The fear of flying is relatively common, but it can prevent people from traveling to see the world or for business. Overcoming that fear takes some time and effort, but it opens up a huge number of opportunities. It is worth the effort for most people, and there are a few different ways to get started.
Exposure & Professional Support
To read the full blog and learn more about exposure and professional support, please visit my website: ScottBealeAviation.net.
If you’ve read my first two blogs on airline jargon, you now know twenty new terms! This is my last segment for the airline glossary, provided nine more words, to make you an expert the next time you travel through an airport. Thanks to Patrick Smith, and his book the Cockpit Confidential, here are the last few terms in this series.
LAST MINUTE PAPERWORK
If you’ve ever been on a flight that seemed to have taken forever to leave the terminal, you were probably waiting on “last minute paperwork.” This is typically for a revision to the flight plan or waiting on the maintenance team to get the logbook in order.
NONSTOP
In the first of this series, we discussed what was a direct flight. Go back and re-read that definition. A nonstop flight is a flight that does not have any stops between take-off and landing at your destination.
THE OFF-POSITION
When the flight attendants are asking you to put your electronics in the “off-position,” they are simply just telling you to turn it off.
Last month I wrote a blog about popular airline jargon and the various definitions. This month, I’m going to continue that trend and teach you eight new words. With the help of Patrick Smith, and his book the Cockpit Confidential, here are the next few terms in this series.
FINAL APPROACH
Pilots and flight attendants have slightly different meanings to the term “final approach.” According to the pilot, the final approach is when the airplane is on its last straight segment of the landing pattern. Simply put, the plane is aligned with the center of the runway for landing. If you were to ask a flight attendant the meaning of “final approach,” they may tell you it’s the last portion of the descent.
FIRST OFFICER (COPILOT)
As outlined in my past blog, the copilot and the captain are both well equipped and know how to fly the plane. However, the first officer, often referred to as the copilot, sits to the right and is second in command. The first officer will alternate shifts with the captain in the event of a long flight where the captain will need to take a break.
FLIGHT DECK
The flight-deck is another term for the cockpit, where the pilots sit.
Scott Beale defines a few aviation terms to help others understand the language of the airlines.
If you’ve ever taken a flight, domestic or international, I’m sure you’ve experienced some form of confusion by the jargon either spoken over the microphone or face-to-face by airline workers. Travelers who make dozens of flights a year can find themselves having only a vague understanding of this airline language. Patrick Smith wrote the book about everything you need to know when it comes to air travel, Cockpit Confidential. Here are a few terms he describes.
AIR POCKET
An air pocket is a colloquial term for a jolt of turbulence.
ALL-CALL
When a pilot comes over the intercom announcing “…all-call,” they are looking for all the flight attendants to report from his or her stations as part of the arming/disarming procedure.
ALLEY
Also known as the “ramp,” this is the passageway or taxiway between terminals.
APRON
This references where the planes park for servicing or any large space of Tarmac (asphalt) that is not being used as an alley or runway.
AREA OF WEATHER
Area of weather is a less alarming way for the pilot to announce a detour due to a thunderstorm or heavy precipitation ahead.
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