Plain English Meaning

Pylons are two landmarks on the ground that the pilot picks out and flies around in a figure-eight shape, using them as turning points.

Full Definition

In the eights-around-pylons ground reference maneuver, pylons are two prominent ground objects (such as silos, isolated trees, road intersections, or small buildings) selected by the pilot as fixed pivot points around which the airplane is flown in a figure-eight pattern while compensating for wind drift.

Context Anchor

Seen in ground-reference maneuver training, especially when learning eights around pylons.

Derivation

From the Greek 'pylon,' meaning 'gateway' or 'monumental gate.' In , the word was borrowed from early racing, where tall markers were placed on the ground for racers to fly around. The 'gateway' sense because the airplane at each marker as if rounding a post.