AVIATION TERMINOLOGIES

TERM DEFINITION

Aircraft an airplane, helicopter, or other machine capable of flight by

gaining support from the air.

Able-bodied person abbreviated as ABP, is an airline lingo for passengers who are
selected to assist an airline crew during an emergency.

Aft refers to the back part of a plane and section in the rear of an
aircraft. Also referred to as “Aircraft Rear.”

Aileron the moveable areas of a wing that control the aircraft’s ability
to bank / roll / turn.

Airbus an aircraft designed to carry a large number of passengers

economically, especially over relatively short routes.

Airplane an airplane or aeroplane is a fixed-wing aircraft that is

propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, propeller, or
rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes,
and wing configurations.

Alternate Exit an emergency exit in a structure is a special exit for

emergencies such as a fire: the combined use of regular and
special exits allows for faster evacuation.

Arming Lever with the slide arming lever in the armed position, such as
when opening the door during an emergency, the actuator
automatically opens the door to the locked position.

Beer an alcoholic drink made from yeast-fermented malt flavored

with hops.

Boarding Pass or boarding card is a document provided by an airline during

check-in, giving a passenger permission to enter the restricted
area of an airport and to board the airplane for a particular
flight. At a minimum, it identifies the passenger, the flight
number, and the date and scheduled time for departure.

Boeing a US company that makes aircraft. Its passenger planes, such

as the Boeing 747, are the most common ones used by
airlines.

Bulkhead the seat or seats located directly behind the partition

separating various cabins of an aircraft.

Business Class a premium service offered on most international flights with 2

or 3 classes of service. Amenities may include larger seats,
complimentary cocktails, and upgraded meal service.

Cabin an aircraft cabin is the section of an aircraft in which

passengers travel. Most modern commercial aircraft are
pressurized, as cruising altitudes are high enough such that
the surrounding atmosphere is too thin for passengers and
crew to breathe.

Cabin Crew the flight attendants assigned to work a specific flight, trip or
series of trips.
Captain the pilot in command of an aircraft who is responsible for the
safe operation of the flight.

Cargo Hold also known as hold luggage is a luggage that you check in
(lugage to go "in the hold") instead of carrying on with you into
the cabin as "hand luggage".

Carry on luggage is a piece of luggage that can be brought on board the plane
and stowed in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of
you.

Cart is a small serving cart supplied by an air carrier for use by

flight attendants inside the aircraft for transport of beverages,
airline meals, and other items during a flight.

Casserole is a container for flight catering. The name originates from the
French word “casserole” and means “a pot of heat resistant
material”.

Catering is a business that provides food service at a remote site,

specifically airline companies. It involves providing meals for
passengers on board an aircraft as well as for restaurants
situated at airport terminals.

Champagne a white sparkling wine associated with celebration and

regarded as a symbol of luxury

Coffee Cup is a container that coffee and espresso-based drinks are

served

Coffee Maker a coffee maker is an electric countertop appliance that brews

hot coffee automatically.

Decompression is defined as the inability of the aircraft's pressurisation

system to maintain its designed pressure schedule.
Decompression can be caused by a malfunction of the system
itself or by structural damage to the aircraft.

Descent a flight maneuver that causes a downward inclination.

Ditching is another way of saying emergency landing. The phrase

"water landing" is also used as a euphemism for crash-landing
into water an aircraft not designed for the purpose, an event
formally termed ditching

Door Release Handle a knob used to release the catch when opening a door

Drawer an airline trolley drawer is a box-shaped container that fits into

airline trolley in such a way that it can be drawn out
horizontally to reach its contents.

Economy sometimes referred to as coach class, economy class

typically makes up the bulk of the seating on a flight. It's the
most simple class, with the fewest amenities.

Elevators a control surface, usually on the trailing edge of the horizontal

stabilizer, which is used to control the pitch attitude of an
aircraft. Movement of the elevator will force the nose of an
aircraft up or down.

Emergency Exit specified doors and windows on an aircraft used during an

emergency evacuation.
Emergency Locator emergency transmitters that are carried aboard most general
Transmitter aviation aircraft.

Fasten close or do up securely.

Fix Axe were provided to obtain emergency access to areas and parts
of the airplane which are not easily accessible (e.g. behind
sidewall, electrical or ceiling panels). The handle is insulated
to protect against electric shock.

Fire Extinguisher are available on the ramp to fight fires on the exterior of the
aircraft, such as engine or APU fires. CO2 has been used for
many years to extinguish flammable fluid fires and fires
involving electrical equipment.

First Aid Kit medication used mainly to increase heart rate, that may be
needed to assist a passenger with an unstable cardiac
rhythm.

First Class the highest class of service onboard an aircraft. Amenities

may include larger seats, complimentary cocktails, and
upgraded meal service.

First Officer second-in-command pilot on an aircraft. Also referred to as a

“Copilot.”

Flaps control surfaces installed on the trailing edge of a wing and

used to increase the amount of lift generated by the wing at
slower speeds. Flaps also have the effect of slowing an
aircraft during its landing approach.

Flight Attendant a person responsible for the safety and comfort of all
passengers during a flight.

