Phonetic Alphabet

A- Alpha             (Al-fah)               ∙ −                                  N- November               (No-vem-ber)             − ∙

B- Bravo             (Brah-voh)         − ∙ ∙ ∙                    O- Oscar                       (Oss-cah)                      − − −

C- Charlie  (Char-lee) − ∙ − ∙                             P- Papa                         (Pah-pah)            ∙ − − ∙

                              (Shar-Lee)                                                Q- Quebec                    (Keh-beck)                   − − ∙ −

D- Delta               (Dell-tah)  − ∙ ∙                                R- Romeo           (Row-me-oh)                ∙ − ∙

E- Echo               (Eck-oh)             ∙                                     S- Sierra                        (See-air-ah)              ∙ ∙ ∙

F- Foxtrot  (Foks-trot)          ∙ ∙ − ∙                    T- Tango                       (Tang-oh)           −

G- Golf                 (Golf)                 − − ∙                               U- Uniform                  (You-nee-form)  ∙ ∙ −

H- Hotel              (Hoh-tell)  ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙                                                                      (Oo-nee-form)                  

I- India                (In-dee-ah)          ∙ ∙                                    V- Victor                      (Vik-tah)                      ∙ ∙ ∙ −

J- Juliett              (Jew-lee-ett)      ∙ − − −                           W- Wiskey                   (Wiss-key)            ∙ − −

K- Kilo                (Key-loh)  − ∙ −                               X- X-ray                       (Ecks-ray)           − ∙ ∙ −

L- Lima               (Lee-mah) ∙ − ∙ ∙                    Y- Yankee           (Yang-kee)                   − ∙ − −

M- Mike              (Mike)                 − −                                 Z- Zulu                         (Zoo-loo)            − − ∙ ∙

 

Definition of terms

A

ABEAM – An aircraft is “abeam” a fix, point or object when that fix, point or object is 90 degrees to the right or left of the aircraft track.

ABSOLUTE ALTITUDE - Actual Height above the surface of the Earth, either land or water.

ABSOLUTE CEILING – The altitude where a particular airplane’s climb rate reached zero.

ACCELERATE-GO DISTANCE—The distance required to accelerate to V1 with all engines at takeoff power, experience an engine failure at V1 and continues the takeoff on the remaining engine(s). The runway required includes the distance required to climb to 35 feet by which time V2 speed must be attained.

ACKNOWLEDGE – Let me know if you received my message.

ACTIVE RUNWAY– Any runway or runways currently being used for takeoff and landing.

ADF – Automatic Direction Finder

ADVISE INTENSIONS – Tell me what you lan to do.

AIR DENSITY – The density of the air in terms of mass per unit volume. The density of air decreases with altitude above the surface of the Earth and increasing temperature.

AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER (ARTCC) – A facility established to provide air traffic control service to aircraft operating on IFR flight plans.

AILERONS—Primary flight control surfaces mounted on the trailing edge of an airplane wing, near the tip. Ailerons control roll about the longitudinal axis.

AIRPORT/FACILITY DIRECTORY— A publication designed primarily as a pilot’s operational manual containing all airports, seaplane bases, and heliports open to the public including communications data, navigational facilities, and certain special notices and procedures.

ALTIMETER—A flight instrument that indicates altitude by sensing pressure changes.

ALTITUDE (AGL)—The actual height above ground level (AGL) at which the aircraft is flying.

ALTITUDE (MSL)—The actual height above mean sea level (MSL) at which the aircraft is flying.

ATTITUDE INDICATOR— An instrument which uses an artificial horizon and miniature airplane to depict the position of the airplane in relation to the true horizon. The attitude indicator senses roll as well as pitch, which is the up and down movement of the airplane’s nose.

ATTITUDE— The position of an aircraft as determined by the relationship of its axes and a reference, usually the earth’s horizon.

AUTOPILOT—An automatic flight control system which keeps an aircraft in level flight or on a set course. Automatic pilots can be directed by the pilot, or they may be coupled to a radio navigation signal.

 

B

BALKED LANDING— A go-around.

