Week 2 Terminology and Vocabulary

Terminology and jargon are quintessential parts to the maintenance career

field. These words in other circumstances could mean a completely different idea.
This is why it becomes crucial for all flight-line personnel, to include technicians and
pilots, to be able to recognize and translate the jargon into readable and, more
importantly, understandable speak. That is why I feel it is necessary to devote time
to learning some of the more utilized terms.
This week we are going to focus on learning some terms that are widely used
throughout the maintenance career field. Knowing these terms will allow you to
communicate better between pilots and other maintenance technicians. It is
important to get a good grasp of these ideas as they will be a cornerstone to your
development as a maintainer. Below you will find a list of terms and their meanings.
Each one of these will be testable items on the quiz at the end of the week. So lets
begin!
Ailerons:
A moveable surface usually placed at the trailing edge of a wing that controls
aircraft banking movements known as roll.
Angle of Attack (AoA):
The acute angle between the chord of an aircraft wing or other airfoil and the
direction of the relative wind, essentially the pitch of an aircraft.
Bleed or bleeding:
The act of removing air from a fuel, oil, or hydraulic fluid system.

Cockpit:
A space, usually enclosed, in the forward fuselage of an airplane containing the
flying controls, instrument panel, and seat/seats for the pilot or flight crew.
Elevator:
A hinged horizontal surface usually placed at the tail end of an aircraft that controls
up and down movement of the aircraft known as pitch.
Empennage:
The rear section of an aircraft, usually containing the vertical fin, stabilizer,
elevators, and rudder.
Fully Mission Capable (FMC):
An aircraft that is fully ready to complete a mission and flyable. There are probably
known conditions or problems with the aircraft that have been written up before,
but nothing that would affect the airworthiness of the airplane.
Fuselage:
The complete central structure to which the wings, tail, and engines are attached to
on an aircraft.
In Flight Emergency (IFE):
An emergency that occurs in flight, usually requiring ground crew assistance along
with emergency personnel.

Non Mission Capable (NMC):

An aircraft is no longer airworthy and is temporarily grounded. This status will
remain until the repair on the grounding condition can be completed.
Partially Mission Capable (PMC):
An aircraft is still airworthy and able to conduct some missions, however there are
specific systems that are inoperable. Thus only specific missions that do not require
that system are able to be performed.
Pitch:
Up and down movement on the vertical axis of an aircraft
Reference Datum Line:
A plane in which both horizontal and vertical measurements are calculated.
Roll:
Banking movement in flight typically used to turn an aircraft.
Rudder:
A hinged vertical surface usually placed at the tail end of an aircraft that controls
side to side movement of the aircraft known as yaw.
Sortie:
A flight or mission that is logged during combat or training operations.
Taxi:

In reference to an aircraft that has left its parking location and has begun ground
movement with the pilot in the seat in preparation for flight.
Yaw:
Side to side movement along the horizontal axis of an aircraft.

As stated before, these are just a few of the thousands of terms that you
might come across in your maintenance career. It is important to note that you
should make sure you stay vigilant in learning new terms to ensure that you are the
best possible technician. This will earn you the respect of your superiors,
subordinates, and peer group. One last note, if you are unsure of a term or dont
quite know what it means, make sure you ask. There are no stupid questions when
you are learning. I always tell my students to take advantage of being nave, for one
day you will have to be the one answering the questions of the new maintenance
personnel.