FLIGHT ENG101

AVIATION VOCABULARY
Airborne: In the air; flying.
Altitude: The vertical distance from the Earth
(at sea level) to an aircraft in flight.
Cabin: The inside of the airplane where
passengers sit.
Fuselage: The body of an airplane: the wings
and tail are attached to the fuselage.
Hangar: A building at the airport where airplanes
are kept when not in use.
Knot: A measure of speed. One knot equals one
nautical mile per hour.
Land: The act of making the airplane contact the
ground or water, ending the flight.
Landing gear: The parts of the airplane which support
the airplane on land or water (usually wheels, although
landing gear for planes that land on water include skis).
Usually the gear is retractable and folds into the airplane
during flight.
Pilot: The person who controls the airplane.
Propeller: A piece of equipment turned by an engine in
order to help the plane fly.
Radar: A machine that uses radio waves to
detect and locate objects. The objects are “seen”
on a radar screen.
Runway: A surface or area on the airport
designated for airplanes to take off and land.
Tail: The back part of the airplane.
Take-off: The part of the flight when the airplane
reaches flying speed and becomes airborne.
Velocity: Speed.
Visibility: The distance at which objects can be
seen and recognized. Smoke, fog, and storms can
hinder visibility.
Peter: So now, I'm going to ask you about what the
different parts of a plane are.
Juan: Ok.
Peter: So what's the main part of a plane called? The
part which contains the passengers, crew and cargo?
Juan: I think that's called the fuselage.
Peter: That's right. And what do you
call the front part of the fuselage?
Juan: That's called the nose. And the
section at the back of the airplane is
called the tail.
Peter: Perfect. And the part of the
fuselage behind the nose where the
pilots fly the aircraft from?
Juan: That's called the flight deck.
Peter: Yes it is, but it is more
commonly called the cockpit. And
what's the section of the plane where
the passengers travel in?
Juan: That's called the cabin.
Peter: And the section under the cabin
where the passengers suitcases, bags
and other things are carried?
Juan: That's called the hold
or baggage hold.
Peter: Perfect. So what are the wheels called
which an aircraft uses when travelling on the
ground?
Juan: They are called the landing gear and
they are on the bottom of the aircraft.
Peter: Is the landing gear just attached to
the fuselage of the plane?
Juan: No, some of the landing gear is also
attached to the wings as well. The two long
horizontal parts of the aircraft attached to
the middle part of the fuselage.
Peter: Good. And what do you call the things which
power the aircraft so it can move and fly?
Juan: That depends on the type of aircraft. On some
aircraft (especially bigger ones), they are powered
by jet engines which are attached to the wings. On
other aircraft (especially smaller ones), they are
powered by a propeller which is normally attached to
the nose of the airplane.
THE 'WINGS' ARE THE
TWO LONG
HORIZONTAL FINS
WHICH ARE LOCATED
IN THE MIDDLE PART
OF THE AIRCRAFT. ALL
AIRCRAFT HAVE
'WINGS' TO GIVE THEM
BOTH STABILITY
WHEN FLYING AND
TO GENERATE LIFT TO
LEAVE THE GROUND.
USED TO POWER
AIRCRAFT .ON MOST
SMALL AIRCRAFT,
THE 'PROPELLER' IS
ATTACHED TO THE
NOSE OF THE
AIRCRAFT. FOR
LARGER AIRCRAFT
(AND ON THESE
THERE ARE
NORMALLY
BETWEEN 2 TO 4
'PROPELLERS' ON
EACH AIRCRAFT),
THIS IS A PLANE'S
MAIN BODY
SECTION (THE
CYLINDER PART)
WHICH THE 'WINGS'
AND 'FINS' OF THE
PLANE ARE
ATTACHED TO. THIS
IS THE PART WHICH
HOLDS THE CREW
AND PASSENGERS
AND/OR CARGO.
THIS IS THE NAME
FOR THE PART OF
THE 'FUSELAGE' AT
THE VERY FRONT
OF AN AIRCRAFT.
ON SMALL
AIRCRAFT, A
'PROPELLER' IS
ATTACHED TO THE
'NOSE' OF THE
AIRCRAFT.
ALSO CALLED
THE 'AIRCRAFT
CABIN'. THIS IS
THE PART OF
THE 'FUSELAGE'
OF AN AIRCRAFT
IN WHICH
PASSENGERS
TRAVEL IN.
THESE ARE OFTEN
JUST CALLED THE
'ENGINES'. ON
MOST COMMERCIAL
AIRCRAFT, THE 'JET
ENGINES' (AND ON
THESE THERE ARE
NORMALLY
BETWEEN 2 TO 4 ON
EACH AIRCRAFT)
ARE ATTACHED TO
THE WINGS.
