Encyclopedia > List of aviation, aerospace and aeronautical terms
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. An aircraft is any machine capable of atmospheric flight. ...
For specific makes and models, see List of aircraft manufacturers and List of aircraft. This is a list of aircraft manufacturers (in alphabetic order). ...
This list of aircraft is sorted alphabetically, beginning with the name of the manufacturer (or, in certain cases, designer). ...
aerodyne
- A heavier-than-air craft, deriving its lift from motion.
aeronaut - Pilot or crew of lighter-than-gas craft.
- A power driven heavier than air aircraft that derives support in the atmosphere from the reactions of the air on its surfaces that remain fixed under given conditions of flight.(Also airplane)
This article refers to the tool of travel. ...
- A lighter-than-air craft, such as a balloon or airship. Its lift is caused by buoyancy relative to surrounding air.
Uncrewed aerostats can carry instruments and sensors for long durations that are impractical for humans and other aircraft. ...
Balloons are given for special occasions, like greeting cards or flowers. ...
USS Akron (ZRS-4) in flight, 2 November 1931 An airship is a buoyant aircraft that can be steered and propelled through the air. ...
- On an aeroplane, the ailerons are a control surface usually on the trailing edge of the wings. The ailerons are used to control roll. The ailerons are on the outside of the wings and operate oppositely (If one goes up, the other goes down).
Aileron location on a Piper PA-28. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
- A vehicle that can travel through the air.
An aircraft is any machine capable of atmospheric flight. ...
airplane - A powered aircraft that derives its lift from the movement of air over fixed lifting surfaces. (Also aeroplane)
- A lighter-than-air craft that can be steered and propelled through the air. (Also dirigible)
USS Akron (ZRS-4) in flight, 2 November 1931 An airship is a buoyant aircraft that can be steered and propelled through the air. ...
- The orientation of an aircraft with respect to the horizon.
Aircraft attitude is used to mean two closely related aspects of the situation of an aircraft in flight. ...
Orientation can refer to different things. ...
An aircraft is any machine capable of atmospheric flight. ...
Horizon The horizon is the line that separates earth from sky. ...
- A rotor-craft with unpowered blades - it requires a separate engine to provide forward motion before lift is developed.
An autogyro (only an autogiroâ„¢ when produced by the Cierva Autogiro Company or one of its licensees (see below), sometimes called a gyroplane, gyrocopterâ„¢, or rotaplane) is an aircraft supported in flight by an unpowered rotor. ...
- Pilot or crew member of an aircraft.
Aviators are people who fly aircraft either for pleasure or for a job. ...
Available seat miles - (ASM)is a measure of an airline flight's carrying capacity. It is equal to the number of seats available multiplied by the number of miles flown. This measures an airlines capacity capability. For example, a transport configured to fly 100 seats flying 100 miles would give the carrier 10,000 ASMs for that particular flight.
A Boeing 747-400 belonging to Virgin Atlantic Airways, one of the UKs largest airlines. ...
aviatrix - Female aviator (Obsolete, potentially offensive in modern use.)
Available Ton miles (ATMs) - Tons multiplied by miles flown. It is an international measure of the capacity available for a carrier. It is also used to measure capacity available for freight carriers.
- An unpowered lighter-than-air craft.
Balloons are given for special occasions, like greeting cards or flowers. ...
- An aeroplane with two similar-sized wings (or pairs of wings), exactly or approximately in vertical alignment.
Hs123 biplane. ...
- Non-rigid airship. Its shape is maintained by internal pressure.
Blimp is an informal term typically applied to non-rigid airships. ...
USS Akron (ZRS-4) in flight, 2 November 1931 An airship is a buoyant aircraft that can be steered and propelled through the air. ...
Breakeven load factor - The load factor necessary for an airline to break even. It is a function of the percent of seats filled at a particular yield versus the airlines operating costs.
Camber - The curved upper surface of the wing.
- Any moveable surface on an aircraft which controls its motion about one of the three principal axes. Ailerons, elevators, and the rudder are examples of control surfaces.
Aircraft flight controls allow a pilot to guide his plane to the destination. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
- The point at which the mass of the aircraft is balanced. This changes depending on the loading of the aircraft: fuel, passengers, luggage, etc. Different aircraft have CG limits specified by their manufacturer. If the CG of the aircraft in its current configuration is outside of the specified limits, the aircraft may be unsafe to fly. For example, if the CG is behind the aft (rear) CG limit, the aircraft will tend to stall.
In physics, the center of gravity (CoG) of an object is the average location of its weight. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
- The direction in which the aircraft is moving, not to be confused with the heading which is the direction the aircraft is pointing. The course and heading will usually differ because of crosswinds (see crab). The course is also different from the track which is properly the path over the ground that the aircraft has already flown (although course and track are sometimes used synonymously).
