Traffic Pattern

A defined rectangular path that aircraft fly around an airport when taking off and landing, so everyone arrives, departs, and turns in a predictable order.

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Recent words

Thursday, July 30, 2026gust factorsThe extra speed between a steady wind and its strongest gust. Pilots add some of that extra speed to their landing approach speed so the airplane stays controllable if a gust dies away suddenly.
Wednesday, July 29, 2026Pilot BalloonA small balloon let go from the ground so observers can watch how fast and which way it drifts. The way it moves shows what the wind is doing higher up.
Tuesday, July 28, 2026AC 90-105It is the FAA's official guidance document telling operators what is needed to gain approval to fly RNP procedures and use barometric vertical navigation.
Monday, July 27, 2026FisheyesSmall round dimples or holes that appear in fresh paint when something on the surface (like oil or wax) stops the paint from sticking properly.
Sunday, July 26, 2026Sleep DebtWhen you don't get enough sleep, your body keeps a running tally of what it's owed. The more nights you fall short, the more tired and slower-thinking you become — and only real sleep pays it back.
Saturday, July 25, 2026tobacco smokeThe smoke from cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. It puts carbon monoxide into the body, which means less oxygen reaches the brain and tissues — a problem that gets worse the higher you fly.
Friday, July 24, 2026caution areaThe yellow band on an engine gauge. The needle can sit there briefly, but you should not leave it there. Bring it back into the green range when you can.
Thursday, July 23, 2026AAC — Aircraft Administration CommunicationsRoutine company messages between an aircraft and the airline's offices that handle business matters — things like crew rosters, passenger needs, or ground services — and have nothing to do with flying the aircraft safely.
Wednesday, July 22, 2026SWEPT — swept or broom/broomedIt means the surface has been cleaned off with a sweeper or broom truck. The NOTAM is telling pilots that the runway or taxiway has been physically brushed clear of loose material like snow, slush, or debris.
Tuesday, July 21, 2026ESRL — Earth Science Research LaboratoryA NOAA research group that gathers and shares data about the upper atmosphere, including weather balloon readings that show what the air is doing at different altitudes.
Monday, July 20, 2026left baseA pie-slice-shaped arrival area on the left side of the approach path. If you arrive into the airport from this sector, you have a published safe altitude and a defined route onto the final approach.
Sunday, July 19, 2026HeptaneHeptane is a fuel that knocks (detonates) very easily when squeezed in an engine cylinder. It's used as the 'zero' end of the scale that rates how well aviation gasoline resists knocking.
Saturday, July 18, 2026FBS — fall back switchA backup switch that takes over if the main one stops working, so the system keeps running.
Friday, July 17, 2026Automated Surface Observing SystemsAn automatic weather station at an airport that takes continuous readings of the local weather and broadcasts them so pilots and controllers always have current conditions.
Thursday, July 16, 2026DMN — Data Multiplexing NetworkA network that bundles several streams of data onto one line at the same time, then sorts them back out at the other end. It lets many channels of information share the same connection without getting mixed up.
Wednesday, July 15, 2026augmentationExtra help from the helicopter's automatic systems that work alongside the pilot to keep the aircraft steady and easier to fly.
Tuesday, July 14, 2026landing gear emergency extension proceduresIf the normal way of putting the wheels down doesn't work, these are the backup steps the manufacturer gives you to get the gear down another way -- by hand crank, hand pump, gas bottle, or just letting gravity drop it. The exact steps are in the airplane's handbook.
Monday, July 13, 2026turn-and-bank indicatorA cockpit instrument with a needle that shows how fast the aircraft is turning left or right, and a small ball that shows whether the turn is being flown smoothly. It is an older version of the turn coordinator.
Sunday, July 12, 2026ThermoswitchAn on/off switch that is operated by heat instead of by a person. When the temperature reaches a set point, the switch flips by itself.
Saturday, July 11, 2026DynamicSomething that is in motion or actively changing, rather than holding still.
Friday, July 10, 2026Synchronous SpeedThe exact speed at which the magnetic field inside an AC motor or generator spins. This speed is locked to the electrical frequency feeding the machine, so it never drifts or varies on its own.
Thursday, July 9, 2026test itemOne question on a test. Each question is a separate piece designed to check one thing the learner is supposed to know or be able to do.
Wednesday, July 8, 2026Cleared for Takeoff ATCThe controller is telling you that you may now take off from the runway they have named. Until you hear these exact words, you are not permitted to start your takeoff roll.
Tuesday, July 7, 2026electronic flight display malfunctionSomething has gone wrong with one of the glass cockpit screens, or with the equipment feeding information to it, so the pilot can no longer trust what it shows -- or part of it has gone blank.
Monday, July 6, 2026unrecoverable spinA spin the pilot cannot get the airplane out of in time, either because the airplane has entered a spin it physically cannot recover from, or because there is not enough altitude left to complete the recovery before hitting the ground.
Sunday, July 5, 2026runway end lightsLights at each end of the runway that tell you where the runway begins and where it ends. Green means the start of the runway as you arrive; red means the end of the runway as you depart.
Saturday, July 4, 2026airport beaconA flashing light at the airport that helps pilots spot the airport from the air. The colors of the flashes tell you what kind of airport it is. If it is on during the day, it usually means the weather is poor.
Friday, July 3, 2026vector analysisA way of working out which direction to point the aircraft and how fast it will actually travel over the ground, by drawing arrows for the wind, the desired course, and the aircraft's speed through the air, and seeing how they add together.
Thursday, July 2, 2026take over the control of the aircraftThe instructor takes the flight controls away from the student and starts flying the aircraft themselves, making sure the student knows to let go.
Wednesday, July 1, 2026NominalThe named or stated value of something, even though the real value may be a little above or below it. It's the label, not the exact measurement.