Aviation Vocabulary

• Aileron - Control surfaces hinged at the back of the wings which by deflecting up or down help to bank the airplane.
• Airplane - A mechanically-drive, fixed-wing, heavier-than-air craft.
• Airport - A tract of land or water for the landing and takeoff of aircraft. Facilities for shelter, supply and repair are usually found there.
• Airway - An air route marked by aids to air navigation, such as beacons, radio ranges and direction-finding equipment, and along which airports are located.
• Altimeter - An instrument for measuring in feet the height of the airplane above sea level.
• Altitude - The vertical distance from a given level (sea level) to an aircraft in flight.
• Attitude - Position of airplane relative to the horizon, i.e. a climbing attitude, straight-and-level attitude, etc.
• Ceiling - Height above ground of cloud base.
• Chart - An aeronautical map showing information of use to the pilot in going from one place to another.
• Compass - An instrument indicating direction.
• Drag - The component of the total air force on a body parallel to relative wind and opposite to thrust.
• Elevation - The height above sea level of a given land prominence, such as airports, mountains, etc.
• Elevators - Control surfaces hinged to the horizontal stabilizer which control the pitch of the airplane, or the position of the nose of the airplane relative to the horizon.
• Engine - The part of the airplane which provides power, or propulsion, to pull the airplane through the air.
• Fin - A vertical attachment to the tail of an aircraft which provides directional stability. Same as vertical stabilizer.
• Flaps - Hinged or pivoted airfoils forming part of the trailing edge of the wing and used to increase lift at reduced airspeed.
• Force - A push or pull exerted on an object.
• Fuselage - The streamlined body of an airplane to which are fastened the wings and tail.
• Gravity - Force toward the center of the earth.
• Hangar - Building at the airport in which airplanes are stored or sheltered.
• Knot - A measure of speed, one knot being one nautical mile per hour.
• Land - The act of making the airplane descend, lose flying speed, and make contact with the ground or water, thus ending the flight.
• Landing Gear - The understructure of an airplane which supports the airplane on land or water: wheels, skis or pontoons. Retractable gear folds up into the airplane in flight. Gear that does not retract is called "fixed."
• Lift - An upward force cased by the rush of air over the wings, supporting the airplane in flight.
• Pilot - Person who controls the airplane.
• Propeller - An airfoil which an engine turns to provide the thrust, pulling the airplane through the air.
• Radar - Beamed radio waves for detecting and locating objects. The objects are "seen" on the radar screen or scope.
• Rudder - Control surface hinged to the back of the vertical fin.
• Runway - A surface of area on the airport designated for airplanes to take off and land.
• Stall - The reduction of speed to the point where the wing stops producing lift.
• Streamline - An object shaped to make air flow smoothly around it.
• Tail - The part of the airplane to which the rudder and elevators are attached. The tail has vertical and horizontal stabilizers to keep the airplane from turning about its lateral axis.
• Take-off - The part of the flight during which the airplane gains flying speed and becomes airborne.
• Taxi - To operate an airplane under its own power; other than in actual take off or landing.
• Thrust - Forward force.
• Turn - Maneuver which the airplane makes changing its direction of flight.
• Velocity - Speed.
• Visibility - Distance toward the horizon that objects can be seen and recognized. Smoke, haze, fog, and precipitation hinder visibility.
• Wind - Air in motion, important to aviation because it influences flight to a certain degree.
• Wing - Part of the airplane shaped like an airfoil and designed in such a way to provide lift when air flows over it.