A highly Qualified person no matter what a, " There is no such thing of a bad pilot" Why? G-suit - Nylon trousers that wrap around the legs and abdomen. Trick-or-Treat Trap Refers to the clock system of scanning the envelope around the aircraft; 12 o'clock is straight ahead, 6 o'clock is directly astern. Up to Speed, or Up to Snuff Also VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing). Father ~ Slang term for shipboard TACAN station. On the Mouse ~ Talking on the flight-deck radio circuit that uses a headset resembling Mickey Mouse ears. Bat Decoder ~ A sheet of paper carried on all fight operations that is the key to current airborne communication codes. Pitch – Attitude of aircraft nose relative to the horizon. Red Flag - Advanced aerial combat training exercise, held by the Air Force at Nellis AFB, Nevada. Altitude, measured in thousands of feet (“angels fifteen” means 15,000 feet above sea level). Jet intakes can ingest loose objects, and even the smallest item a rock, a bolt can seriously damage jet turbine blades. Goo - Bad weather that makes it impossible to see; in the clouds. Sierra Hotel Cap'n Jack, Sep 18, 2011 #28. Tilly Many Top Gun training sessions occur over Echo Range. Carrier On-Board Delivery aircraft, used to transfer personnel and cargo to and from the carrier. COD - Carrier On-Board Delivery aircraft.Colorful Actions - Flathatting, showing off, or otherwise ignoring safe procedures while flying. 1st class is the best for pickings! Loud Handle So, when the pilot died, he "bought the farm" by the insurance money paying off the mortgage. Combat Dump ~ A bowel movement before flying; also called "sending an admiral to sea". They are called a “black box” because the first modern version, invented by Finnish aviation engineer Veijo Hietala in 1942, was a single black box. the runway), gear down and locked, request permission
Anyone who can fly an aircraft. My Fun Meter is Pegged ~ Sarcastic comment for, "I am not enjoying this.". By all accounts the F-8 Crusader was a tits machine. “Z time” is short for “Zulu time”. Electronic, computer-controlled operation of aircraft control surfaces. And yes, “cattle class” would seem more appropriate . When an aircraft in level flight ascends or drops without the go-ahead from control tower. Students, short for coneheads: also called nurkin heads, or studs. Bought the Farm ~ Died. Admin ~ The rented room that is the party headquarters ashore, usually at a foreign port of call. Jet intakes can ingest loose objects, and even the smallest item, a rock or bolt can seriously damage jet turbine or propeller blades. Loss of situational awareness is often cited as a contributing factor tomany military-aviation mishaps. When the tailhook of an aircraft landing on a carrier strikes the rounddown. Another well used term is “con”. Helo If you’re into mathematics, the Royal Academy of Engineering has all the details. Departure Often just called a "knife-fight". Electric Jet ~ The F-16 Fighting Falcon, so nicknamed because of its fly-by-wire controls. Aircraft can fly and fight past bingo fuel in combat situations, but at considerable peril.Bingo Field - Land-based runway to which carrier aircraft can be used as an alternate.Birds – AircraftBlower - Afterburner.Blue-Water Ops - Carrier flight operations beyond the reach of land bases or bingo fields.Boards Out - Speed brakes extendedBoat - Any Navy ship regardless of size. Departure - Literally departure from controlled flight, usually brought on in high-performance jets by excessive angle of attack. The latest inside information. Minimum afterburner in the Tomcat. I still like this one - ed.). Mock-technical term for the skull. The F-16 Falcon, F/A-18 Hornet, and the French Mirage 2000 use these systems. “Ground pounder”, Shooter - The catapult officer.Sierra Hotel - "Shit Hot," high praise; the pilot's favorite and all-purpose expression of approval, SNAG – Mechanical malfunction of an aircraft part or componentSniffer - A device on the flight deck that checks that an aircraft is broadcasting transmissions. “shed” = shorts 360 a/c Named after the process of warming up the catapults before a launch. There are standard procedures for all phases of flight and pilots need to know that crew have accomplished these. Bumping FOD - Foreign Object Damage. On the Mouse Do you have any Specials? “hair dryer” =air start unit The hook engages one of four trap wires to achieve rapid deceleration during routine landings aboard aircraft carrier flight decks at sea or properly equipped landside training runways. Often just called a “knife- fight.”