Frequency bracket/ noun a range of frequencies o VHF communications are allocated the frequency bracket 118—137MHz.
frequentadjective happening or appearing often o frequent inspection
frictionnoun a force that resists the relative motion or tendency to such motion of two bodies in contact o Energy is converted to heat through friction.
frontnoun 1. the forward part or surface o The entrance is at the front. 2. the area, location, or position directly before or ahead □ in front in a forward position relative to something else o Row 23 is in front of row 24. 3. the mixed area between air masses of different temperatures or densities
frontals , ‘ adjective 1. referring to the forward part or surface area of something o the frontal area □ frontal surface the boundary between two air masses 2. of or relating to a meteorological weather front o a frontal storm
frontal depression/ noun an area of low pressure found together with a weather front
frontal systemnoun a series of rain-bearing changes in the weather
frostnoun a deposit of very small ice crystals formed when water vapour condenses at a temperature below freezing o Frost had to be cleared from training aircraft which had been parked outside overnight. i> hoar
fuelnoun a substance such as gas, oil, petrol, etc., which is burnt to produce heat or power o Each wing tank holds 20 gallons of fuel. o A fuel system includes tanks, fuel lines, fuel pumps, fuel filters and a carburettor or fuel injection system.
fuel/air mixturenoun a combination of fuel and air which is ignited in a piston engine to provide power
comment: Aircraft engines operate at different altitudes and the pilot must adjust the mixture to produce the most efficient fuel/air mixture for the atmospheric density.
fuel gauge‘ noun an instrument indicating fuel contents
fuel injectionfuel injection system noun system in which fuel is sprayed under pressure into the combustion chamber of an engine
fuel injectornoun an injector that sprays fuel into the combustion chamber of an engine
fuel pumpnoun a device which moves fuel along pipes from the tanks to the engine fumesplural noun smoke,gas or vapour given off by a substance, often unpleasant or harmful o When the cabin is rapidly and completely filled by smoke andfumes, passengers will suffer from disorientation.
functionnoun 1. a specific occupation or role o Rota planning is one of the functions of the chief instructor. 2. purpose o Seals perform a very important function in a hydraulic system. o The function of the flaps is to increase lift and drag. ■ verb 1. to act as, or to serve the purpose of o The escape slide also functions as a life raft. 2. to operate or to work o The system functions well.
fundamentaladjective 1. of or relating to the foundation or base o the fundamental laws of aerodynamics 2. central, forming or serving as an essential component of a system or structure o Electricity is one of the fundamental types of energy that exist in nature.
fungal growthnoun a type of organism which lives and multiplies in particular fuels o Fuel contains chemicals for the inhibition of fungal growth.
fusenoun a safety device that protects an electric circuit from an excessive current o Circuit breakers perform the same function as a fuse.
fuselagenoun the central body of a plane, to which the wings and tail assembly are attached and which accommodates the crew, passengers, and cargo o The fire started in the wing but soon spread to the fuselage.
gsymbol the acceleration due to Earth’s gravity ■ abbreviation
gram Gabbreviation giga-GA abbreviation general aviation gainnoun 1. an increase o
There is a gain of heat by the Earth due to solar radiation. □ a gain in altitude an increase in altitude 2. an increase in signal power, voltage, or current o The amplifier boosts the gain of the incoming signal. 3. a benefit or advantage ■ verb 1. to increase o He failed the test because the aircraft gained 100ft in the 360° level turn. 2. to get or obtain She gained a pass in her meteorology exam.
galenoun a very strong wind usually blowing from a single direction o Gales are forecast for the area.
gallonnoun 1. □ imperial gallon unit of volume in the British Imperial System, used in liquid measure and sometimes in dry measure, equal to 4.546 litres o The system delivers fuel at the rate of 100 to 2,000 gallons per hour. Abbreviation gal 2. a unit of volume in the US Customary System, used in liquid measure, equal to 3.785 litres
GAMA abbreviation General Aviation Manufacturers Association gamma raysplural noun electromagnetic radiation given off by some radioactive substances o Gamma rays are given off when radioactive material breaks down.
gapnoun 1. a space between objects or points 2. the difference o Micro switches have a very small gap between make and break. 3. an opening o The pilot could see the airfield through a gap in the clouds.
gas‘ noun a state of matter other than solid and liquid o Oxygen and nitrogen are gases. □ gas turbine engine an engine with a turbine which is rotated by expanding hot gases gaseousadjective relating to, or existing as a gas o The atmosphere is the gaseous envelope surrounding the earth.
gasketnoun any of a wide variety of seals or packings used between matched machine parts or around pipe joints to prevent the escape of a gas or fluid o Seals, gaskets and packing make a seal by being squeezed between two surfaces.
gasolinenoun US a liquid made from petroleum, used as a fuel in an internal combustion engine GAT abbreviation general air traffic gatenoun 1. a device for controlling the passage of water or gas through a pipe o The waste gate may be controlled manually by the pilot. o During a descent from altitude, with low power set, the turbocharger waste gate is fully closed. 2. a circuit with many inputs and one output that works only when a particular input is received o A logic gate is almost the same as a switch. 3. a device to prevent a lever from being moved to an incorrect setting o It is necessary to move the rpm control lever through a feathering gate to the feathering position. gaugenoun 1. an instrument for measuring or testing o temperature gauge o pressure gauge 2. a unit of diameter or width □ heavy gauge wire thick wire ■ verb calculate approximately by using the senses o In fog, it is difficult to gauge horizontal distances. (note: gauging – gauged) GCA abbreviation ground-control approach
gearnoun 1. a toothed wheel that turns with another toothed part to transmit motion or change speed or direction 2. □ valve gear the mechanism for opening and closing valves 3. equipment and/or clothing ‘.. .as pilots, we understand the need for a convenient way to transport flight gear. That’s why we custom-designed this line of soft-sided flight bags in a variety of styles’ [Advertisement in Pilot]
gearboxnoun a device to allow changes in the ratio of engine speed to final drive speed o The auxiliary power unit (APU) is a small gas turbine engine which is connected to a gearbox.