BEST ANGLE OF CLIMB (VX)— The speed at which the aircraft will produce the most gain in altitude in a given distance.

BEST GLIDE—The airspeed in which the aircraft glides the furthest for the least altitude lost when in non-powered flight.

BEST RATE OF CLIMB (VY)— The speed at which the aircraft will produce the most gain in altitude in the least amount of time.

BUFFETING—The beating of an aerodynamic structure or surface by unsteady flow, gusts, etc.; the irregular shaking or oscillation of a vehicle component owing to turbulent air or separated flow.

 

C

COMMON TRAFFIC ADVISORY FREQUENCY—The common frequency used by airport traffic to announce position reports in the vicinity of the airport.

CONVENTIONAL LANDING GEAR—Landing gear employing a third rear-mounted wheel. These airplanes are also sometimes referred to as tailwheel airplanes.

COWL FLAPS—Devices arranged around certain air-cooled engine cowlings which may be opened or closed to regulate the flow of air around the engine.

CRAB—A flight condition in which the nose of the airplane is pointed into the wind a sufficient amount to counteract a crosswind and maintain a desired track over the ground.

CRITICAL ALTITUDE— The maximum altitude under standard atmospheric conditions at which a turbocharged engine can produce its rated horsepower.

CRITICAL ANGLE OF ATTACK—The angle of attack at which a wing stalls regardless of airspeed, flight attitude, or weight.

 

 

D

DENSITY ALTITUDE— This altitude is pressure altitude corrected for variations from standard temperature. When conditions are standard, pressure altitude and density altitude are the same. If the temperature is above standard, the density altitude is higher than pressure altitude. If the temperature is below standard, the density altitude is lower than pressure altitude. This is an important altitude because it is directly related to the airplane’s performance.

DEWPOINT—The temperature at which air can hold no more water.

DITCHING—Emergency landing in water.

DRAG—An aerodynamic force on a body acting parallel and opposite to the relative wind. The resistance of the atmosphere to the relative motion of an aircraft. Drag opposes thrust and limits the speed of the airplane.

DRIFT ANGLE—Angle between heading and track.

 

E

ELEVATOR— The horizontal, movable primary control surface in the tail section, or empennage, of an airplane. The elevator is hinged to the trailing edge of the fixed horizontal stabilizer.

EMPENNAGE—The section of the airplane that consists of the vertical stabilizer, the horizontal stabilizer, and the associated control surfaces.

EXHAUST GAS TEMPERATURE (EGT)—The temperature of the exhaust gases as they leave the cylinders of a reciprocating engine or the turbine section of a turbine engine.

 

F

FEATHERING PROPELLER (FEATHERED)—A controllable pitch propeller with a pitch range sufficient to allow the blades to be turned parallel to the line of flight to reduce drag and prevent further damage to an engine that has been shut down after a malfunction.

FIXATION— A psychological condition where the pilot fixes attention on a single source of information and ignores all other sources.

FIXED-PITCH PROPELLERS— Propellers with fixed blade angles. Fixed-pitch propellers are designed as climb propellers, cruise propellers, or standard propellers.

FLAPS—Hinged portion of the trailing edge between the ailerons and fuselage. In some aircraft, ailerons and flaps are interconnected to produce full-span “flaperons.” In either case, flaps change the lift and drag on the wing.

FLIGHT DIRECTOR—An automatic flight control system in which the commands needed to fly the airplane are electronically computed and displayed on a flight instrument. The commands are followed by the human pilot with manual control inputs or, in the case of an autopilot system, sent to servos that move the flight controls.

FLOATING—A condition when landing where the airplane does not settle to the runway due to excessive airspeed.

FORWARD SLIP—A slip in which the airplane’s direction of motion continues the same as before the slip was begun. In a forward slip, the airplane’s longitudinal axis is at an angle to its flight path.

FUSELAGE—The section of the airplane that consists of the cabin and/or cockpit, containing seats for the occupants and the controls for the airplane.

 

G

GLIDE RATIO—The ratio between distance traveled and altitude lost during non-powered flight.

GLIDEPATH—The path of an aircraft relative to the ground while approaching a landing.