ALSO CALLED THE
'TAIL SECTION'. THIS
IS THE NAME FOR
THE PART OF THE
'FUSELAGE' AT THE
BACK OF AN
AIRCRAFT. THE 'TAIL'
IS WHERE THE 'FIN'
AND THE
'TAILPLANES' ARE
ATTACHED TO THE
AIRPLANE.
ALSO CALLED THE
'FLIGHT DECK'.
THIS IS THE PART
OF THE 'FUSELAGE'
AT THE FRONT OF
AN AIRCRAFT
WHICH CONTAINS
THE FLIGHT
INSTRUMENTS AND
WHERE THE PLANE
IS FLOWN FROM.
'UNDERCARRIAGE'.
THESE ARE THE
WHEELS ON THE
AIRCRAFT WHICH
ARE USED TO MOVE
THE AIRPLANE
AROUND ON THE
GROUND. 'LANDING
GEAR' ON MOST
AIRCRAFT IS
RETRACTABLE (IT
CAN BE FOLDED
INTO THE
'FUSELAGE' OR
TO LARGE
AIRCRAFT WHICH
TRANSPORT
PEOPLE, THIS IS
THE PART OF THE
'FUSELAGE'
UNDER THE
'CABIN' SECTION
WHICH IS USED TO
TRANSPORT
BAGGAGE AND
CARGO. IN SOME
SMALL AIRCRAFT,
THE 'BAGGAGE
 PARTS OF AN AIRPORT

Peter: 'So Juan, today we are going to be looking at the names

of the different parts of an airport which both pilots and air
traffic controllers need to know.'
Juan: 'Ok.'
Peter: 'So to start, tell me what the name of the main building
which passengers have to go through to board/get on a plane is?'
Juan: 'That's called a terminal.'
THIS IS A
BUILDING AT AN
AIRPORT WHERE
PASSENGERS
HAVE TO GO
THROUGH TO
BOTH BOARD A
PLANE AND
WHEN THEY
LEAVE THE
AIRPORT WHEN
THE PLANE THEY
Peter: 'Perfect. So, in a terminal, what is
the name of the place where passengers
both go to and wait at to board a plane?'
Juan: 'It's called a gate. But it's also the
place where people get off/disembark
from a plane too. These are too easy!'
THIS IS THE AREA IN
THE TERMINAL WHERE
PASSENGERS EITHER
BOARD OR LEAVE THE
PLANE. PILOTS AND
CONTROLLERS OFTEN
REFER TO THE AREA
JUST IN FRONT OF IT
OUTSIDE (WHERE
PLANES ARE WAITING)
FOR PASSENGERS THE
'GATE' ALSO.
Peter: 'So let's make it a little more difficult. What is the
area in front of the gates where planes are parked (whether
directly in front of the gates or further away) called?'
Juan: 'I've heard people call it the tarmac before, but I don't
know if that's its name.’
Peter: 'Some people do call this space where planes are
parked the tarmac, but for pilots and controllers it is called
the ramp or the apron.'
ALSO CALLED THE
'APRON' (OUTSIDE THE
US, CANADA AND THE
PHILIPPINES) AND THE
'TARMAC'. THE 'RAMP'
IS AN AREA AROUND
THE TERMINAL
BUILDINGS WHERE
AIRCRAFT ARE
PARKED AND SERVICED
AND PASSENGERS
BOARD AND GET OFF
FROM PLANES.
Juan: 'Didn't know that. So what are the roads
which the planes can move slowly on called? I
know that the roads where planes take off and
land are called runways. But what are the roads
which connect the ramp to runways called.'
Peter: 'These are called taxiways. And you are
right when you say their purpose is that planes
can move between from the ramp to the different
runways at an airport or vice versa.'
THE PLANES LAND
AND TAKE OFF.
RUNWAYS ARE
ALWAYS CALLED A
NUMBER BETWEEN
01-36. THE NUMBER
CHOSEN DEPENDS
ON WHICH
COMPASS
DIRECTION THE
RUNWAY IS FACING
(E.G. A RUNWAY
WOULD BE CALLED
'9' IF IT FACES EAST
ARE THE
ROADS/PATHS IN
THE AIRPORT USED
BY AIRCRAFT TO
MOVE/TAXI
BETWEEN
DIFFERENT PARTS
(E.G. FROM THE
RUNWAY TO THE
ONE OF THE
TERMINALS).
Juan: 'There are so many taxiways at airports, how
do pilots know which is which or where to go? Or
what is a taxiway and what is runway?'
Peter: 'Well, first of all there are signs. These are
squares or rectangles of metal which are above the
ground which have information written on them
(e.g. taxiway name, directions etc...) to help pilots.
USED TO GIVE PILOTS
INFORMATION WHEN
TAXIING/MOVING THEIR
AIRCRAFT AROUND THE
AIRPORT. THIS
INFORMATION COULD
BE LOCATIONAL (I.E.
