THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS (AIAA)

18th December, 2014

Clear-air turbulence

noun \ˈklir-ˈer-\

"Sudden severe turbulence occurring in cloudless regions that causes violent jarring or buffeting of aircraft"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

17th December, 2014

Cumulonimbus

noun \-ˈnim-bəs\

"Cumulus cloud having a low base and often spread out in the shape of an anvil extending to great heights"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

16th December, 2014

Ram air turbine

noun

"A small air-driven turbine fitted to an aircraft to provide power in the event of a failure of the normal systems"

 - The Free Dictionary

 

 

15th December, 2014

Transponder

noun \tran(t)-ˈspän-dər\

"A radio or radar set that upon receiving a designated signal emits a radio signal of its own and that is used especially for the detection, identification, and location of objects and in satellites for relaying communications signals"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

12th December, 2014

Attitude

noun \ˈa-tə-ˌtüd, -ˌtyüd\

"The position of an aircraft or spacecraft determined by the relationship between its axes and a reference datum (as the horizon or a particular star)"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

11th December, 2014

Pneumatic

adjective \nu̇-ˈma-tik, nyu̇-\

"Using air pressure to move or work"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

10th December, 2014

Angle of attack

"The acute angle between the direction of the relative wind and the chord of an airfoil"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

9th December, 2014

Runway aiming point marking

noun

"The aiming point marking serves as a visual aiming point for a landing aircraft. These two rectangular markings consist of a broad white stripe located on each side of the runway centerline and approximately 1,000 feet from the landing threshold"

 - FAA

 

8th December, 2014

INS

abbreviation

"Inertial Navigation System"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

5th December, 2014

Aerobatics

noun \ˌer-ə-ˈba-tiks\

"Difficult and exciting movements of an airplane often performed for entertainment"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

4th December, 2014

Inertial guidance

noun

"Guidance (as of an aircraft or spacecraft) by means of self-contained automatically controlling devices that respond to inertial forces"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

3rd December, 2014

Mayday

\ˈmā-ˌdā\

"An international radio-telephone signal word used as a distress call"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

2nd December, 2014

Dead reckoning

noun

"The determination without the aid of celestial observations of the position of a ship or aircraft from the record of the courses sailed or flown, the distance made, and the known or estimated drift"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

1st December, 2014

Dihedral

noun \(ˌ)dī-ˈhē-drəl\

"The angle between an aircraft supporting surface (as a wing) and a horizontal transverse line"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

28th November, 2014

Frise aileron

noun \ˈfrēz-\

"An aileron having a nose portion projecting ahead of the hinge axis and a lower surface in line with the lower surface of the wing"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

27th November, 2014

Great circle

noun

"A circle formed on the surface of a sphere by the intersection of a plane that passes through the center of the sphere; specifically: such a circle on the surface of the earth an arc of which cconnecting two terrestial points constitutes the shortest distance on the earth's surface between them"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

26th November, 2014

Compass rose

noun

"A circle graduated to degrees or quarters and printed on a chart to show direction"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

25th November, 2014

G-force

noun \ˈjē-ˌfȯrs\

"The force of gravity or acceleration on a body <pilots experiencing strong g–forces during takeoff>"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

24th November, 2014

Magnetic North

noun

"The northerly direction in the earth's magnetic field indicated by the north-seeking pole of a compass needle"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

21st November, 2014

Yaw

noun \ˈyȯ\

"Movement of an airplane, ship, etc., to the left or right"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

20th November, 2014

Meridian

noun \mə-ˈri-dē-ən\

"A great circle on the surface of the earth passing through the poles"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

19th November, 2014

Sideslip

verb \-ˌslip\

"To slide sideways through the air in a downward direction in an airplane along an inclined lateral axis"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

18th November, 2014

Afterburner

noun \-ˌbər-nər\

"A device incorporated into the tailpipe of a turbojet engine for injecting fuel into the hot exhaust gases and burning it to provide extra thrust"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

17th November, 2014

Camber

noun \ˈkam-bər\

"The convexity of the curve of an airfoil from the leading edge to the trailing edge"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

