Aviation

fuselage

the central body of an airplane that is designed to accommodate the crew and passengers (or cargo)

flaps

a movable airfoil that is part of an aircraft wing, used to increase lift

slats

protrusions from the leading edge of a wing that, when combined with the flaps, result in a significant increase in lift

spoiler

a hinged airfoil on the upper surface of an aircraft wing that is raised to reduce lift and increase drag (commonly used when landing)

Air traffic control

What is ATC?

elevator

the airfoil on the tailplane of an aircraft that makes it ascend or descend

aileron

The controlling surface that regulates an aircraft's roll.

rudder

a hinged vertical airfoil mounted at the tail of an aircraft and used to make horizontal course changes

autopilot

a navigational device that automatically keeps planes on a steady course

cabin

the passenger compartment of an aircraft

cockpit

compartment where the pilot (and first officer) sit while flying the aircraft (also called flight deck)

altimeter

an instrument that measures the height above sea level in the cockpit (in feet)

radio altimeter

instrument that determines height above ground level (Hint: sends radio signals from plane)

airspeed

The speed of the aircraft

Indicated Airspeed

type of airspeed is read directly from the airspeed indicator that's being driven by a pitot-static system

True Airspeed

Speed of the airplane relative to the atmosphere, V

Ground speed

The speed of the aircraft in relation to the speed on the ground

Knots indicated airspeed

What is KIAS?

Heading

the bearing of the aircraft, in degrees

artificial horizon

a navigational instrument based on a gyroscope

thrust reversers

used to redirect thrust to air in stopping or to reverse the direction of the aircraft. Based on the same principle as a reversing propeller.

Cockpit Resource Management

What is CRM?

control column

device used to make changes to the aircraft's attitude

fly-by-wire

movements to the controls in this system are converted to electronic signals, then sent to the aircraft's control surfaces

glass cockpit

a cockpit that has computerized or digital controls and displays

pilot

first-in-command of an aircraft (left seat)

first officer

second-in-command of an aircraft (right seat)

flight engineer

responsible for monitoring and controlling many of the aircraft systems during flight

sterile cockpit

an FAA regulation prohibiting non-essential activities during critical phases of flight, normally below 10,000 feet

taxi

the term used when an aircraft is moving on the ground under its own power

takeoff

the phase of flight when an aircraft accelerates and leaves the ground

climb

ascent phase of flight, increasing altitude to predetermined level

cruise

maintaining altitude at a predetermined level, and making heading changes to navigate

descent

The downward movement of an aircraft from cruising altitude to landing

landing

The act of bringing the aircraft down on the runway

final approach

last part of an aircraft's approach (commonly last 5 mins of flight)

landing flare

a stage in landing where the nose of the aircraft is raised and the proper attitude is set in preparation for touchdown

touchdown

a landing (as the wheels touch the landing field)

ditching

An emergency landing and evacuation of an aircraft in water

controlled flight into terrain

What is CFIT?

enhanced ground proximity warning system

What is EGPWS?

instrument approach

a technique used by airports to safely guide planes under IFR to the runway and make sure they can land safely

Instrument flight rules

What is IFR?

Visual flight rules

What is VFR?

Instrument meterological conditions

What is IMC?

Visual meterological conditions

What is VMC?

Non-precision

Is VOR precision or non-precision approach?

lateral

Does a localizer provide lateral or vetical guidance in an ILS?

glide scope

Provides vertical guidance to a plane when landing

Very high frequency omnidirectional range

What is VOR? (full)

distance measuring equipment

What is DME?

Slant range in nautical miles

DME gives the pilot: what range and which unit of measurement?

Instrument landing system

What is ILS?

primary radar

first type of radar developed, reports positions of objects

secondary radar

uses radio signals from aircraft transponder to identify aircraft and position

secondary surveillance radar

What is SSD?

squawk

term used by ATC to tell an aircraft to key in code on transponder

Federal Aviation Administration, US

What is FAA and what country?

Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Australia

What is CASA and what country?

Australian Transport Safety Bureau

What is ATSB?

flight data recorder

What is FDR?

cockpit voice recorder

What is CVR?

black box

equipment that records information about the performance of an aircraft during flight, comprises of FDR and CVR.

Runway 16

A runway with heading 164 degrees is called what?

checklist

a list used by the crew to check that systems are working and to not miss anything when flying

autothrottle

a device that pilots use to control the power settings by specifying a characteristic of flight (e.g. descent)

pitot-static system

a system used to determine airspeed and altitude

Traffic collision avoidance system

What is TCAS?

turboprop

an airplane with an external propeller that is driven by a turbojet engine

turn-and-bank indicator

Shows correct execution of turn and bank.

Similar to a Spirit Level or "Bubble" Level, in that a metal ball will remain in mid mark of tubing to indicate a proper bank.

spatial disorientation

An individual's inability to determine his or her position, attitude, and motion relative to the surface of the Earth.

Vr

At what (v) speed should a pilot 'rotate'?

V1

What is the decision speed?

Vne

Never exceed speed

Vs

Stalling speed (clean)

Vso

Stalling speed (with flaps)

Vfe

Max speed with flaps

Vno

Max structural cruising speed

stall

a malfunction in the flight of an aircraft in which there is a sudden loss of lift that results in a downward plunge

vortices

circular patterns of air created by the movement of an

airfoil through the air when generating lift.

Doppler radar

A radar tracking system that measures how fast the wind is moving