Definition
An enclosed compartment suspended beneath a lighter-than-air aircraft, such as a balloon or airship, used to carry the crew, passengers, or equipment.
Plain English
The basket or cabin that hangs underneath a balloon or airship and holds the people on board.
Context Anchor
Seen in descriptions, inspections, and operating procedures for balloons and airships.
Derivation
From the Italian gondola, the long narrow boat used in Venice. The aviation use borrows the image of people riding in a small craft suspended below something larger -- in this case, the envelope of gas that lifts the aircraft.
Why Pilots Care
Gondola design and loading directly affect stability, weight and balance, and emergency procedures.
Intuition Check
A gondola does not mean a boat here. In aviation, it means the carrying cabin or basket attached below a balloon or airship.
Example Sentence 1
The pilot and two passengers climbed into the gondola before the balloon was released for flight.
Example Sentence 2
Passengers remained seated in the gondola while the airship climbed through light turbulence.