. Ball ~ An amber visual landing aid that the pilot uses to adjust aircaft relative position to a desired final approach glideslope. An “up” gripe means you can still fly, a “down” gripe means you can’t. A transparent screen mounted in front of the windscreen on which pertinent data from flight instruments and weapons systems are projected. Bingo Field A "cold cat," one in which insufficient launch pressure has been set into the device. A hamburger cooked in aircraft carrier wardrooms with cheese to ensure the grease contest is high enough to guarantee it will slide off the plate in heavy seas. Rapid-firing cannon or machine guns, often aimed by computers and radar. Pilot, as in “helo driver,” or “fighter jock.”, JP-4, JP-5 Catshot - A carrier takeoff assisted by a steam-powered catapult. “party time” going on the Haj detachment to the CAA desert with one DC10 and 4 crews of girls (36) and only 12 flt deck crew! A vehicle that Commanding Officers use to keep Junior Officers in a central location for a given amount of time to keep them from screwing up his (or her ) command tour. Others are specific to commercial aircraft operations. Helo ~ Universal Navy/Marine term for helicopter. Farmer's would inflate the value of lost crops to the point that, in effect, the pilot "bought the farm".Bounce, Tap - Unexpected attack on another aircraft. Fly-by-wire ~ Electronic, computer-controlled operation of aircraft control surfaces. Zero-Dark-Thirty - A half-hour after midnight. SA ~ Situational Awareness. (IMC)Power Puke or Power Barf - Projectile vomiting, a symptom of airsickness.Pole - Control stick.Prang - To bump, crunch, bend, or break an aircraft.Pucker Factor – Scary incidentPuke - Pilot who flies a different kind of aircraft than you, as in fighter puke orattack puke. Gripe - A mechanical problem on an aircraft. Power Puke or Power Barf CEP There is a Father on most Mothers. The AV-8B Harrier is a VSTOL (VTOL) aircraft. Pilot Impressively Lands Plane 'Blind' After Hail Destroys Windshield, Why Pilots and Co-pilots Can’t Eat the Same Thing on a Flight, The Secret Plane Compartments Where Pilots Nap on Long Flights, Royal Academy of Engineering has all the details. Atoll, Apex, Acrid ~ NATO code names for Soviet-manufactured air-to-air missiles. This can result in damage to the aircraft. Nickname for the A-4 Skyhawk. Tits Machine Most military aircraft have a radar-altimeter, which reads aircraft height above ground level. Z Time – Pilot-speak for Greenwich Mean Time, Mean Solar Time. LOB – Left off bag. IFR A nostalgic term referring to birds gone by. Pilot:
“self loading freight” = passengers Aircraft strobe, or anti-collision, lights. FAST - Fleet Air Superiority Training.Father - Slang term for shipboard TACAN station. Modern fighters have every imaginable control function mounted on either the stick (right hand) or the throttle quadrant (left hand), so that the pilot need not fumble around in the cockpit. One-G equals normal gravity(14.7psi); a pilot and plane pulling4-Gs will feel forces equal to four times the weight of gravity. During formation flight, to close up under the wing of another aircraft. “Hitting the silk”. TransPac/Lant Keeping an eye peeled for an ACM adversary; also called “doing the Linda Blair,” for the 360-degree head rotation in the movie The Exorcist. Military Power For some, a “spinner” is one who gets on late and doesn’t have a seat assignment or know which seat is theirs, so they “spin around” looking for it. A carrier takeoff assisted by a steam-powered catapult. Sweet ~ Up and working. Hook Slap The pilots of other aircraft on the same mission as you. Overland Air Superiority Training. Related: Why Pilots and Co-pilots Can’t Eat the Same Thing on a Flight, “I think some pilots, especially new ones, might be prone to use aviation cliches — like saying ‘Roger that!’ — but most of us are over it,” he said. Wingman The Navy has time restrictions as to how long a crew can stand an Alert-5 watch. Word Spy:
Lost the Bubble Tank - RefuelTango Uniform - "tits up"; broken, not functioning.Texaco - An aerial tanker. Electric Jet - The F-16 Fighting Falcon, so nicknamed because of its fly-by-wire controls. The official name is FRS (Fleet Replacement Squadron). Pit Varsity Play for the Deck - A skillful landing attempt. ECM When a pilot is really hot for a dogfight. "Back to the Taxpayers" ~ Where you send a wrecked aircraft. Nickname for the F-4 Phantom and now the F/A-18E or -18F Super Hornet. Base – Flight crew term for their home airport; where the flights originate from and terminate at. for a touch and go. (“Shack is a bagger. you have to tank.Turkey - Nickname for the F-14 TomcatTweak - To fine-tune or adjust.Twirly - Anti-collision beacon on an aircraft. Pinkie Glove - The huge wing root of the F-14 Tomcat, housing the mechanism for moving the variable- geometry wings. A reference to the rapid 180-degree Batmobile maneuver in the old "Batman" television series.Beaded Up - Worried or excited.Behind the Power Curve - Not keeping up with expectations.Bent - Damaged or broken.Bingo ~ Minimum fuel for a safe return to base. Speed of Heat, Warp One Sometimes means in jest: “Not Applicable To Our Present Situation.” NATOPS manuals are sometimes referred to as “the big blue sleeping pill” in reference to their blue plastic covers. “‘Roger’ simply means ‘received,’ or ‘I heard you’ — not ‘yes’ as Hollywood wants you to think. Anti-Smash ~ Aircraft strobe, or anti-collision, lights. A mandatory signal, usually a visual (waveoff lights on the lens) or audible command (on the UHF radio) for a pilot to cease his approach and not touch down. HUD ~ Heads Up Display. BuNo ~ Bureau number, permanent serial number that the Navy assigns to an aircraft when it is built. a videotape camera that records all carrier launches and recoveries. Short for “blackshoes,” a derogatory term for nonflying personnel; aviators wear brown shoes. Boola-Boola ~ Radio call made when a pilot shoots down a drone. Visual observation of the rear quadrant, from which most air-to-air attacks can be expected. RIO ~ Radar Intercept Officer. There is a Father on most Mothers.Feet Wet/Dry - USN terms describing flight position "over-water" and "over-land. Unidentified and potentially hostile aircraft. "Top Gun". Gate Lice – The term used for the crowd of people who amass around the gate and gate agents when anticipating boarding the plane. Hosted by Kellee Edwards. Also, Tom Cruise notwithstanding, fireproof gloves are always worn by military pilots regardless of the outside temperature. Pilots have their own language, designed to communicate complex messages as briefly and clearly as possible. Zero-Dark-Thirty ~ Late into the night or pre-dawn; early. Meatball ~ The glideslope indication light that pilots watch when they're trapping. or "Lawn Dart". As in “Brain Disengaged.” Derives from that bad thing that happens when you try to make a gear-up approach. “Efficiency and clarity is the goal in military flight communications and should also be the priority in civil aviation. We’ve got travel destination guides, facts and trivia articles, an impressive tourism glossary, cultural insight, language learning, posts about history and education, a tourism and hospitality industry glossary, and even more! Fleet Air Superiority Training. Circular Error Probable. Air Wing A sick pilot is "down". A native of New York City, when he is not traveling, he can find an abundance of cultural influences right in his own city, enough to keep him satisfied until the next country's beckon cannot be ignored any longer. Commute – Process of getting to starting destination or base. Military slang for having to get up early; meaning any time of night that most people consider an unearthly hour. A tight, high-G change of heading. Pinging On ~ Paying close attention to; critical scrutinization. Cherubs Aviation has had a huge impact on the way people travel. The point at which aircraft come into contact, after having been vectored toward each other by radar control. I know it as “Cattle Class”. Hugo, thanks for stopping by! FASO Snagging the arresting wire before the wheels touch the deck. Jet intakes can ingest loose objects, and even the smallest item--a rock, a bolt--can seriously damage