The word course has several meanings: course is the direction of travel in navigation in sailing, a course is the principal sail on a mast course is a regime of study in education in restaurant language, a course is a single dish in a row of subsequently served dishes, constituting...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
cost per avialable seat mile - (CASM) – The unit operating cost of a carrier, also known as unit cost. The cost, expressed in cents to operate each seat mile offered. Determined by dividing operating costs by ASM (available seat miles).
crab - A crab is a manoever used to eliminate the drift of an aircraft caused by wind. The pilot will offset the heading of the aircraft from the desired track by a calculated amount, and the aircraft's velocity combined with the wind through vector addition will give a net movement in the desired direction.
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A vector in physics and engineering typically refers to a quantity that has close relationship to the spatial coordinates, informally described as an object with a magnitude and a direction. The word vector is also now used for more general concepts (see also vector and generalizations below), but in this...
- The dimension of a wing parallel to the direction of motion.(Compare with span and thickness.)
In reference to aircraft, chord refers to the distance between the front and back of a wing, measured in the direction of the normal airflow. ...
- The angle that an aeroplane's wings make with a horizontal plane. A larger dihedral angle gives greater roll(lateral) stability at the cost of efficiency. If the wings angle upwards, it is called the dihedral angle. Downward angled wings are said to have an anhedral angle.
In geometry, the dihedral is the angle between two planes. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
dirigible - A lighter-than-air craft that can be steered and propelled through the air. From the French word dirigeable meaning steerable. (This term is generally considered out-of-date. The modern term is airship.)
USS Akron (ZRS-4) in flight, 2 November 1931 An airship is a buoyant aircraft that can be steered and propelled through the air. ...
dry lease - A lease in which just the aircraft is provided with no maintenance guarantees.
This article or section should include material from Tenancy agreement A lease is a contract conveying from one person (the lessor) to another person (the lessee) the right to use and control some article of property for a specified period of time (the term), without conveying ownership, in exchange for...
An aircraft is any machine capable of atmospheric flight. ...
elevons - On an aeroplane, elevons are a single control surface which combines the function of the elevators and ailerons in one. They are usually seen on delta-wing aircraft.
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
- On an aeroplane, the elevators are a control surface usually on the trailing edge of the horizontal stabilizer. The elevators are used to control pitch.
For other meanings of elevator see Elevator (disambiguation). ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
feather To rotate the pitch of the propeller blades until they are oriented directily into the airflow, providing the least air resistance and no thrust. The propeller is usually feathered when an engine fails. A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
Flight level is the nominal altitude of an aircraft referenced to a standard pressure datum, as opposed to the real altitude above mean sea level. In aviation, a flight level is the nominal altitude of an aircraft referenced to a standard pressure datum, as opposed to the real altitude above mean sea level. ...
- An unpowered fixed-wing heavier-than-air craft. (Also sailplane)
Gliders are heavier-than-air aircraft primarily intended for un-powered flight. ...
- The direction in which an aircraft is pointing measure clockwise in degrees from North. Note that this is not necessarily the same as the aircraft's track because of wind.
A heading is used to provide hierarchical information about other information. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
helicopter - A rotor craft with one or more sets of powered blades.
The Bell 206 of Canadian Helicopters Robinson Helicopter Company (USA) R44, a four seat development of the R22 A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors (propellers). ...
- A regulatory term describing a flight which may be conducted in conditions where the pilot cannot see outside the aircraft (e.g. in cloud and fog) and must fly only by his instruments. Compare to Visual flight rules.
Instrument flight rules (IFR) is a set of regulations and procedures for flying aircraft without the assumption that pilots will be able to see and avoid obstacles, terrain, and other air traffic; it is an alternative to visual flight rules (VFR), where the pilot is primarily or exclusively responsible for...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
landing gear - Structure that supports the aircraft's weight when it is not airborne, often including a shock absorbing mechanism. Wheels can be used for hard surfaces, skis or skids for ice or snow, and floats or pontoons if landing on the water. Some aircraft like flying boats do not require landing gear, since their hull can support them on water.
Boeing 314 A flying boat is an aircraft that is designed to take off and land on water, in particular a type of seaplane which uses its fuselage as a floating hull (instead of pontoons mounted below the fuselage). ...
Load factor (LF) – The percentage of seats filled. Determined by dividing Revenue Passenger Miles by Available Seat Miles.
- A measurement of weight at a specific distance (moment arm) from a reference point. This measurement is used to verify the aircraft is within the Center of Gravity (CG) limits. Reference points vary between aircraft.
Moment of inertia quantifies the rotational inertia of an object, i. ...