GLOBAL POSITION SYSTEM (GPS)—A satellite-based radio positioning, navigation, and time-transfer system.

GO-AROUND— Terminating a landing approach.

GROUNDSPEED (GS)—The actual speed of the airplane over the ground. It is true airspeed adjusted for wind. Groundspeed decreases with a headwind, and increases with a tailwind.

GROUND TRACK—The aircraft’s path over the ground when in flight.

 

H

HEADING—The direction in which the nose of the aircraft is pointing during flight.

HEADING BUG—A marker on the heading indicator that can be rotated to a specific heading for reference purposes, or to command an autopilot to fly that heading.

HEADING INDICATOR— An instrument which senses airplane movement and displays heading based on a 360º azimuth, with the final zero omitted. The heading indicator, also called a directional gyro, is fundamentally a mechanical instrument designed to facilitate the use of the magnetic compass. The heading indicator is not affected by the forces that make the magnetic compass difficult to interpret.

HIGH PERFORMANCE AIRCRAFT—An aircraft with an engine of more than 200 horsepower.

HORIZON—The line of sight boundary between the earth and the sky.

 

I

IFR (INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES)—Rules that govern the procedure for conducting flight in weather conditions below VFR weather minimums. The term “IFR” also is used to define weather conditions and the type of flight plan under which an aircraft is operating.

INCLINOMETER—An instrument consisting of a curved glass tube, housing a glass ball, and damped with a fluid similar to kerosene. It may be used to indicate inclination, as a level, or, as used in the turn indicators, to show the relationship between gravity and centrifugal force in a turn.

INDICATED AIRSPEED (IAS)— The direct instrument reading obtained from the airspeed indicator, uncorrected for variations in atmospheric density, installation error, or instrument error. Manufacturers use this airspeed as the basis for determining airplane performance. Takeoff, landing, and stall speeds listed in the AFM or POH are indicated airspeeds and do not normally vary with altitude or temperature.

INDICATED ALTITUDE— The altitude read directly from the altimeter (uncorrected) when it is set to the current altimeter setting.

INERTIA—The opposition which a body offers to a change of motion.

INITIAL CLIMB—This stage of the climb begins when the airplane leaves the ground, and a pitch attitude has been established to climb away from the takeoff area.

 

J

K

L

LEADING EDGE—The part of an airfoil that meets the airflow first.

LEADING EDGE FLAP— A portion of the leading edge of an airplane wing that folds downward to increase the camber, lift, and drag of the wing. The leading-edge flaps are extended for takeoffs and landings to increase the amount of aerodynamic lift that is produced at any given airspeed.

LIFT—One of the four main forces acting on an aircraft. On a fixed-wing aircraft, an upward force created by the effect of airflow as it passes over and under the wing.

LIFT COEFFICIENT— A coefficient representing the lift of a given airfoil. Lift coefficient is obtained by dividing the lift by the free-stream dynamic pressure and the representative area under consideration.

LIFT/DRAG RATIO— The efficiency of an airfoil section. It is the ratio of the coefficient of lift to the coefficient of drag for any given angle of attack.

LIFT-OFF—The act of becoming airborne as a result of the wings lifting the airplane off the ground, or the pilot rotating the nose up, increasing the angle of attack to start a climb.

 

M

MACH—Speed relative to the speed of sound. Mach 1 is the speed of sound.

MACH BUFFET— Airflow separation behind a shock-wave pressure barrier caused by airflow over flight surfaces exceeding the speed of sound.

MACH COMPENSATING DEVICE—A device to alert the pilot of inadvertent excursions beyond its certified maximum operating speed.

MACH CRITICAL—The MACH speed at which some portion of the airflow over the wing first equals MACH 1.0. This is also the speed at which a shock wave first appears on the airplane.

MACH TUCK—A condition that can occur when operating a swept-wing airplane in the transonic speed range. A shock wave could form in the root portion of the wing and cause the air behind it to separate. This shock-induced separation causes the center of pressure to move aft. This, combined with the increasing amount of nose down force at higher speeds to maintain left flight, causes the nose to “tuck.” If not corrected, the airplane could enter a steep, sometimes unrecoverable dive.