14th November, 2014

Flight attendant

noun

"A person whose job is to help passengers who are traveling in an airplane"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

13th November, 2014

Flight engineer

noun

"A flight crewman responsible for mechanical operation"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

12th November, 2014

Throttle

verb \ˈthrä-təl\

"To regulate and especially to reduce the speed of (as an engine) by such means"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

11th November, 2014

Yoke

noun \ˈyōk\

"An airplane control operating the elevators and ailerons"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

10th November, 2014

STOL

abbreviation

"Short takeoff and landing"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

7th November, 2014

Stall

noun \ˈstȯl\

"The condition of an airfoil or aircraft in which excessive angle of attack causes disruption of airflow with attendant loss of lift"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

6th November, 2014

Glider

noun \ˈglī-dər\

"An aircraft that is similar to an airplane but without an engine"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

5th November, 2014

Downdraft

noun \-ˌdraft\

"A downward flow of air"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

4th November, 2014

Jet Stream

noun

"A long narrow meandering current of high-speed winds near the tropopause blowing from a generally westerly direction and often exceeding a speed of 250 miles (402 kilometers) per hour"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

3rd November, 2014

AVGAS

noun \ˈav-ˌgas\

"Gasoline for airplanes"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

31st October, 2014

Hydraulics

noun plural but singular in construction \hī-ˈdrȯ-liks\

"The science that deals with ways to use liquid (such as water) when it is moving"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

30th October, 2014

Turbojet engine

noun

"A jet engine in which a turbine drives a compressor that supplies air to a burner and hot gases from the burner drive the turbine before being discharged rearward"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

29th October, 2014

Turbofan

noun \ˈtər-bō-ˌfan\

"A fan that is directly connected to and driven by a turbineand is used to supply air for cooling, ventilation, or combustion"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

28th October, 2014

Turboprop engine

noun

"A jet engine designed to produce thrust principally by means of a propeller driven by a turbine with additional thrust usually obtained by the rearward discharge of hot exhaust gases"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

27th October, 2014

Nacelle

noun \nə-ˈsel\

"A streamlined enclosure (as for an engine) on an aircraft"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

24th October, 2014

PAPI

noun

"PAPI (Precision Approach Path Indicators) primarily assists by providing visual glide slope guidance in non-precision approaches environment."

 - FAA

 

 

23rd October, 2014

Empennage

noun \ˌäm-pə-ˈnäzh, ˌem-\

"The tail assembly of an airplane."

 - Merriam-Webster

 

22nd October, 2014

Longeron

noun \ˈlän-jə-ˌrän\

"A fore-and-aft framing member of an airplane fuselage"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

21st October, 2014

Inversion

noun \in-ˈvər-zhən, -shən\

" A condition in which air close to the ground is cooler than the air above it"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

20th October, 2014

Advection

noun \ad-ˈvek-shən\

"The usually horizontal movement of a mass of fluid (as air or an ocean current)"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

17th October, 2014

Autopilot

noun \ˈȯ-tō-ˌpī-lət\

"A device that steers a ship, aircraft, or spacecraft in place of a person"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

 

16th October, 2014

Microburst

noun \ˈmī-krō-ˌbərst\

"A violent short-lived localized downdraft that creates extreme wind shears at low altitudes and is usually associated with thunderstorms"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

15th October, 2014

Fly-by-wire

adjective \ˈflī-bī-ˌwī(-ə)r\

"Of, relating to, being, or utilizing a flight-control system in which controls are operated electrically rather than mechanically"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

14th October, 2014

Wind shear

noun

"A radical shift in wind speed and direction that occurs over a very short distance"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

13th October, 2014

Crosswind

noun \-ˌwind\

"A wind blowing in a direction not parallel to a course (as of an airplane)"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

10th October, 2014

Tropopause

noun \ˈtrō-pə-ˌpȯz, ˈträ-\

"The region at the top of the troposphere"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

9th October, 2014

Strobe

noun \ˈstrōb\

"A bright light that flashes on and off very quickly"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

8th October, 2014

Beacon

noun \ˈbē-kən\

"A strong light that can be seen from far away and that is used to help guide ships, airplanes, etc."