- An object (as in a wing or fuselage) whose skin supports the load as opposed to an internal frame.
Monocoque (French for single shell) or unibody is a construction technique that uses the external skin of an object to support some or most of the load on the structure. ...
- An aeroplane with one wing (or pairs of wings).
A monoplane is an aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. ...
pitch - A measure of the degree to which an aircraft's nose tilts up or down. Also a measure of the angle of attack of a propeller.
In this diagram, the black arrow represents the direction of the wind. ...
This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...
powerplant - A powered aircrafts source of power, usually either a jet engine or a conventional engine and propeller.
A Pratt and Whitney turbofan engine for the F-15 Eagle is tested at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, USA. The tunnel behind the engine muffles noise and allows exhaust to escape. ...
A colorized automobile engine The internal combustion engine is a heat engine in which combustion occurs in a confined space called a combustion chamber. ...
This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...
The indicated altitude when an altimeter is set to 1013 hPa (29.92 inHg US and Canada). In aviation, pressure altitude is the indicated altitude when an altimeter is set to 1013 hPa (29. ...
roll - Rotation about an axis aligned with the direction in which the aircraft is flying. This axis is also known as the longitudinal axis.
rotorcraft - An aircraft that derives its lift from rotating lifting surfaces (usually called blades)
- On an aeroplane, the rudder is a control surface usually on the trailing edge of the vertical stabilizer or fin. The rudder is used to control yaw.
The worlds oldest depiction of a rudder. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
ruddervators - On an aeroplane, ruddervators are a single control surface which combine the function of the rudder and elevators in one. They are usually seen on V-tail aircraft.
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
- An unpowered fixed-wing heavier-than-air craft. (Also glider)
Gliders are un-powered heavier-than-air aircraft. ...
sesquiplane - An aeroplane with two wings (or pairs of wings), where one (often the lower) is significantly smaller than the other in span and/or chord.
- A manoevre where an aeroplane pilot rolls the aircraft in one direction with the ailerons and yaws it in the opposite direction with the rudder. This results in the aircraft continuing to move forward but presenting a larger cross-section to the oncoming air - thereby creating drag and causing the aeroplane to lose altitude rapidly in a controlled manner.
A slip is an aerodynamic state where an aircraft is moving sideways as well as forward relative to the oncoming wind. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
- The dimension of a wing perpendicular to the direction of motion. (Compare with chord and thickness.)
The wingspan (or just span) of an airplane is the distance from the left wingtip to the right wingtip. ...
stabilator - On an aeroplane, a stabilator is a surface which combines the function of the horizontal stabilizer and elevators in one by allowing the entire horizontal stabilizer to move and control the pitch of the aircraft.
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
- a condition of an airplane or an airfoil in which lift decreases and drag increases due to the separation of airflow.
In aerodynamics, a stall is a condition in which an excessive angle of attack causes loss of lift due to disruption of airflow. ...
- The path on the ground over which an aircraft has flown. Also used synonymously with course, the direction in which an aircraft is moving relative to the ground. Note that this is not necessarily the same as the aircraft's heading.
The word track can mean more than one thing. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
thickness - The vertical dimension of a wing. (Compare with span and chord.)
threshold - The beginning of the part of the runway usable for landing
touchdown zone (TDZ) - The first 3000 feet of the runway or the first third of the runway, whichever is less, measured from the threshold
- An aeroplane with three similar-sized wings (or pairs of wings), exactly or approximately in vertical alignment.
A triplane is a fixed-wing aircraft equipped with three sets of wings, each roughly the same size and mounted one above the other. ...
- A small, powered aircraft which is extremely light and seats only one or two occupants. Ultralights are popular among hobbyists for being cost-effective and having lenient regulation.
Ultralight aviation is a segment of aviation that is permitted in the United States of America by the FAA as long as certain weight, speed, and fuel capacity restrictions are observed. ...
- A regulatory term describing flights that are conducted only in conditions where the pilot can see the ground, or in some instances is flying in the free space above a cloud. Compare to Instrument flight rules.
Visual flight rules (VFR) are a set of aviation regulations under which a pilot may operate an aircraft, if weather conditions are sufficient to allow the pilot to visually control the aircrafts attitude, navigate, and maintain separation with obstacles such as terrain and other aircraft. ...
A glossary of terms used in relation to aircraft, in alphabetical order. ...
- Speeds that define certain performance and limiting characteristics of an aircraft.
V speeds are speeds that define certain performance and limiting characteristics of an aircraft. ...
- A lifting surface of an airplane/aeroplane or sailplane.
A Laughing Gull on the beach in Atlantic City. ...
yaw - Rotation in a horizontal plane about the normally vertical axis - turning to left or right.
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