General Terms

Abeam - A point when the aircraft is directly left or right of the runway numbers.

AGL - Above Ground Level.

Ailerons - Trailing edge of the wing that will cause the plane to bank either left or right.

Airfoil - Shape of the wing.

Angle of Attack - Angle at which the wind hits the surface of the wing in referance to the wing cord line.

Base - Transitioning turn between downwind and final.

Chamber - Curve of the airfoil.

Cockpit - Front section of the aircraft where the pilot sits and where all the controls for the aircraft are located.

Crab - Maneuver that keeps an aircraft flying a true course in a crosswind situation.

Crosswind - Wind blowing at an angle not with or against of the direction of the aircraft.

Downwind - Flying with the wind parallel to the runway.

Drag - Force that opposes the foward motion through the air.

Elevator - The trialing edge of the horizontal stabilizers that are used to make the nose of aircraft go up or down.

FAA - Federal Aviation Administration.

Fin/Vertical Stabilizer - The small wing structrue that stands vetically at the rear of the aircraft.

Final - Last adjustments to aircraft approch before landing; aircraft should be aligned with runway.

Flaps - Structures that change the chamber of the wing to increase lift at lower airspeeds.

Flare - Reduces speed and descent rate; should begin 10 to 20 feet above the runway.

Fuselage - The main body of the aircraft that contains the cockpit, vertical and horizontal stabilizers, wings, and engines.

Horizontal Stabilizer - Small wing structure that extend horizontally from the rear of the fuselage.

IFR - Instrument Flight Rating.

ILS - Instrument Landing System.

Knot - 1.43 miles per hour = 1 knot

Lift - A force opposing gravity that causes the aircraft to rise.

Pitch - An aircraft's rotation on its x-axis; nose up or down.

Roll - The aicraft's rotation on its y-axis; bank left or right.

Rudder - The trailing edge of the fin that helps control the aircraft in turns.

Runway Numbers - Identifies the magnetic heading of the runway, example is runway 25 has a magnetic heading of 250 degrees.

Slats - Structures that extend from the front of the wing to increase lift.

Stall - The point at which the flow of air over the wing surface stops producing lift.

Throttle - Control used to adjust the amount of fuel flowing into manifold, thus increasing or decreasing RPM(rotations per minute).

Traffic Pattern - The flight pattern that is prescribed for aircraft landing or taking off.

VFR - Visual Flight Rating.

Wings - The large horizontal stuctures extending from the side of the aircraft, they are what allow the aircraft to fly.

Wing Cord Line - An imaginary line from the leading edge or the wing to the trailing edge of the wing.

Yaw - An aircraft's rotation on its z-axis; turning left or right.

Yoke - Flight control located in the cockpit which is used to control the ailerons and elevator.

Instrument Terms

Airspeed Indicator - This instrument indicates the airspeed at which the aircraft is moving. (Please note that airspeed is different from ground speed.)

Attitude Indicator - The attitude indicator shows how far aircraft is pitched or banked in degrees.

Altitude Indicator - This will indicate your altitude MSL. (Mean Sea Level)

Directional Gyro (DG) - A compass steadied by a gyro.

Master Switch - Turn on all electrical equipment with the used of the battery. (Gyros as well.)

Slip and Turn Coordinator - Helps the pilot know if the aircraft is in coordinated flight.

Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI) - Shows the decent or accent rate of an aircraft.

VOR - VORs are used for navigation. Many aircraft used 2 VORs to trangulate a VOR station.