 - Merriam-Webster

 

7th October, 2014

Navigation

noun \ˌna-və-ˈgā-shən\

"The science of getting ships, aircraft, or spacecraft from place to place; especially : the method of determining position, course, and distance traveled"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

6th October, 2014

Flap

noun \ˈflap\

"A movable auxiliary airfoil usually attached to an airplane wing's trailing edge to increase lift or drag"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

3rd October, 2014

Slat

noun \ˈslat\

"An auxiliary airfoil at the leading edge of the wing of an airplane"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

2nd October, 2014

Turnaround

noun \-ˌrau̇nd\

"The process of making something (such as an airplane) ready for use again after it has arrived at a place"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

1st October, 2014

Landing

noun \ˈlan-diŋ\

"An act of returning to the ground or another surface after a flight"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

30th September, 2014

Takeoff

noun \ˈtāk-ˌȯf\

"The moment when an airplane, helicopter, etc., leaves the ground and begins to fly"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

29th September, 2014

Kerosene

noun \ˈker-ə-ˌsēn, ˌker-ə-ˈ\

"A type of oil that is burned as a fuel"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

26th September, 2014

Flight plan

noun

"A usually written statement (as by a pilot) of the details of an intended flight (as of an airplane or spacecraft) usually filed with an authority"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

25th September, 2014

FAA

abbreviation

"Federal Aviation Administration"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

24th September, 2014

Ground speed

noun

"The speed (as of an airplane) with relation to the ground"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

23rd September, 2014

Pitot-static tube

noun \ˌpē-ˌtō-ˈsta-tik-\

"A device that consists of a pitot tube and a static tube and that measures pressures in such a way that the relative speed of a fluid can be determined"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

22nd September, 2014

Airspeed

noun \-ˌspēd\

"The speed (as of an airplane) with relation to the air"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

19th September, 2014

Jetway

noun \ˈjet-ˌwā\

"Used for a telescoping passenger ramp between an aircraft and a terminal building"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

18th September, 2014

Apron

noun \ˈā-prən, -pərn\

"The paved part of an airport where airplanes load or unload or are turned around"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

17th September, 2014

Taxiway

noun \ˈtak-sē-ˌwā\

"A usually paved strip for taxiing (as from the terminal to a runway) at an airport"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

16th September, 2014

Runway

noun \ˈrən-ˌwā\

"A paved strip of ground on a landing field for the landing and takeoff of aircraft"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

15th September, 2014

Glide slope

noun

"The proper path of descent for an aircraft preparing to land; especially: such a path indicated by a radio beam"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

12th September, 2014

Black box

noun

"A crashworthy device in aircraft for recording cockpit conversations and flight data"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

11th September, 2014

Cockpit

noun \ˈkäk-ˌpit\

"A space or compartment in a usually small vehicle (as a boat, airplane, or automobile) from which it is steered, piloted, or driven"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

10th September, 2014

Airfoil

noun \-ˌfȯi(-ə)l\

"A body (as an airplane wing or propeller blade) designed to provide a desired reaction force when in motion relative to the surrounding air"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

9th September, 2014

Winglet

noun \ˈwiŋ-lət\

"A nearly vertical airfoil at an airplane's wingtip that reduces drag by inhibiting turbulence"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

8th September, 2014

Landing gear

noun

"The part that supports the weight of an airplane or spacecraft when in contact with the land or water"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

5th September, 2014

Trim

verb \ˈtrim\

"To adjust (as an airplane or submarine) for horizontal movement or for motion upward or downward"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

4th September, 2014

Spoilers

noun \ˈspȯi-lər\

"A long narrow plate along the upper surface of an airplane wing that may be raised for reducing lift and increasing drag"

 - Merriam-Webster

 

3rd September, 2014

Aileron

noun \ˈā-lə-ˌrän\

"A part of an airplane wing that can be moved up or down to cause the airplane to turn"

 - Merriam-Webster