WHERE THEY ARE),
DIRECTIONAL (E.G.
GIVE DIRECTIONS TO
GO TO A TERMINAL,
RUNWAY OR TAXIWAY)
OR INSTRUCTIONAL
(E.G. A PLACE WHERE
In addition, there are lines and information painted on the
actual taxiway, runway or ramp. These markings also
help the pilots when moving around the airport.

Both signs and markings are especially important and

helpful for pilots when two taxiways (or a runway and a
taxiway) cross or one joins another. If there weren't signs
and markings at these intersections, planes could get lost
or crash together.'
THESE ARE WORDS,
NUMBERS,
SYMBOLS AND
LINES WHICH ARE
PAINTED ON THE
TARMAC. THESE
ARE USED TO
PROVIDE
LOCATIONAL,
DIRECTIONAL AND
INSTRUCTIONAL
INFORMATION.
THESE ARE
WHERE EITHER
TWO TAXIWAYS
OR A TAXIWAY
AND A RUNWAY
CROSS/INTERSE
CT OR JOIN.
Juan: 'But what happens at night? It must be difficult to
see signs or markings!'
Peter: 'It's more difficult. So to help pilots, there are also
lights on the taxiways, runways etc... which have
different colors to help pilots move around airports.
There's one special flashing light which is used to show
pilots who are approaching to land where the airport is at
night or when visibility is low. This is called a beacon.'
DIFFERENT
COLORED LIGHTS
ARE USED TO
LIGHTEN UP
DIFFERENT PARTS
OF THE AIRPORT
(E.G. RUNWAYS,
TAXIWAYS ETC...)
FOR AIRCRAFT
WHEN IT IS NIGHT
OR VISIBILITY IS
LOW.
ALSO CALLED AN OR
'AERODROME
BEACON' 'ROTATING
BEACON'. THIS IS A
FLASHING LIGHT
WHICH IS USED AT
NIGHT OR WHEN THERE
IS LOW VISIBILITY TO
SHOW THE LOCATION
OF THE AIRPORT TO
PILOTS LANDING. IT'S
LIKE A LIGHTHOUSE
FOR PLANES.
Juan: 'A beacon sounds like a lighthouse for
planes.'
Peter: 'You are right, they are very similar to
lighthouses.
I have another question for you. What do
you call the tall building with lots of
windows which air traffic controllers use to
see what's happening at the airport?'
Juan: 'That's easy, it's called a control
tower.'
TOWER AT AN
AIRPORT WHERE THE
AIR TRAFFIC
CONTROLLERS WHO
ARE RESPONSIBLE
FOR MOVING PLANES
AROUND THE AIRPORT
(CALLED 'GROUND
CONTROL'), FOR
PARKING AIRCRAFT
(CALLED 'RAMP
CONTROL') AND FOR
LANDINGS AND
TAKEOFFS (CALLED
Peter: 'Perfect. And the last question. What do you
call the buildings which planes can park inside?'
Juan: 'You mean the buildings which have very large
doors?'
Peter: 'That's right.'
Juan: 'They are called hangars.'
Peter: 'Perfect.'
ROOFED BUILDING
USED FOR THE
PARKING OF
AIRCRAFT.
HANGARS ARE USED
TO PROTECT
AIRCRAFT FROM
THE WEATHER OR
WHEN THEY ARE
UNDERGOING
MAINTENANCE OR
REPAIR.
 MORE PARTS OF A PLANE
Peter: So now, I am going to ask you about some other
parts of an aircraft.
Juan: Ok.
Peter: On the wings there are various panels/parts which
are used to control the aircraft.
Juan: To help the plane to take off, slow down and to
move left or right.
Peter: That's right. So, what are the name of the
panels/parts attached to the back part of the wings next
to the fuselage that are used to help the airplane take off
from the runway and to slow it down when landing?
Juan: I think they are called the flaps. But they are not
the only panels/parts attached to the back part of the
wings, are they?
Peter: No they aren't. There is a panel/part
attached at the back of each wing near the
tip/end which are used to turn the aircraft
either left or right. Do you know what these
are called?
Juan: I think they are called the ailerons.
Peter: That's correct. And what about the
panels/parts on the top of the wing in front of the
flaps, which are used to make an aircraft
descend/go down more quickly?
Juan: I know this. They are called the spoilers.
They are also used to slow the plane down when
the plane has landed on the runway.
Peter: They do. So now let's look at the back or
tail of an aircraft. There are two types of small
wings attached to the fuselage and are fixed (they
don't move). One which is vertical and the other
which is horizontal. Do you know what these are
called?
Juan: The one which is vertical is called the fin.
Peter: And the small wings which
are horizontal which are under the
fin at each side of it?
