Aviation Lexicon

Flight Works Alabama presents

AVIATION LEXICON

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Have you ever wanted to sit in the cockpit?

Or talk with a pilot?

Opportunities like this will soon be available at Flight Works Alabama, but until then...

Let's practice "Aviation Lexicon."

Lexicon is the vocabulary of a language or subject.

Can you interpret the following aviation phrases?

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"We've got a deadhead crew flying to Chicago."

The off-duty crew members are flying as passengers to report for duty in Chicago.

The onboard crew is exhausted from an overnight shift.

The onboard crew members don't have much of a personality.

A fired crew member is returning to Chicago.

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TERRIFIC!

Despite how it may sound, this isn't an insult. Off-duty pilots or flight crew who board a commercial flight as passengers to fly back to the plane's home base are called "Deadheads." "Deadheading" is common. If a flight crew lands at a destination but must depart from a different airport for their next shift, an airline can fly the off-duty crew members there, as long as there are seats available.

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"There's a pilot in the jumpseat."

The pilot is putting the plane on autopilot.

The pilot is preparing to evacuate the plane.

An off-duty crew member is riding in the cockpit.

The pilot is exercising on a 10-hour flight due to FAA regulations.

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GREAT JOB!

If there aren't any seats in the passenger cabin available for deadheads, they can claim an extra fold-up chair in the cockpit, known as a "jumpseat." Most jumpseats are reserved for FAA inspectors or off-duty flight personnel traveling back to their home base.

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"We're getting our feet wet."

The airplane is flying over water.

It is a pilot's first flight.

It's a co-pilot's first flight.

The airplane is floating on water and is about to sink.

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FANTASTIC!

"Feet wet" alerts air traffic controllers when a military aircraft is flying over water. If the plane encounters an emergency above water, the controllers can deploy the proper rescue given the plane's location.

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"George is flying the plane now."

The pilot has switched controls over to the co-pilot, whose name is George.

George is the name of the monkey allowed to fly aircraft.

George is a nickname for a plane's autopilot system.

The pilot has given control to a lucky passenger, named George, to fly the plane.

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WONDERFUL!

There’s a “George” on nearly every commercial aircraft, but he’s not a crew member. “George” is a nickname for a plane’s autopilot system that follows a programmed set of points to the flight’s destination. Pilots often deploy George to command the aircraft when it reaches cruising altitude or when they’ve flown for more than 10 hours.

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"There are 155 souls on board."

155 crew members are on board.

155 passengers are on board.

155 pieces of luggage are on board.

155 total people are on board.

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EXCELLENT!

"Souls on board" accounts for every passenger, pilot, flight attendant and crew member. Pilots often report the number of "souls" when declaring an emergency.

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"It's 17:00 Zulu time."

5:00 pm in Washington, D.C., USA

5:00 pm in Greenwich, London

5:00 pm according to the time zone from which the plane landed.

5:00 pm according to the time zone from which the plane departed.

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MARVELOUS!

"Zulu time," or Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the universal time zone of the skies. GMT is the time kept by the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London.

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"Pan-Pan"

It is a signal of urgency and attention.

It is a panoramic view of the horizon.

It is the main course available on a flight.

It is when a ground crew member is requesting an oil pan.

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SUPERB!

Pilots might say "pan-pan" (pronounced pahn-pahn) to get controllers' attention and request an emergency landing. When pilots use this signal, other aviators on the same frequency will go silent so you can get your message across.

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"Roger Wilco"

"I am done with this conversation."

"Thanks for letting me know."

"I have heard you, and I will comply."

"I agree with you, and I will pass the information along."

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TERRIFIC!

"Roger" came from the standard spelling alphabet for the letter R, which was initially used in Morse code communication to represent the message "received." "Wilco" is short for "will cooperate."

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"How's the ride?"

A flight crew member will ask the pilot to determine if he is comfortable.

An airline will ask this when surveying passengers.

The ground crew asks this question to a pilot after landing.

Pilots will ask this to other pilots when checking on turbulence levels.

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IMPRESSIVE!

Pilots talking to each other might question, "How's the ride?" This question is to check on the turbulence levels of other flights.

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"Headed to the Apron."

It is the area in an airport reserved for pilots and flight crews to get food and rest.

It is the area of an aircraft reserved for kitchen utensils.

It represents the time the flight crew can clock out.

It is the area for loading or unloading, refueling, parking, or maintenance.

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SENSATIONAL!

The Apron is a defined area of an airport, designated by the Federal Aviation Administration, where aircraft are parked, refueled, unloaded, loaded, and boarded.

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CONGRATULATIONS!

Visit Flight Works Alabama to continue your aerospace education!