jet turbine blades. They are also not "glorified bus drivers". Fighter Attack Guy; derogatory term for F/A-18 Hornet drivers. Turkey You respond"State one plus two zero to splash" = 1 hours and 20 minutes of flying time remaining. Abbreviation for “f*cking magic”: very high-tech; used to describe how something you don’t understand actually works. Lethal Cone, Cone of Vulnerability ~ Area to the rear of the jet's tailpipe, into which most infra-red missile and gun attacks are ideally launched. G-suit Ditch – Forced landing into waterDirty - Aircraft configured for landing with gear, flaps and hook down.Dot - Refers to how a distant aircraft looks on the horizon, ("I'm a dot" means "I'm out of here"). Streamlined fiberglass enclosure covering a radar antenna. The very back end of the flight deck, so called because of its rounded shape. Find another word for pilot. Knowing what your airplane is doing relative to its, SNAG – Mechanical malfunction of an aircraft part or component. “Yank and Bank” – Successive Steep climbing/banking turns, high G loading and. Bumping ~ ACM (Air Combat Maneuvering),also called "bumping heads". Combat Air Patrol over ground-attack aircraft to protect against an air-to-air threat. Bounce, Tap Hop A mission, or flight . This is chrome-plated stove-pipe triple-nickle eight ball,
Christian Eilers is a travel and career advice writer who constantly loves to learn about the world through traveling, cultural stories, reading, and education. SkiBum5' Jane's Military History Nodes and The_Custodian's Jane's pages. Electronic Intelligence; the gathering of electronic emissions related to communications, weapons control, or reconnaissance. Bat-turn ~ A tight, high-G change of heading. Each room or segment of a passageway or deck has a space number. Pilot Landing Aid Television. That system was introduced in 1953 by Australian engineer David Warren. Flathatting ~ Unauthorized low-level flying and stunting--thrilling, sometimes fatal, usually career- ending if caught. Electric Jet Sweat Bead Condition One ~ This is a condition often enjoyed during a SWEATEX or when one is beaded up as far as one might go. Catshot ~ A carrier takeoff assisted by a steam-powered catapult. Goes Away Enjoyed reading through this, very good stuff, regards. Rocket One - The skipper.Roof - The flight deck on the carrier. NATO code names for Russian fighter aircraft. Wingman ~ Second pilot in a two-ship pair. Tail Hook Taking a nap, referring to the eyelids. Zone 1 A device that, when properly loaded and aligned, permits the pilot to determine his location anywhere on earth within a few hundred feet. For more airplane and flight related words and lingo, as well as words, phrases, and terms related to travel in general, please check out the Dauntless Jaunter travel glossary. If you get a wave off or a bolter, that’s where you go. Flathatting - Unauthorized low-level flying. Up to Speed, or Up to Snuff - To understand or to know what's going on. SA involves knowing what your airplane is doing relative to its envelope, where your adversary is and what he's up to, where the ground is, the status of enemy threats on the ground, and hundreds of other variables. HOTAS An airplane's altimeter reads height above Mean Sea Level (MSL); the more realistic measurement over land is height Above Ground Level. Navigation aid which provides bearing and distance (slant range) between it and an airplane. LEAPEX ~ A jump-through-your ass drill. Landing short in the ramp area, resulting in a crash. Angle of Attack (AOA) ~ Angle of the wing relative to the forward flight path of the airplane. Admiral’s Doorbell Gone tech: A technical failure on the plane which will prevent it from flying. Zero-Dark-Thirty Due to many accidents involving this aircraft. During the Vietnam War, flying missions into the Hanoi-Haiphong complex in North Vietnam, which was defended by multiple SAM and conventional AAA sites, was referred to as “Going Downtown.”