Governornoun a device for controlling or limiting the speed size or amount of something Overspeeding of the engine is prevented by a governor in the fuel system. i> valve
gphabbreviation gallons per hour
GPS abbreviation global positioning system
GPWS abbreviation ground proximity warning system GR abbreviation hail
gradenoun 1. a position in a scale of size or quality o Kevlar 49 is the grade used in aircraft composites. 2. a mark indicating a student’s level of accomplishment o Students who scored below a particular grade in the examinations were not allowed to continue the course.
gradientnoun the rate at which a quantity such as temperature or pressure changes relative to change in a given variable, especially distance o Because there is a temperature gradient across each front it is possible to draw isotherms which reduce in value from warm to cold air. o A pressure gradient occurs aloft from land to sea.
gradualadjective happening slowly but continuously o Loss of cabin pressure may be gradual rather than sudden. □ gradual change a change which takes place over a period of time
graduate/ verb 1. to be granted an academic degree or diploma o She graduated from Oxford University with a first class honours degree. 2. to advance to a new level of skill, achievement, or activity o After 50 hours of flying the single engine trainer, the student pilots graduate to flying the twin engine aircraft. 3. to divide into marked intervals, especially for use in measurement o A thermometer has a scale graduated in degrees Celsius.
gramnoun a unit of measurement of weight, equal to one thousandth of a kilogram.
Symbol g graphnoun a diagram that shows a relationship between two sets of numbers as a series of points often joined by a line o The graph shows the relationship between lift and drag at various airspeeds.
graphicadjective 1. □ graphic solution a technique of using geometric constructions to solve problems o One .side of the calculator has a moveable slide which is used for the graphic solution of triangle of velocities problems. 2. described in vivid detail o The eye witness provided a graphic description of the events leading to the accident. ■ noun a picture used in a computer application o The instructor’s worksheets were greatly improved by the incorporation of graphics to aid comprehension of the subject matter.
grasshoppernoun a light, unarmed military aeroplane used for reconnaissance
graticulenoun 1. a series of fine lines in an optical instrument such as a telescope, used for measuring 2. the network of lines formed by the meridians and parallels of longitude and latitude of the Earth on a flat sheet of paper o A graticule of lines of latitude and longitude is imagined to cover the Earth.
gravitynoun 1. a natural force of attraction which pulls bodies towards each other and which pulls objects on Earth towards its centre o In order for an aeroplane to fly, lift must overcome the force of gravity. 2. seriousness o Throughout the crisis caused by the engine failure, the passengers were unaware of the gravity of the situation.
gravity feednoun a feed which uses the force of gravity to move the fuel from the tank to the carburettor
greatadjective 1. large in size,quantity, number, etc. □ great distances long distances □ a great deal of money a large sum of money □ great importance enormous importance 2. very good, enjoyable or exciting
Greenwich Mean Timenoun local time on the Greenwich Meridian. Abbreviation GMT
comment: GMT is now called Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and is also known as Zulu time. UTC is expressed in 24-hour format; for example, 7:00 P.M. is 1900 hours (say: nineteen hundred hours).
grid /grid/ noun 1. a pattern of equally spaced vertical and horizontal lines, sometimes used on a map o Grid lines facilitate the quick location of a point of reference. 2. a metal cylinder in a cathode ray tube 3. a pattern of equally spaced vertical and horizontal metal rods or bars o Lead-antimony alloy grid plates are components in a lead-acid battery.
ground /graund/ noun the solid sur face of the earth o Hail being much denser and heavier than snow, falls at a much faster rate and can reach the ground even with the 0° isotherm at 10,000 ft. ■ verb 1. to prohibit an aircraft or member of an aircrew from flying o The pilot was grounded after failing a medical examination. 2. US to connect an electrical circuit to a position of zero potential o While refuelling a light aircraft it is important to ground the airframe to prevent sparking caused by static electricity. (note: To earth is preferred in British English.)
ground-effect machine noun a hovercraft.
ground proximity warning systemnoun a system in aircraft which warns pilot, by means of an audible signal, that the aircraft is below a preset height.
Abbreviation GPWS
ground-running operationnoun a procedure of running the engine while the aircraft is stationary on the ground to check engine performance
ground signalnoun a visual signal displayed on an airfield to give information about local traffic rules to aircraft in the air ground speednoun the speed of the aircraft in relation to the ground over which it is flying.
Abbreviation GS, G/S
ground temperaturenoun the temperature recorded by a thermometer placed at ground level
ground visibilitynoun horizontal visibility near the surface of the earth groupnoun 1. a number of individual items or people brought together because of similarities 2. a collection of letters, numbers or symbols used in weather forecasting, etc.
growthnoun an increase in size, number, amount, etc. o the growth of ice crystals o the growth of air travel
GRP abbreviation glass fibre reinforced plastic
GS, G/S abbreviation ground speed guardnoun 1. a device to prevent injury or loss, etc. o The thermocouple probes consist of two wires of dissimilar metal that are joined together inside a metal guard tube. 2. a person who protects or keeps watch o a security guard verb to protect from harm by watching over □ to guard against to take steps to ensure that something does not happen o To guard against the risk of fire, passengers are requested not to smoke in the toilets.
guidancenoun 1. helpful advice o Guidance is provided to assist people in filling in the form. o The booklet contains guidance on the advisability of flying with a cold. 2. the action of giving directions to an aircraft guidance systemnoun a system which provides signals to the flight control system for steering the aircraft
guidenoun something that directs or indicates □ rough guide a simple explanation to help a person to find his or her own way through more complex information verb to direct or to indicate o If there is smoke in the cabin, clear commands from the crew will help to guide passengers to the emergency exits.
