Reference
Aviation Glossary
Search and explore fundamental terms used in aircraft engineering and aviation operations.
- Aileron
- Hinged flight control surfaces located on the trailing edge of the wings, used primarily to control the aircraft's roll.
- Altitude
- The vertical distance of an aircraft above a reference point, typically mean sea level.
- Approach
- The phase of flight in which the aircraft descends towards the runway in preparation for landing.
- Autopilot
- An electronic system designed to control the trajectory of an aircraft automatically without constant manual control by a human pilot.
- Avionics
- The electronic systems used on aircraft, including communications, navigation, and flight management systems.
- Bypass Ratio
- In a turbofan engine, the ratio between the mass flow rate of the bypass stream and the mass flow rate entering the core.
- Cabin Pressure
- The artificial maintenance of a safe atmospheric pressure within the aircraft fuselage during high-altitude flight.
- Climb
- The act of increasing altitude.
- Cruise
- The level portion of aircraft travel where flight is most fuel-efficient, occurring between ascent and descent.
- Drag
- The aerodynamic force that opposes an aircraft's motion through the air.
- Elevator
- Control surfaces located on the horizontal stabilizer (tail) that control the aircraft's pitch (nose up or down).
- Flaps
- High-lift devices located on the trailing edge of aircraft wings to increase lift at lower speeds during takeoff and landing.
- Fuselage
- The main central body of an aircraft that holds the crew, passengers, and cargo.
- Glide
- Descending flight without the use of engine thrust.
- Ground Speed
- The speed of the aircraft relative to the surface of the Earth.
- Heading
- The direction in which the longitudinal axis of an aircraft is pointed.
- ILS (Instrument Landing System)
- A precision radio navigation system that provides aircraft with horizontal and vertical guidance just before and during landing.
- Lift
- The aerodynamic force generated by the wings that overcomes the aircraft's weight to achieve flight.
- Mach
- The ratio of the speed of an aircraft to the speed of sound in the surrounding air.
- Pitch
- The up or down movement of the aircraft's nose.
- Rudder
- A control surface on the vertical stabilizer (tail) used to control yaw (side-to-side movement).
- Runway
- A defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft.
- Stall
- An aerodynamic condition in which an aircraft exceeds its critical angle of attack, resulting in a sudden reduction in lift.
- Taxi
- The movement of an aircraft on the surface of an airport under its own power.
- Thrust
- The forward-directed force developed in a jet engine or propeller as a reaction to the rearward acceleration of mass.
- Trim
- Small control surfaces used to relieve the pilot of the need to maintain constant pressure on the flight controls.
- Turbulence
- Irregular motion of the air resulting from eddies and vertical currents, affecting the smooth flight of an aircraft.
- Winglet
- A vertical extension of an aircraft wingtip designed to reduce aerodynamic drag and improve fuel efficiency.