Flight Attendant Terminology – Vocabulary Flashcards

Page 1 — Airline Terminology (Glossary)

  • A/C

    • Definition: Aircraft Left -The left-hand side of the aircraft, facing the flight deck

  • A/CL

    • Definition: Aircraft Right – The right side of the aircraft, facing the flight deck

  • A/C R

    • Definition: The rear of the aircraft

  • AFT

    • Definition: Aircraft has no physical contact with the ground and is holding itself in the air

  • Airborne

    • Definition: Includes airfreight and air mail

  • Air Cargo

    • Definition: A record book kept in the flight deck containing a complete history of the aircraft, including flight time, reports, inspections, repairs and alterations to the plane.

  • Term

    • Definition: License rating, which meets the specific requirements of the FAA, issued to operators of scheduled supplemental or authorized carriers

  • Air Maintenance Log

    • Definition: Speed at which the airplane is traveling through the air; may be more or less than the speed in relation to the ground.

  • Airline Certificate

    • Definition: Aircraft operating in the air or on an airport surface exclusive of loading ramps and parking areas.

  • Airspeed

    • Definition: Air Traffic Control - A division of the FAA that controls airways, navigational aids, and established traffic flying on established airways.

  • Air Traffic

    • Definition: Auxiliary Power Unit

  • ATC

    • Definition: An electronic device used to maintain control of the aircraft when desired by the crew.

  • APU

    • Definition: To turn or tip the airplane, either to the left or right, in order to change the direction of the aircraft.

  • Autopilot

    • Definition: The period of time between when an airplane begins to taxi away from the gate at one station until it stops at the gate of the next station.

  • Bank

    • Definition: A "wall" that divides sections of the aircraft cabin.

  • Block-to-Block

    • Definition: Captain; Pilot in Command.

  • Bulkhead

    • Definition: Code of Federal Regulations - Rules designed by the FAA to protect passengers and crewmembers thus ensuring safe flight operations

  • CA

    • Definition: A plane "rented" by a group for its exclusive use

  • CFR

    • Definition: A specially trained and certified Flight Attendant responsible for ensuring Flight Attendant competency and standardization through the performance of IOE and line proficiency checks

  • Charter Flight

    • Definition: Supervisory Pilot who acts as the liaison between line pilots and management

  • Check Flight Attendant

    • Definition: Travel to and from work when one lives in a city or state other than the city or state in which they work

  • Chief Pilot

    • Definition: (Not explicitly provided in this segment; appears as a listed term.)

  • Commute

    • Definition: Travel to and from work when one lives in a city or state other than the city or state in which they work

  • Aircraft

    • Definition: (Not explicitly provided in this segment; appears as a listed term.)

Page 2 — Additional Terms and Abbreviations

  • Connection

    • Definition: Additional flight(s) required to get between departure city and destination city (requires a change of planes)

  • Cockpit/Flight Deck

    • Definition: Pilot compartment of aircraft where flight controls are located

  • Control Tower

    • Definition: Located at airports, with government personnel controlling the airplanes on runways and within sight of the airport

  • CRM

    • Definition: Crew Resource Management: the effective use of all resources to achieve safe and efficient flight operations

  • Crew Base

    • Definition: Airport from which crewmembers begin and end trips; Domicile

  • Crewmember

    • Definition: A person assigned to perform duty in an aircraft during flight time

  • Crash Pad

    • Definition: Shared temporary housing for crewmembers in domicile

  • Deadheading

    • Definition: Flight personnel flying on assignment as non-paying passenger and not performing flight duties

  • Decompression

    • Definition: Occurs when there is a loss of cabin air pressure

  • Destination City

    • Definition: City to which you are flying

  • Direct Flight

    • Definition: Flight with one or more intermediate stops but no change of planes

  • Ditching

    • Definition: A water landing

  • Domicile

    • Definition: Airport assigned as crew base

  • DOT

    • Definition: Department of Transportation; ensures safe travel for passengers

  • DRS

    • Definition: Direct Reference System; computer program used to communicate company correspondence to line crewmembers

  • ETA/ETD

    • Definition: Estimated Time of Arrival; Estimated Time of Departure

  • FAA

    • Definition: Federal Aviation Administration; responsible for the safety of civil aviation

