click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
airline terminology
un
Term | Definition |
---|---|
board mail | supplies, correspondence, equipment etc shipped within the company from one station or department to another |
charter flights | flights that are operating with a sports team or group that have exclusive use of the aircraft and are isolated from the general public |
crew resource management / threat & error management | interaction of flight crewmembers with the use of teamwork and other skills to ensure standard procedures and communication signals are used at all times |
continuing qualification | annual training all flight attendants must attend. In CQ flight attendants review and are evaluated on all safety and security responsibilities |
decompression | either a slow or rapid release of air pressure from the cabin |
evacuation | term used to describe the quickest and most orderly method to exit customers from and aircraft in an emergency situation |
extra section | an additional flight, operating the same route as a regularly scheduled flight, to accommodate customers |
ferry flight | to transfer an aircraft from one point to another, without customers |
FAOM | a manual for flight attendants containing regulations, standards and policies & procedures necessary to conduct flight attendant duties and responsibilities on the aircraft |
gate | area where customers check in and wait before boarding an aircraft |
hanger | a building where aircraft are serviced |
holding | a flight that is 'holding' is waiting to land or take off |
hub | a large airport where an airline connects customers. United operates hubs in EWR, IAH, CLE, ORD, IAD, DEN, LAX, SFO, GUM and NRT |
inbound | customers or aircraft flying into a station |
jetway | a walkway connecting the aircraft to the gate area, also known as the jet bridge or loading bridge |
A/C | aircraft |
aft | the rear most section of the aircraft |
airspeed | the speed of an aircraft in relation to the air through with it is passing. not the same as ground speed, which is actual speed of the aircraft over the ground |
altitude | distance above sea level, quoted in thousands of feet when an aircraft is in flight |
auxiliary power unit (apu) | a small engine used to operate a generator that suppies direct current power to an aircraft when the engines are shut down. this generator is typically used to power the air lights while the aircraft is parked at the gate |
attitude | the position of the airplane as determined by the inclination of its axis in some reference, usually the earth or horizon |
bank | tilting the aircraft at an angle while turning left or right |
bulkhead | a term used to define any dividing wall in the aircraft |
cabin | the interior of the aircraft where the customers are seated |
deadhead | transportation for non working crewmembers from one point to another to cover a flight or return to base |
demo | also known as the safety demonstration |
deplane | term used to denote customers leaving or exiting the aircraft |
doghouse | a small compartment in the aircraft cabin used to stow equipment |
F/A | flight attendant |
flight deck | the pilots sit and operate the aircraft in this area, the flight deck contains all controls and navigational equipment used to fly the aircraft |
F/A jumpseat | a retractable seat with seat belts, located near exits, for flight attendants to sit on during takeoff and landing |
floor level exits | most door exits, level with the floor, allowing easy egress from the aircraft |
forward | front of the aircraft toward the flight deck |
fuselage | the body of the aircraft to which the wings and tail are attatched |
galley | the kitchen area onboard the aircraft where meals and beverages are prepared |
ground power unit | a portable unit attached to the aircraft, while on the ground, which provides electrical power to the aircraft when the engines are not operating |
ground speed | the speed of the aircraft in relation to the ground. a combination of the airspeed plus or minus the head winds and tail wind components determines your ground speed |
gross weight | the total weight of the aircraft when fully loaded. it includes the weight of the aircraft plus all the contents, such as fuel, customers and supplies |
hardstand | a remote parking area near the airport terminal where an aircraft parks. a hardstand requires customers and crew to board or deplane the aircraft via stairs |
inboard | the area in the cabin nearest the center of the aircraft |
lavatory | restrooms |
leading edge | the forward edge of the wing |
main cabin | the economy or coach section of the customer cabin |
outboard | the area in the cabin closest to the exterior of the aircraft |
overhead bins | storage compartments located above the customers seats |
placard | sticker or posting in the aircraft cabin with information |
RON | an aircraft remaining overnight at a station |
ship | aircraft are sometimes referred to as ships |
stow | to secure an item on an aircraft |
tail number | number painted near the rear of the aircraft and is referred to as the tail or ship number. also found located on a placard on the flight deck door and in the aft galley area |
trailing edge | the back edge of the wing |
brew cup | a metal basket in the coffee maker used to hold a coffee bag during the brew cycle |
casserole dish | ceramic oven safe dish in which meals are cooked and served |
coffee bag | soft paper filter pre-packed with coffee grounds. the coffee bag is placed in the brew basket when brewing coffee |
cold box | container provisioned with lemons, limes, diary and juice |
complimentary | alcoholic beverage or other service item provided at no cost to the customer |
crew meals | meals boarded specifically for pilots and flight attendants |
dish up | method of transferring entree from oven to plate to tray in premium cabins |
downline catering | food items boarded on one flight but used on the next flight |
initial flight report (ifr) | print out given to the flight attendant with premium customer names and other important information |
link | electronic device used by the flight attendants with presentation and preparation of meal selections in the premium cabins |
chef tip sheets | used to assist flight attendants with presentation and preparation of meal selections in the premium cabins |
inflight customer kit | a blue canvas bag containing items related to customer needs: band aids, coat tags, reports |
meal cart | aircraft cart in which meals are provisioned and served or sold from in united economy |
phases of flight | specific stages of flight with designated safety and service duties |
pre-departure beverage | beverages served in premium cabins before the flight departs the gate |
service standards | criteria set for service presentation to customers |
special service request (ssr) | form given to flight attendant identifying specific customer requests for assistance including wheelchairs and electric carts |
transcontinental | a flight that is operating from the east/west coast of the us to the west/east coast of the us |
walk throughs | a flight attendant requirement to assess the needs and to be available in the cabin |
agents | coworkers at the airport, who serve customers, handle baggage, direct aircraft and equipment on the grounds, agents working in the airport terminal are also called Airport Sales Agents |
airport alert | a reserve flight attendants scheduled stand by at the airport, airport alerts may be assigned any trip during the 4-6 hours they are scheduled to stand by at the airport |
captain (ca) | the captain sits in the left seat of the flight deck and is identified by four stripes on their uniform |
crew | any person whose primary job function is working on board an aircraft in flight |
crew scheduling | the department responsible for assigning crewmembers to a flight |
flight service coordinator (fsc) | a flight attendant working a position designated as the leader of the flight attendant crew on subsidiary continental flights also referred to as the lead flight attendant |
first officer (fo) | pilot who sits in the right seat of the flight deck and has three stripes on their uniform |
international service manager (ism) | a flight attendant working a position designated as the leader of the flight attendant crew transatlantic and trans pacific flights on subsidiary continental flights, also referred to as the lead |
international relief officer (iro) | an extra pilot scheduled on a flight used to relieve the working pilots for their crew rest |
pilot in command (pic) | the pilot responsible for the operation and safety of an aircraft during flight time |
purser | a flight attendant working as the leader of the flight attendant crew on subsidiary united airlines flights, also referred to as the lead flight attendant |
spinner | a customer up in the aisle after boarding is complete without a seat |
thru customer | a customer who remains on the aircraft at an intermediate stop |
federal aviation administration (faa) | the governmental agency, which regulates the safety of airline operations through specific federal aviation regulations (fars) |
department of transportation (dot) | the governmental agency that governs the economic concerns of the airlines industry |
transportation security administration (tsa) | tsa employs a risk based strategy to secure us transportation systems |
international air transport association (iata) | trade body representing some 230 airlines comprising 93% of scheduled international air traffic |