Juan: They are called
the tailplanes.
Peter: Perfect. Although neither the fin and the
tailplanes move, they each have a panel/part
which does. So what is the name of the panel/part
at the back of the fin which is used to help the
aircraft turn left or right?
Juan: It's the same as on a boat or ship, it's called
a rudder.
Peter: That's right. So to end, tell me
what the names of the panels/parts are
at the back of the tailplanes?
Juan: They are called the elevators.
Peter: And what are they used to do?
Juan: They are used to make the nose of
the aircraft either point up (so the plane
climbs/goes up) or point down (so the plane
descends/goes down).
Peter: That's correct. Well done.
STABILIZER' OR A
'TAIL FIN'. THIS IS THE
FIXED VERTICAL
WING AT THE TAIL OF
THE AIRCRAFT. LIKE
THE 'TAILPLANES', IT
IS USED TO STABILIZE
THE AIRCRAFT IN
FLIGHT. IN ADDITION
TO THIS, IT CONTAINS
THE 'RUDDER' WHICH
IS USED WHEN
CHANGING THE
HORIZONTAL
TO THE BACK PART OF THE
WINGS NEXT TO THE
FUSELAGE. THEY ARE USED
TO GIVE LIFT TO THE
PLANE AT TAKEOFF AND TO
SLOW THE PLANE DOWN
DURING LANDING. THEY
HAVE TWO POSITIONS: IN
LINE WITH THE REST OF
THE WING OR IN A
DOWNWARDS FACING
POSITION.
DURING THE REST OF THE
FLIGHT, THE 'FLAPS' ARE
RARELY USED FOR
INCREASING ALTITUDE.
THE 'ELEVATORS' (ON THE
THIS IS A MOVEABLE PANEL
FIXED/ATTACHED TO THE
BACK SIDE OF THE 'FIN' AT
THE TAIL OF THE PLANE.
LIKE THE 'RUDDER' ON A
BOAT, IT IS USED ON A
PLANE TO TURN IT TO THE
LEFT OR RIGHT. BY
TURNING THE 'RUDDER' TO
THE RIGHT, TURNS THE
PLANE TO THE RIGHT.
LIKEWISE, WHEN YOU TURN
IT TO THE LEFT, THE PLANE
TURNS TO THE LEFT
ALSO CALLED THE
'HORIZONTAL
STABILIZERS'. THEY
ARE THE FIXED
HORIZONTAL SHORT
WINGS (THEY DON'T
MOVE) AT THE BACK
(TAIL) OF A PLANE. LIKE
THE 'FIN', THEY ARE
USED TO STABILIZE THE
AIRCRAFT IN FLIGHT
ALSO CALLED 'LIFT
SPOILERS'. THESE ARE
MOVEABLE PANELS
FIXED/ATTACHED TO THE
TOP SIDE OF THE WINGS.
THEY ARE NORMALLY
LOCATED IN FRONT OF
THE FLAPS. THEY ARE
USED TO BOTH INCREASE
THE DESCENT RATE OF AN
AIRCRAFT AND TO SLOW
THE AIRCRAFT DOWN
ONCE IT HAS LANDED ON
THE RUNWAY.
THESE ARE THE MOVEABLE
PANELS FIXED TO THE BACK PART
OF EACH OF THE 'TAILPLANES' AT
THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THEY
ARE USED TO CHANGE THE
ALTITUDE AT WHICH THE
AIRCRAFT IS FLYING AT. THE
'ELEVATORS' DO THIS BY
CHANGING THE PITCH OF THE
AIRCRAFT. BY RAISING THE 'NOSE',
THE PLANE GOES UPWARDS. BY
DROPPING THE 'NOSE', THE PLANE
GOES DOWNWARDS.
THEY ARE MOVEABLE
PANELS FIXED/ATTACHED
TO THE BACK SIDE OF THE
WINGS NEXT TO THE TIPS
OF THE WINGS. THEY ARE
BASICALLY USED ALONG
WITH THE 'RUDDER' TO
TURN THE PLANE TO THE
LEFT OR THE RIGHT (THE
'AILERONS' TO TURN THE
PLANE AND THE 'RUDDER'
TO MAKE THE TURN
SMOOTH).
AVIATION ENGLISH
VOCABULARY
COWLING
STRUT
AIRFLOW
AIRFOIL
DOGFIGHT
STUNT
TURBULENCE
NOSE DIVE
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
TRIM TAB
NAVIGATION
FLIGHT CONTROL
THRUST
STICK
TRAFFIC PATTERN
INSTRUMENT IN FLYING A
PLANE
INSTRUMENT FOR FLYING A
PLANE
INSTRUCTION WHEN
LANDING
TAKING OFF FROM A RUNWAY
MOVING AROUND AN
AIRPORT
LEAVING TERMINAL GATE