GEM abbreviation ground-effect machine
general _1 adjective concerned with or applicable to a whole group of people or things □ general description not a detailed description □ general principles main ideas □ general purpose switches all-purpose switches □ general weather situation the overall weather picture without the detail □ as a general rule usually □ in general use used a lot general aviationnoun all aviation other than commercial airlines or the military o The number of GA aircraft stolen is down sharply since the general aviation community has taken steps to enhance security.
Abbreviation GA general flying testnoun a test of aircraft-handling skills for student pilots. Abbreviation GFT
generateverb 1. to bring into being o In an emergency, it may be necessary for crew to generate a little panic in passengers to motivate them to move. 2. to produce something such as heat or electricity as a result of a chemical or physical process o The passage of air around the wing generates lift.
generationnoun 1. the act or process of creating or making □ generation of ideas the process of producing or getting ideas □ generation of electricity the production of electricity 2. a class of objects derived from an earlier class □ a new generation of computers computers which share a recent development in computer technology which separates them as a class from earlier computers generatornoun a power-operated device for making electricity o Starter generators are a combination of a generator and a starter housed in one unit.
genusnoun a class, group,or family o Various types of cloud are grouped into ten basic cloud genera. (note: The plural form is genera.)
graphicaladjective referring to geography o a specific geographical area o the north geographic pole
geographynoun □ physical geography the study of the Earth’s surface and its features
geometricadjective referring to geometry o A triangle is a geometric figure. o Geometric pitch (US) is the distance which a propeller should move forward in one revolution.
geometrynoun 1. the study of the properties, measurement, and relationships of points, lines, angles, surfaces, and solids o An understanding of geometry is essential to the student of navigation. 2. a configuration or arrangement o the geometry of the engine nacelle
geostationaryadjective referring to an object, such as a satellite in space, which rotates round the Earth at the same speed as the Earth and is therefore stationary with reference to a point on the Earth o There are two main types of satellite that are used for collection and transmission of meteorological data, polar and geostationary.
geostrophic wind‘wind/ noun a wind which blows horizontally along the isobars, across the surface of the earth GFT abbreviation general flying test GHz abbreviation
gigahertz giga-‘ prefix one thousand million.
Symbol G
gigahertz _ _noun a frequency of 109 Hertz.
Abbreviation GHz
givenadjective 1. particular, specified, fixed o At high altitudes, less fuel is consumed for a given airspeed than for the same airspeed at a lower altitude. 2. □ given (that) taking into account, considering o Given the condition of the engine, it is surprising that it starts.
glare ^noun a strong blinding light o Glare can be caused by diffuse reflection of sunlight from the top of a layer of f°g.
glass fibre reinforced plastic noun a composite material made of plastic which is strengthened by glass fibres, used in the manufacture of air-frames and other aircraft components.
Abbreviation GRP
glideverb to fly without power In the event of an engine failure, it is important to have enough altitude to be able to glide clear of houses, people, etc.
glidepathglide path noun a path followed by the aircraft down the glide slope □ glidepath coverage the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the glide slope radio beam
glidernoun a fixed wing aeroplane, normally with no power plant propulsion o Nowadays, gliders are often made of composite materials.
glideslopeglide slope noun the part of the ILS which provides a radio beam at an angle of approximately 3° to the point of touchdown from the outer marker thus giving the pilot information about the height of the aircraft on final approach
glidingnoun 1. flying in a glider □ gliding club association of members who fly gliders as a pastime 2. flying in a powered aircraft with the engine either switched off or idling o The best gliding speed for the aircraft is 75 knots.
comment: On June 24th 1982, a British Airways 747 flying from Kuala Lumpur to Perth lost all power from all four engines for 13 minutes, yet landed safely in Jakarta: proof that even a large aircraft is capable of gliding.
globaladjective world wide, referring to something related to the whole Earth □ global pressure patterns the pressure patterns of the whole planet
global positioning systemnoun a satellite-based navigation system. Abbreviation GPS
globenoun an object shaped like a ball o If the Earth were a uniform globe, the average temperature would vary only with latitude. GLONASS noun a system of satellite navigation operated by Russia. Full form Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System
GMT abbreviation Greenwich Mean Time
GNSS abbreviation global navigation satellite system
go-aroundnoun a climb into the circuit and manoeuvring into position for a new approach and landing o Because the plane was too high on the approach, the pilot executed a go-around.
Governverb to control or limit the speed, size or amount of something o The size and number of valves requiredfor a particular type of aircraft is governed by the amount of air necessary for pressurisation and air conditioning. o The type of undercarriage fitted to an aircraft is governed by the operating weight.