. Deadhead – When an airline employee, such as a pilot or flight attendant, flies as a passenger, they are deadheading if it is part of their job, such as when they aren’t on the clock but need to return to another airport for some reason. Jink – A quick maneuver to avoid a threat.Jock, Driver - Pilot, as in "helo driver", or "fighter jock"JP-4, JP-5 - Types of jet fuel: the aroma of which makes former aviators nostalgic for flight operations.Judy - Radio call signaling that your quarry is in sight and you are taking control of the intercept. The jobs, billets, and accomplishments you need to climb the totem pole (the tickets get “punched”). Imaginary line across your airplane’s wingspan. Joined: Jun 15, 2008 Varsity Play for the Deck this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Anti-collision beacon on an aircraft. Flight Physiology Training: recurrent safety training for aircrews directed at emphasizing physiological stressors, conditions, or episodes which might be encountered in flight. The name fits. Tower:
Works best if you do it like a bucket brigade. Merge, Merged Plot - The point at which aircraft come into contact, after having been vectored toward each other by radar control. To not make the grade at flight school. Trips that used to take weeks by ship, now take hours, making it easier to explore new destinations. Second pilot in a two-plane formation. Also Double Ugly.RIO - Radar Intercept Officer. Hawk Circle - The orbiting stack of aircraft waiting to land on the carrier.Head on a Swivel - Keeping an eye peeled for an ACM adversary; also called "doing the Linda Blair," for the 360-degree head rotation in the movie "The Exorcist". select Zone 5, tag the bogey, Pinging On Also known as "paddles". Fly-by-wire ~ Electronic, computer-controlled operation of aircraft control surfaces.FM - "f#cking magic": very high-tech; used to describe how something you don't understand actually works. Roll 'Em ~ A movie. Playmates Bag Busters – Also Baggage Handlers Basement ~ Hangar deck of the aircraft carrier. ("What time's the roll 'em?") Word Spy says, ” Mountain ranges are fairly common granite formations and once struck by an aircraft you have had "an encounter with cumulo-granite". Line – The schedule of trips a flight attendant is offered each month, referring to the entire sequence. After over 47 years in a/c engineering and still enjoying it, all be semi-retired it’s a career that I would do over again. Junior Officer Protective Association. Bingo Field ~ Land-based runway to which carrier aircraft can divert if necessary. Maximum afterburner in the Tomcat. A system of computers, sensors, data pods, and graphic displays that permits real-time depiction of an aerial dogfight. The ultimate in an angles fight is an angle of zero straight up the enemy’s tailpipe. The primary optical landing device on the carrier. Pickle Aluminum Cloud ~ The F-14 is so large that it is sometimes referred to by this term. Ferry Flight – Delivery of an aircraft to a specific destination without paying passengers aboard. Air Boss Also known as "speed-jeans", Gaff Off - Ignore.Gate - Afterburner. Goo “I’ve got two OJ’s for 451 to Vegas” By all accounts the F-8 Crusader was a tits machine. The ASQ-8 1 Magnetic Anomaly System works by “FM.”. Feet Wet/Dry ~ The former means "over-water," the latter "over-land." Here are some interesting words and phrases from our travel glossary that pilots, flight attendants, and other airline staff (and even passengers) have adopted and created and use now as their own lingo and slang: Add-On – A member of the flight that was added to the itinerary at the last minute, such as a flight attendant who was not listed on the flight schedule but was penciled in due to another calling in sick. R2D2 locke baron says, "Fox three indicates the launch of an active-radar AAM, which includes not only the AIM-54 Phoenix but also the AIM-120 AMRAAM.". NFWS Pilots can be military, commercial, or fly for pleasure. Mayday was preferred over SOS for verbal communication because it’s easier to understand. Gs, G-loading - High-performance aircraft subject airframes and occupants to centrifugal, Hangar Queen - An aircraft that suffers chronic "downs"; hangar queens are often, In the Spaghetti - Where you catch the wires on the deck. Phonetic abbreviation for “shit hot,” high praise; the pilot’s favorite and all-purpose expression of approval. FARP - Fleet ACM Readiness Program; a periodic training program of the Fleet Air Wing; dogfighting practice with an adversary squadron. NFO Heater - Sidewinder missile which homes in on heat sources.”Heatseeker”Helo - Universal Navy/Marine term for helicopter.High PRF - Extremely excitable (PRF is a radar term: pulse repetition frequency).High Warble - Unduly agitated.Hop - A Mission, or flightHOTAS - Hands On Throttle And Stick.HUD - Heads Up Display. Also known as "speed-jeans", Gigahertz and Nanoseconds ~ Highly technical, detailed, and hard to understand ("It's getting down to gigahertz and nanoseconds. Lineup – lining up the aircraft with the runway or Fight DeckLost the Bubble - Got confused or forgot what was happening.Loading/Unloading - Increasing or decreasing angle of attack and G'sLoud Handle - Lever or grip that fires ejection seat.LSO - Landing Signals Officer. Low-level attack aircraft such as the A-6 Intruder. Crotch Watch – Also referred to as a “groin scan,” this is the rounds that the flight attendants make prior to liftoff and descent that ensures that all passengers’ seat belts are on and properly fastened. Carrier jets eliminate flare in favor of a slamming contact with the deck. Ramp Strike - Landing short in the ramp area.Radome - Streamlined fiberglass enclosure covering a radar antenna.RAG - Replacement Air Group. The bombardier-navigator (B/N) or radar intercept officer (RIO). CAVU - Ceiling And Visibility Unlimited: the best possible flying weather.Centurion - An aviator who has made 100 shipboard landings.Charlie - The planned landing time aboard a carrier.Charlie Foxtrot - "cluster-f#ck"Check Six - Visual observation of the rear quadrant, from which most air-to-air attacks can be expected. Go-around: Sometimes conditions aren’t right for a plane to land, so pilots will coordinate with ATC for another approach on the runway. Gs, G-loading - High-performance aircraft subject airframes and occupants to centrifugal forces. Centurion ~ An aviator who has made 100 shipboard landings, typically a centurion patch is then issued and proudly worn on the flight jacket. Alert 5 ~ A manned aircraft that can launch within five minutes. Speed Slacks, Speed Jeans ~ The G-suit. Bandit Also “bugging” as in, “Quit pinging on me.” From Sonar Pinging in helo ASW. Stick-Throttle Interconnect Centurion Forced landing – Emergency landing without power or immediately following a critical failure/fire, Fox One, Two, Three - Radio calls indicating the firing of a Sparrow, Sidewinder, or Phoenix air-to- air missile. COD Formerly, to bypass or severely shorten the required routine of physically inspecting the aircraft prior to flight. "No Future Occupation"; also called the "walkin'-talkin' navbag.". One-G equals normal gravity; a pilot and plane pulling 4-Gs in a turn will feel forces equal to four times the weight of gravity. Roll ’Em AAA Martin-Baker Fan Club ~ If you eject, you're a member (a reference to the Martin-Baker company, manufacturer of ejection seats). Oversweep ~ When the F-14, on the ground, sweeps its wings to seventy-two degrees aft making it easier to store. Also, Tom Cruise notwithstanding, fireproof gloves are always worn by military pilots regardless of the outside temperature. Twirly The “contingent” term refers to the passenger’s status as only being able to travel if all revenue and senior standby ticket holders have been accommodated. CAP - Combat Air Patrol over ground-attack aircraft.Military Power - Maximum jet engine power without engaging afterburner.Mini-Boss - The Assistant Air Boss.Mort - "Killed" in ACM practice.Mother/Mom - The boat on which you are deployed, and where you launched from.Mud-mover, Ground-pounder - Low-level attack aircraft.Music - Electronic Jamming intended to deceive radar.My Fun Meter is Pegged - Sarcastic comment for, "I am not enjoying this. A primary goal in ACM is to keep your adversary in front of your three-nine line. Putting a ship through certain tests and exercises before going on cruise. G. G-loading, G-rating Technically a half-hour after midnight, but commonly used to describe any event that is scheduled to take place after midnight and before sunrise. Something silly that needs to be done NOW! It’s “Zero hour” and “Zero” starts with “Z” which is “Zulu” in the international phonetic alphabet. There is a Father on most Mothers. Dogfight adversary positively identified as a bad guy. Checking for Light Leaks Varsity Play for the Deck ~ A skillful landing attempt.