  • FAR

    • Definition: Federal Aviation Regulation

  • FA

    • Definition: Flight Attendant; person responsible for the safe and efficient conduct of all cabin activities during flight

  • Ferry Flight

    • Definition: A flight without passengers for the purpose of returning an aircraft to base; delivering an aircraft from one location to another; moving an aircraft to and from a maintenance base

  • FO

    • Definition: First Officer; Second in Command

  • Forward

    • Definition: Front of aircraft

  • Fuselage

    • Definition: Body of aircraft

  • Galley

    • Definition: "Kitchen" of airplane

  • Gray Water

    • Definition: Non-consumable water

  • HAZMAT

    • Definition: Hazardous materials

  • IOE

    • Definition: Initial Operating Experience; a trainee performing the duties of a Flight Attendant under the supervision of a Check Flight Attendant prior to being assigned revenue flying

  • Jetway

    • Definition: A covered walkway from the airport terminal to the aircraft's entrance

  • Jumpseat

    • Definition: A seat, either in the cabin or cockpit, designated for use by a working crewmember only

  • LAV

    • Definition: Lavatory; the "restroom" of the airplane

Page 3 — Operational Roles and Terms

  • Layover

    • Definition: The time spent on the ground between legs

  • Leg

    • Definition: The flight segment between stops

  • Line Check

    • Definition: An observation conducted by a qualified Check Flight Attendant during which a Flight Attendant is required to demonstrate his/her proficiency in all areas of duties and responsibilities

  • Logbook

    • Definition: A book used for keeping record of flight assignments, including flight times, duty times, flight numbers, fellow crewmember names and any other information relevant to the trip

  • MEL

    • Definition: Minimal Equipment List; A list used by maintenance to determine which items must be repaired immediately to ensure safe operation of the aircraft and which items may be safely deferred

  • No Show

    • Definition: A revenue passenger who does not appear at flight time and who did not cancel his reservation; may also refer to a crewmember who does not report for an assignment as scheduled

  • Non-Stop Flight

    • Definition: Flight with no stops between originating city and destination

  • Nose

    • Definition: The forward most tip of aircraft

  • IOC

    • Definition: Operations Control Center; responsible for the dispatch of all aircraft and the assignment of crews

  • Out and Back

    • Definition: Assignment in which crewmembers departs from and returns to their base in same day

  • Originating City

    • Definition: Point of Origin; City from which you started

  • PAX

    • Definition: Passenger

  • Pairing

    • Definition: Originating city to arrival city indicated on each crewmember's schedule (i.e. DAY-CLT)

  • PIC

    • Definition: Pilot in Command; The PIC (Captain) is responsible for the operation and safety of an aircraft during flight

  • Potable Water

    • Definition: Water that has been purified and certified by local authorities as safe for drinking

  • Pressurization

    • Definition: A mechanical process that keeps the atmospheric conditions on board as near the density on the ground as possible

  • PSU

    • Definition: Passenger Service Unit

  • QIK

    • Definition: Software computer system which contains all information pertinent to all areas of passenger service and flight operations

  • Ramp

    • Definition: The ground area outside of the airport terminal where airplanes park

  • REPO

    • Definition: Reposition flight

  • RON

    • Definition: Remain overnight; pertains to crewmembers or aircraft

  • Runway

    • Definition: Paved surface in which airplanes takeoff and land

  • SIDA

    • Definition: Security Identification Display Area; areas of airport in which security identification badges must be visible on each person

  • Sterile Cockpit

    • Definition: The critical phases of flight during which crewmembers are specifically prohibited from engaging in any activity that is not related to the safe operation of the flight

  • Taxi

    • Definition: Aircraft movement on the ground

  • Tail

    • Definition: The AFT-most section of the airplane

  • Takeoff

    • Definition: The process in which an aircraft leaves the ground

  • Through Flight

    • Definition: A flight that travels from a point of origin to a destination with one or more enroute stops on the same aircraft; passengers may or may not remain aboard the aircraft at the enroute stops

Page 4 — Trip Definition

  • Trip

    • Definition: A series of flights assigned to a crewmember; trips are usually one to four days in length and begin and end at a Flight Attendant's domicile.