MAGNETIC COMPASS—A device for determining direction measured from magnetic north.

MAIN GEAR—The wheels of an aircraft’s landing gear that supports the major part of the aircraft’s weight.

MANEUVERABILITY—Ability of an aircraft to change directions along a flight path and withstand the stresses imposed upon it.

MANEUVERING SPEED (VA) — The maximum speed where full, abrupt control movement can be used without overstressing the airframe.

MANIFOLD PRESSURE (MP)— The absolute pressure of the fuel/air mixture within the intake manifold, usually indicated in inches of mercury.

MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE TAKEOFF POWER—The maximum power an engine is allowed to develop for a limited period of time; usually about one minute.

MINIMUM CONTROLLABLE AIRSPEED—An airspeed at which any further increase in angle of attack, increase in load factor, or reduction in power, would result in an immediate stall.

MIXTURE—The ratio of fuel to air entering the engine’s cylinders.

MUSHING—A flight condition caused by slow speed where the control surfaces are marginally effective.

 

N

N1, N2, N3—Spool speed expressed in percent rpm. N1 on a turboprop is the gas producer speed. N1 on a turbofan or turbojet engine is the fan speed or low pressure spool speed. N2 is the high pressure spool speed on engine with 2 spools and medium pressure spool on engines with 3 spools with N3 being the high pressure spool.

 

O

OVERBOOST—A condition in which a reciprocating engine has exceeded the maximum manifold pressure allowed by the manufacturer. Can cause damage to engine components.

OVERSPEED—A condition in which an engine has produced more r.p.m. than the manufacturer recommends, or a condition in which the actual engine speed is higher than the desired engine speed as set on the propeller control.

OVERTEMP—A condition in which a device has reached a temperature above that approved by the manufacturer or any exhaust temperature that exceeds the maximum allowable for a given operating condition or time limit. Can cause internal damage to an engine.

OVERTORQUE—A condition in which an engine has produced more torque (power) than the manufacturer recommends, or a condition in a turboprop or turboshaft engine where the engine power has exceeded the maximum allowable for a given operating condition or time limit. Can cause internal damage to an engine.

 

P

P-FACTOR—A tendency for an aircraft to yaw to the left due to the descending propeller blade on the right producing more thrust than the ascending blade on the left. This occurs when the aircraft’s longitudinal axis is in a climbing attitude in relation to the relative wind. The P-factor would be to the right if the aircraft had a counterclockwise rotating propeller.

PILOT’S OPERATING HANDBOOK (POH)—A document developed by the airplane manufacturer and contains the FAA approved Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) information.

PITCH—The rotation of an airplane about its lateral axis, or on a propeller, the blade angle as measured from plane of rotation.

PIVOTAL ALTITUDE—A specific altitude at which, when an airplane turns at a given groundspeed, a projecting of the sighting reference line to a selected point on the ground will appear to pivot on that point.

PORPOISING— Oscillating around the lateral axis of the aircraft during landing.

POSITION LIGHTS— Lights on an aircraft consisting of a red light on the left wing, a green light on the right wing, and a white light on the tail. CFRs require that these lights be displayed in flight from sunset to sunrise.

POWER LEVER—The cockpit lever connected to the fuel control unit for scheduling fuel flow to the combustion chambers of a turbine engine.

POWER—Implies work rate or units of work per unit of time, and as such, it is a function of the speed at which the force is developed. The term “power required” is generally associated with reciprocating engines.

POWERPLANT— A complete engine and propeller combination with accessories.

PROPELLER LEVER— The control on a free power turbine turboprop that controls propeller speed and the selection for propeller feathering

PROPELLER SYNCHRONIZATION— A condition in which all of the propellers have their pitch automatically adjusted to maintain a constant r.p.m. among all of the engines of a multiengine aircraft.

PROPELLER—A device for propelling an aircraft that, when rotated, produces by its action on the air, a thrust approximately perpendicular to its plane of rotation. It includes the control components normally supplied by its manufacturer.