed: Speed of the aircraft relative to the air through which it is moving.

Airway: An air route marked by aids to air navigation, such as beacons, radio ranges, and direction-finding equipment, and along which airports are located.

Altimeter: An instrument for measuring in feet the height of the airplane above sea level.

Altitude: The vertical distance from a given level (sea level) to an aircraft in flight.

Amphibian plane: An airplane that can land on both land and water.

Anemometer: Instrument to measure speed of wind.

Ascend: Climb.

Atmosphere: Blanket of air surrounding the Earth.

Attitude: Position of the airplane relative to the horizon, i.e., a climbing attitude, straight-and-level attitude, etc.

Aviation: A term applied to all phases of the manufacture and operation of aircraft.

Bank: A flight maneuver in which one wing points toward the ground and the other to the sky.

Barometer: An instrument to measure pressure of the atmosphere.

Beacon: A light or other signal indicating direction.

Ceiling: Height above ground of cloud bases.

Chart: An aeronautical map showing information of use to the pilot in going from one place to another.

Cirrus: Type of high, thin cloud.

Cockpit: The portion of the inside of the airplane occupied by the person(s) operating the airplane and containing the instruments and controls.

Compass: An instrument indicating direction.

Contact: Switching on the ignition of an aircraft engine. "Contact" is the word of warning that someone is about to turn on the ignition.

Control tower: A glassed-in observation tower on the airport from which control tower operators observe and direct airport air and ground traffic.

Course: The direction over the Earth's surface that an airplane is intended to travel.

Crosswind: Wind blowing from the side, not coinciding with the path of flight.

Cumulus: Type of cloud formed in puffs or dome shaped.

Current: Stream of air; also, up-to-date.

Dead stick landing: Landing made without the engine operating.

Degree: Percent of a circle or percent of a right angle.

Dive: A steep angle of descent.

Drift: Deviation from a course caused by crosswise currents of air.

Elevation: The height above sea level of a given land prominence, such as airports, mountains, etc.

Elevators: Control surfaces hinged to the horizontal stabilizer which control the pitch of the airplane or the position of the nose of the airplane relative to the horizon.

Engine: The part of the airplane which provides power, or propulsion, to pull the airplane through the air.

Fin: A vertical attachment to the tail of an aircraft which provides directional stability. Same as vertical stabilizer.

Flaps: Hinged or pivoted airfoils forming part of the trailing edge of the wing and used to increase lift at reduced airspeeds.

Flight plan: A formal, written plan of flight showing route, time en route, points of departure and destination, and other pertinent information.

Force: A push or pull exerted on an object.

Freight: Cargo.

Front (weather): Boundary of two overlapping air masses. When cold air is advancing on warm air, it is said to be a cold front; warm air advancing on cooler air is a warm front.

Fuselage: The streamlined body of an airplane to which are fastened the wings and tail.

Gear: The understructure of an airplane which supports the airplane on land or water; wheels, skis, or pontoons. Retractable gear folds up into the airplane in flight. Gear that does not retract is called "fixed."

Glide: A motion of the airplane where the airplane descends at an angle to the Earth's surface.

Glider: A fixed-wing, heavier-than-air craft having no engine.

Gravity: Force toward the center of the Earth.

Hail: Lumps or balls of ice falling to the Earth out of thunderstorms.

Hangar: Building on the airport in which airplanes are stored or sheltered.

Hazard: Obstructions or objects or threats to the safety of the passenger and aircraft.

High pressure area: Mass of air characterized by high barometric pressure.

Horizontal: Parallel to the horizon.

Humidity: Amount of invisible moisture in a given mass of air.

Instruments: Dials or gauges by which information about the flight, airplane, or engine is relayed to the pilot. When the pilot flies the airplane solely by reference to the gauges, he is said to be flying "on instruments."

Knot: A measure of speed, one knot being one nautical mile per hour.

Land: The act of making the airplane descend, lose flying speed, and make contact with the ground or water, thus ending the flight.

Landing pattern: A set, rectangular path around the airport which airplanes follow to land.

Lift: An upward force caused by the rush of air over the wings, supporting the airplane in flight.

Low pressure area: Mass of air having low atmospheric pressure.

Meteorology: The scientific study of the atmosphere.

Moisture: Water in some form in the atmosphere.

Monoplane: An airplane having one set of wings.

Multiengine: Having more than one engine.

Parachute: A fabric device attached to objects or persons, to reduce the speed of descent.

Pedals: Foot controls in the cockpit by which the pilot controls the action of the rudder.

Pilot: Person who controls the airplane.

Precipitation: Any falling visible moisture; rain, snow, sleet, or hail.

Pressure: Force in terms of force per unit area.

Propeller: An airfoil which the engine turns to provide the thrust, pulling the airplane through the air.

Radar: Beamed radio waves for detecting and locating objects. The objects are "seen" on the radar screen or scope.

Ramp: Area outside of airport buildings where airplanes are parked to be serviced or to pick up and discharge passengers and cargo.

Rudder: Control surface hinged to the back of the vertical fin.

Runway: A surface or area on the airport designated for airplanes to take off and land.

Seat belt: Belts attached to the seat which fasten around the pilot and passengers to hold them firmly in their seats in bouncy air and during takeoffs and landings.

Seaplane: An airplane that operates from water.

Slipstream: Current of air driven back by the propeller.

Stabilizer: Horizontal surface which stabilizes the airplane around its lateral axis.

Stall: The reduction of speed to the point where the wing stops producing lift.

Stationary: Something that does not move is said to be stationary. A front along which one air mass does not replace another.

Stratus: Layered clouds.

Streamline: An object shaped to make air flow smoothly around it.

Tachometer: Instrument which measures the speed at which the engine crankshaft is turning, hence the propeller speed in rpm (rounds per minute).

Tail: The part of the airplane to which the rudder and elevators are attached. The tail has vertical and horizontal stabilizers to keep the airplane from turning about its lateral axis.

Takeoff: The part of the flight during which the airplane gains flying speed and becomes airborne.

Terminal: Building on the airport where people board airplanes, buy tickets, and have their luggage handled. Flight services are frequently located at the air terminal.

Thrust: Forward force.

Transmitter: Microphone, or part of the radio that sends the message.

Tricycle landing gear: Airplane's landing wheels, two under the wings and one under the nose.

Turbulence: Irregular motion of air; uneven currents of air.

Turn: Maneuver which the airplane makes in changing its direction of flight.

Updraft: Vertical currents of air.

Velocity: Speed.

Vertical: Ninety degrees from the horizon.

Visibility: Distance toward the horizon that objects can be seen and recognized. Smoke, haze, fog, and precipitation can hinder visibility.

Vortex: A circular, whirling movement of air forming a space in the center, toward which anything caught in the vortex tends to move.

Weather: Condition of the atmosphere at a given time with respect to air motion, moisture, temperature, and air pressure.

Wind: Air in motion, important to aviation because it influences flight to a certain degree.

Wind sock: A cone-shaped, open-ended cylinder of cloth to catch the wind and show its direction.

Wings: Parts of the airplane shaped like airfoils and designed in such a way to provide lift when air flows over them.

Zoom: The climb for a short time at an angle greater than the normal climbing angle, the airplane being carried upward at the expense of airspeed.