Pilot Terms
Pilots use this term to refer to descending towards an airport to land
"Making an..."
Approach
This current U.S. airline has aircraft with the nickname banana bus due to their sharp yellow color
Spirit Airlines
This airport in the Northeast is named after a former U.S. president who was assassinated
JFK
These two parts of an aircraft are used to generate lift, allowing an airplane to stay in the air
Wings
ATC stands for...
Air Traffic Control/Controller
Pilots will say this word to each other, telling them to lift the aircraft off the runway during takeoff
Rotate
This asian airline operates the world's longest flight from New York to its hub airport
Singapore Airlines
This airport on the west coast has the same abbreviation as the sport of lacrosse
LAX
This aircraft part, located on the tail of the airplane, is used to move the aircraft horizontally without dipping the wing
Rudder
These 3 U.S. airlines are known as the big 3 because of their dominance
United Airlines, Delta Airlines, and American Airlines
This takeoff term, identified by one letter and a one-digit number, is used by pilots to determine decision speed
V1
This airline is often referred to as the world's worst airline and is infamous for its hard landings
Ryanair
This airport in the Northeast shares the same name as your Aviation Club president
Boston Logan International Airport
These parts of an aircraft, which helps the plane move up and down, shares the same name as something often found in hotels.
Elevators
An MD-11 aircraft, primarily operated by cargo airlines like FedEx, has this many engines
3
This term refers to the gradual lifting of the nose in order to slow the rate of descent of an airplane just before landing
Flare
This U.S. airline is famous for having detailed images of different animals on each of their aircraft's tail fins
Frontier Airlines
This airport, situated on the Potomac River, is also named after a former president
Ronald Reagan International Airport
This small jet engine, located at the rear of a plane, is used to provide power to an aircraft while its main engines are shut off.
Auxiliary Power Unit (APU)
The chief flight attendant on commercial flights is also known as the...
Purser
Pilots say this phrase to each other in order to make sure the aircraft is gaining altitude before retracting the landing gear
Positive rate (of climb)
This relatively new airline, starting service in 2012, is Singapore's main ultra low cost carrier
Scoot Airlines
United Airlines has 2 hubs on the west coast. One is LAX and the other is...
SFO
These small parts are located on the ends of aircraft wings, often used to make the plane more aerodynamic
Winglets
Alaska Airlines