Definition
Describes an aircraft powered by a turbine (jet) engine — either a turbojet, which produces thrust directly from a high-velocity exhaust stream, or a turbopropeller (turboprop), which uses a turbine engine to drive a propeller through a reduction gearbox. In FAA inspection regulations, turbojet/turbopropeller-powered aircraft are treated as a distinct category subject to specific maintenance and inspection requirements that differ from those for piston-powered aircraft.
Plain English
An aircraft whose engine is a jet-type turbine engine. The turbine either pushes the aircraft forward with its exhaust (turbojet) or spins a propeller (turboprop). Either way, the engine is a turbine, not a piston engine, and that matters for how the aircraft must be inspected.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft inspection rules, especially when deciding which inspection requirements apply to a particular aircraft.
Derivation
Turbo- comes from the Latin turbo, meaning a spinning or whirling thing. A turbojet is a turbine engine that produces a jet of exhaust. A turbopropeller is a turbine engine connected to a propeller. The combined phrase simply groups both turbine-engine types together.
Why Pilots Care
Inspection requirements are different for turbine aircraft. For example, a turbojet/turbopropeller-powered aircraft is generally not eligible for the standard 100-hour inspection regime in the same way a piston aircraft is, and may be required to follow an approved inspection program instead. Knowing whether your aircraft falls in this category determines which inspection rules apply.
Intuition Check
Do not read “turbojet/turbopropeller-powered” as “any airplane with turbo in the engine description.” A turbocharged piston engine is still a piston engine; this term refers to jet or turbine-propeller power.
Example Sentence 1
Because the King Air is a turbopropeller-powered aircraft, it falls under the turbojet/turbopropeller-powered category in the inspection regulations.
Example Sentence 2
Annual inspection paperwork must indicate whether the airplane is turbojet/turbopropeller-powered to select the correct engine inspection items.