Flight Deck also called the cockpit, it is the section of an aircraft where
pilots sit and control the aircraft.- The section where the pilot
sits and flies the aircraft. On larger aircraft this area
accommodates two or
more personnel.

Forward in the direction that one is facing or traveling; toward the front.

Fuselage the main body of an aircraft, cylindrical in shape. It contains

the cockpit, main cabin and cargo compartments. The plane’s
body, or fuselage, holds the aircraft together, with pilots sitting
at the front of the fuselage, passengers and cargo in the back.

Galley the area inside an aircraft where meals and beverages are
prepared by flight attendants.

Gauge an instrument or device for measuring the magnitude,

amount, or contents of something, typically with a visual
display of such information.

Incapacitated is the term used to describe the inability of a pilot, who is part
of the operating crew, to carry out their normal duties because
of the onset, during flight, of the effects of physiological
factors.

Landing Gear those components comprising the tires, wheels and related
assembly upon which an aircraft lands, and which provides
 mobility for the aircraft while on the ground. Includes all
supporting components, such as the tail wheel or tail skid.
Retracted during flight.

Lavatory an on-board (aircraft) bathroom with a toilet and a sink

Life Raft a life raft is the best protection from the elements when going
further than gliding distance from land.

Life Vest Life vests are worn when the aircraft has made an emergency
water landing. They can be found underneath the seat or
armrests, etc. so that they can be taken out immediately. Put it
over your head to wear.

Main Deck the highest deck running the full length of a vessel (except for
an aircraft carrier's hanger deck).

Megaphone it is used on land, after an emergency, to give orders to

passengers. The megaphone is equipped with a switch and a
rope for transport.

Nozzle is a relatively simple device, just a specially shaped tube

through which hot gases flow.

Oven an enclosed compartment, as in a kitchen range, for cooking

and heating food

Oxygen Bottle an oxygen storage vessel, which is either held under pressure
in gas cylinders, or as liquid oxygen in a cryogenic storage
tank.

Passenger any person aboard an aircraft who does not perform the
function of a flight crewmember or air crewmember.

Pitch a description of the movement of the nose of an aircraft up or

down, in relation to its previous altitude.

Purser assigned to work the senior position on a flight. Also referred t

as “Lead” or “Senior” flight attendant or “Purser” (on
international flights). Warrants additional pay.

Roll motion on an aircraft along its nose-to-tail axis.

Rudder the moveable part of a vertical airfoil which controls the ‘yaw’
(side-to –side) movement of an aircraft, the fixed part being
the FIN.

Safety Pin the term generally refers to a set of pins of an ejection seat,
which when in position disarm or make the ejection seat safe.

Seatbelts designed to keep passengers in their seats during minor and

more common events, like turbulence or collisions on the
runway

Slide is a device folded, packed and installed inside a cabin door or

into an external fuselage compartment. The slide deploys
automatically a few seconds after an armed door has been
opened with electrically powered actuation or manually with a
handle.

Soda carbonated water (originally made with sodium bicarbonate)

 drunk alone or with liquor or wine.

Stowage Bin overhead bins are stowage bins which are attached to ceilings
in the passenger cabins of the aircraft. The items a passenger
carries on-board in airplanes can be stowed in overhead bins
or under the seats.

Ticket Counter airport counter check-in is the process in which the

passenger, upon arrival at the airport, hands over any
baggage that they don't want or are not allowed to carry inside
the aircraft's cabin. They are then given a boarding pass
before they proceed to board the aircraft.

Tray the airplane tray table is a tray built into the back of an airline
seat, which folds down so that the person sitting in the seat
behind the one containing the table can use it as a surface
from which to eat meals served on the airplane.

Trigger landing gear in tricycle configuration; nose wheel rather than

tail wheel

Trolley airline service trolley, also known as an airline catering trolley,

airline meal trolley, or trolley cart, is a small serving cart
supplied by an air carrier for use by flight attendants inside the
aircraft for transport of beverages, airline meals, and other
items during a flight.

Unaccompanied commonly known as 'UM' is a child who is travelling alone

Minor without a parent, guardian or responsible adult. The term is
frequently used in airline policies, however, the specific
meaning varies from airline to airline.

Upper Deck also known as flight deck, the upper deck of an aircraft carrier,
designed for the landing and takeoff of aircraft.

Window Exit found on passenger aircraft to provide a means of evacuation

onto the wing, where passengers continue off the trailing
edge, either by sliding down the extended flaps or by using an
evacuation slide that deploys when the exit is opened.

Wine an alcoholic drink made from fermented grape juice

Yaw a description of the movement of the nose of an aircraft from

side to side, or left and right. Yaw motion is controlled by the
vertical stabilizer and the rudder.

References:

Airline & Aviation Terms. (n.d.). Avjobs, Inc

https://www.avjobs.com/history/airline-glossary.asp

A Glossary of Flight Terms - Air Charter Service. (n.d.). Www.aircharterservice.com.

https://www.aircharterservice.com/about-us/news-features/blog/an-a-z-of-aviation
-definitions

Flight Attendant Dictionary and Airline Terminology. (n.d.). AirlineCareer.com. Retrieved

June 23, 2021, from https://airlinecareer.com/tests/flight-attendant-dictionary/