gust‘ noun a strong, sudden rush of wind o a gust of 30 feet per second o On final approach, the pilot must be prepared to counteract the effect of gusts in order to maintain a smooth descent along the extended centreline of the runway □ gust load an increased load to the airframe caused by a sudden increase in wind strength ■ verb to increase in strength suddenly o Wind is at 10 knots gusting to 20 knots.
gyrocompassnoun a compass which uses gyroscopic directional stability rather than magnetism to indicate direction o The gyrocompass should be checked against the magnetic compass and reset if necessary.
gyroplanenoun an aircraft fitted with an unpowered rotor for producing lift
gyroscopenoun a device consisting of a spinning wheel, mounted on a base so that its axis can turn freely in one or more directions and thereby maintain its own direction even when the base is moved o The traditional attitude indicator, heading indicator and turn-coordinator contain gyroscopes. » directional (note: The word is often shortened to gyro.)
comment: A spinning gyro maintains its position even when an aircraft banks, climbs, or dives. Gyros drive the attitude indicator, direction indicator and turn coordinator to help pilots control an aircraft while flying in cloud or in poor visibility.
gyroscopicadjective referring to a gyroscope or using the properties of a gyroscope gyroscopic compassnoun a compass which uses gyroscopic directional stability rather than magnetism to indicate directions. Also called gyrocompass
gyroscopic precessionnoun a characteristic of a gyroscope, that the force applied to a spinning gyroscope will act at a point 90° in the direction of rotation, not at the point where the force is applied o Forces of gyroscopic precession act on the direction indicator to keep it aligned vertically and horizontally.
hailnoun precipitation as small pellets of ice o Precipitation is the falling of water, ass rain, sleet, snow or hail onto the surface of the earth. o Although hail, and in particular, heavy hail is rare and of short duration, damage to an aircraft may be severe.
comment: In weather reports and forecasts, hail is indicated by the abbreviation ‘GR’.
hailstone‘ noun a small pellet of ice which falls from clouds o A hailstone starts as a small ice particle in the upper portion of a cumulonimbus cloud.
hailstormnoun a storm,where the precipitation is hail instead of rain or snow o Flying through the hailstorm damaged the leading edges.
hand flyingnoun flying an aircraft by moving the flight controls with the hands rather than by using the autopilot
hand-heldadjective possible to hold in the hand o Nowadays, headsets are usually used in preference to hand-held microphones. i> hold
handlenoun a device for holding, or being operated, by the hand o a door handle o a fire control handle ■ verb 1. to touch with the hands o Cabin staff should not handle unwrapped food which is to be served to passengers. 2. to move or operate by hand o The student pilot handled the aircraft well in the turbulent conditions. 3. to deal with, or to manage o Flight crew must be able to handle any emergency when it occurs.
handlingnoun 1. the act of touching with the hands 2. the use of the hands to move or operate something □ aircraft handling the act of maneuvering the aircraft in the desired manner 3. the act of dealing with or managing something o Her handling of a difficult situation won the admiration of the whole crew.
hand luggagenoun small bags that passengers can take with them into the cabin of an aircraft o The amount of hand luggage is limited to one bag.
hand signalsplural noun same as marshalling signals
hands offadjective, adverb where the operator does not control the operation, which is automatic o Automatic flight control system capable of landing an aircraft hands off.
hangarnoun a large shelter for housing and maintaining aircraft o Light aircraft should be left with parking brakes off so that they can be moved quickly in the event of a fire in the hangar.
hard landingnoun an uncontrolled landing by an aircraft that results in its being damaged or destroyed
HASELL » mnemonic
haulnoun » long-haul, short-haul
hazardnoun a possible danger Thunderclouds are of special interest to aircrew because of the hazards they may pose to aircraft in flight.
hazardousadjective possibly risky or dangerous o Flying over mountainous terrain can be hazardous. o Structural icing is a hazardous phenomenon for rotary wing as well as fixed wing aircraft.
hazenoun dust or smoke in the atmosphere o Haze can seriously reduce air-to-ground visibility.
head‘ noun 1. the top part of the body above the shoulders 2. a person □ head count an easy way of counting large numbers of people 3. a main end part or top of something 4. a leader, chief or director □ head of department the most senior person in the department ■ verb to fly in a particular direction □ head north to fly towards the north
headingnoun the direction in which the longitudinal axis of the aircraft is pointing, expressed in degrees from north
comment: Wind affects an aircraft in flight, therefore heading does not always coincide with the aircraft’s track. The pilot must head the aircraft slightly into the wind to correct for drift.
heading bugnoun a movable plastic marker on the horizontal situation indicator heading correction>noun a change of heading in order to deal with a new situation. Also called course correction heading indicatornoun an instrument which gives course or direction information e.g. a horizontal situation indicator (HSI) or direction indicator (DI)
comment: The heading indicator is driven by a gyro and provides steady, exact indications of heading.
heading to steernoun a gyro-compass point in which to direct the aircraft
head-onadjective, adverb□ to approach head-on to approach from opposite directions head-on collisionnoun a collision between two things or vehicles coming from opposite directions
Headphonesnoun small speakers with padding, worn over a person’s ears, used for private listening o Headphones are used to monitor the signal.