Every cockpit acronym, controller term and airline word explained in plain English — no aerospace degree required. Jump to a letter or scroll through the whole thing.
A movable control surface on each wing that rolls the aircraft left or right.
The cockpit gauge showing how fast the aircraft is moving through the air, not over the ground.
The instrument that shows the aircraft's height, based on the surrounding air pressure.
The phase of flight where an aircraft descends and lines up to land.
The ground-based service that directs aircraft to keep them safely separated in the air and on the ground.
An onboard system that can fly the aircraft along a programmed path, freeing the pilots to manage everything else.
How far an aircraft is tilted wingtip-to-wingtip, usually while turning.
The nickname for the flight data and cockpit voice recorders — actually painted bright orange to help investigators find them.
Hot, high-pressure air tapped from the engines and used to pressurize and heat the cabin.
The process of moving passengers from the gate onto the aircraft before departure.
The maximum altitude an aircraft, or the weather, allows for a given flight.
Records cockpit conversations and sounds — one half of the "black box" pair.
Wind blowing across the runway rather than straight down it, requiring a specific landing technique.
The steady, fuel-efficient height an aircraft holds for most of a flight.
A crew member flying as a passenger to reach their next working flight.
Spraying fluid on an aircraft before departure to clear ice and snow that could disrupt airflow over the wings.
The phase of flight where the aircraft loses altitude on its way to landing.
The person on the ground who plans a flight's route, fuel and weather picture alongside the captain.
The resistance the air exerts against an aircraft moving through it.
The control surface on the tail that raises or lowers the aircraft's nose.
The entire tail assembly of an aircraft, including the elevators and rudder.
Estimated Time of Arrival.
The certification standard that allows twin-engine jets to fly long routes far from the nearest diversion airport.
The last straight-in segment of flight before touchdown.
Panels that extend from the wings to add lift and drag at low speed, mainly during takeoff and landing.
An altitude expressed in hundreds of feet above a standard pressure setting, used at cruise — FL350 means 35,000 feet.
The second pilot in the cockpit, fully qualified to fly the aircraft — commonly called the co-pilot.
The main body of the aircraft that holds the crew, passengers and cargo.
The ideal descent path an aircraft follows down to the runway, often shown by an instrument landing system.
Aborting a landing attempt and climbing back up to try again — routine, safe, and practiced constantly.
The sensation of extra weight caused by acceleration, felt during turns or turbulence.
Extra lift an aircraft gets when flying very close to the ground, often felt just before touchdown.
The direction the aircraft's nose is pointed, measured in degrees.
A racetrack-shaped loop pilots fly to wait, usually for landing clearance or traffic to clear.
Fluid-powered systems that move heavy components like landing gear, flaps and flight controls.
The buildup of ice on an aircraft's surfaces, actively managed with de-icing and anti-icing systems.
Instrument Flight Rules — flying by reference to cockpit instruments rather than looking outside, standard for airline flights.
Instrument Landing System — a ground-based system that guides an aircraft precisely down to the runway in poor visibility.
A fast-moving river of air high in the atmosphere; pilots ride it to save fuel or route around it to avoid a headwind.
An extra seat in or near the cockpit, often used by off-duty crew or inspectors.
The standard unit of speed in aviation, equal to one nautical mile per hour.
The wheels — or floats, or skis — an aircraft lands and taxis on.
The upward force generated by air moving over the wings that keeps the aircraft airborne.
The extra apparent weight an aircraft experiences during maneuvering, measured in G's.
Part of an instrument landing system that keeps an aircraft aligned left-to-right with the runway centerline.
Speed expressed as a fraction of the speed of sound — Mach 1 is the speed of sound itself.
The international radio distress call, repeated three times, used for a life-threatening emergency.
A coded routine weather report issued by airports, typically updated about once an hour.
The published procedure a pilot flies after a go-around to safely climb away and try landing again.
The standard aviation distance unit, based on the Earth's circumference — slightly longer than a statute mile.
Notice to Air Missions — an official alert about anything that could affect a flight, from runway closures to laser activity.
The leg of a flight heading away from the departure point, or a bearing flown away from a navigation aid.
The emergency mask that drops from overhead if cabin pressure is lost, letting everyone breathe normally at altitude.
The pilot with final legal responsibility and authority for the flight.
The up-or-down angle of the aircraft's nose relative to the horizon.
The system that keeps the cabin at a comfortable, breathable pressure while flying at high altitude.
A tug pushing the aircraft away from the gate before it taxis under its own power.
An altimeter setting referenced to airfield elevation, so the altimeter reads zero on the runway.
An altimeter setting referenced to sea level, so the altimeter reads true elevation above sea level.
The moment during takeoff when the pilot raises the aircraft's nose to lift off.
Runway Visual Range — how far a pilot can actually see down the runway, critical in fog or heavy weather.
The control surface on the tail fin that yaws the aircraft's nose left or right.
The paved — or sometimes unpaved — strip aircraft use to take off and land.
The four-digit transponder code a controller assigns an aircraft so it stands out clearly on radar.
A loss of lift when a wing's angle to the airflow gets too steep — not an engine failure, and a maneuver pilots specifically train to recognize and recover from.
A rule requiring pilots to avoid non-essential conversation below 10,000 feet, keeping full focus on flying.
Short Takeoff and Landing — describes aircraft built to operate from very short runways.
Moving an aircraft on the ground under its own power, between the gate and the runway.
The forward force produced by the engines that pushes the aircraft through the air.
The onboard device that broadcasts an aircraft's identity, altitude and squawk code to radar and other aircraft.
Bumpy air caused by disturbed airflow — uncomfortable, but aircraft are built with wide safety margins well beyond what passengers ever feel.
The specific certification a pilot needs to legally fly a particular aircraft model.
Unit Load Device — a container or pallet used to load baggage and cargo efficiently into an aircraft's hold.
Another name for the landing gear.
The speed during the takeoff roll beyond which a pilot must continue the takeoff rather than abort it.
Visual Flight Rules — flying by looking outside the cockpit rather than relying solely on instruments.
A ground radio beacon pilots use to navigate along defined routes.
Swirling air trailing off an aircraft's wingtips — the reason air traffic control spaces aircraft apart on approach.
The turbulent, swirling air left behind a passing aircraft — see Vortex.
A defined geographic point aircraft navigate between along a route.
A sudden change in wind speed or direction, taken seriously enough that major airports run dedicated detection systems for it.
The side-to-side rotation of the aircraft's nose, controlled by the rudder.
The steering-wheel-like (or joystick) control some aircraft use to control pitch and roll.
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) — used everywhere in aviation so crews across time zones are always working from the same clock.