Aviation Terms Every Student Pilot Should Know
Starting flight training can feel like learning a new language.
Pilots use hundreds of abbreviations, technical terms and standard expressions every day. Many of these terms will become second nature as you progress through your training, but understanding the basics before you start can make your first few months much easier.
Here are some of the most important aviation terms and abbreviations every student pilot should know.
Basic Pilot and Aircraft Terms
- Aircraft
An aircraft is any machine capable of flight. In pilot training, you will generally be flying a fixed-wing aeroplane.
- Cockpit
The cockpit is the area of the aircraft where the pilots sit and operate the aircraft’s controls and systems.
- Airframe
The airframe is the physical structure of the aircraft, including the fuselage, wings, tail and other structural components.
- Fuselage
The fuselage is the main body of the aircraft. It contains the cockpit and, depending on the aircraft, passenger seating, baggage compartments and other equipment.
- Empennage
The empennage is the tail section of an aircraft. It includes the vertical stabiliser, horizontal stabiliser and associated control surfaces.
- Propeller
On a propeller-driven aircraft, the propeller produces thrust by accelerating air backwards.
- Thrust
Thrust is the forward force produced by the aircraft’s engine and propeller or jet engine.
- Drag
Drag is the aerodynamic force that opposes the aircraft’s movement through the air.
- Lift
Lift is the aerodynamic force that acts generally perpendicular to the relative airflow and enables an aircraft to remain airborne.
- Weight
Weight is the force of gravity acting on the aircraft.
These four forces — lift, weight, thrust and drag — are fundamental concepts in aviation.
The Four Primary Flight Controls
- Aileron
Ailerons control the aircraft’s roll around its longitudinal axis.
They are located on the outer portions of the wings.
- Elevator
The elevator controls pitch, which is the movement of the aircraft’s nose up or down.
It is normally located on the horizontal tail.
- Rudder
The rudder controls yaw, which is the movement of the aircraft’s nose from side to side around its vertical axis.
It is operated using the pilot’s rudder pedals.
- Flaps
Flaps are movable aerodynamic surfaces on the wings.
They are normally used during take-off and landing to change the aerodynamic characteristics of the wing, allowing the aircraft to operate at lower speeds.
The Three Axes of Flight
An aircraft moves around three principal axes.
- Longitudinal axis — Roll
Roll is the movement of the aircraft’s wings up and down relative to the horizon.
Primary control: ailerons
- Lateral axis — Pitch
Pitch is the movement of the aircraft’s nose up or down.
Primary control: elevator
- Vertical axis — Yaw
Yaw is the movement of the aircraft’s nose to the left or right.
Primary control: rudder
Understanding these three axes is one of the foundations of learning to fly.
Important Flight Terms
- Altitude
Altitude is the vertical distance of an aircraft above a reference level, commonly mean sea level.
For example, an aircraft might be flying at 3,500 feet.
- Height
Height generally refers to the vertical distance above a particular surface or reference point.
- Airspeed
Airspeed is the speed of an aircraft relative to the surrounding air.
You will encounter several different types of airspeed during your training.
- Indicated Airspeed (IAS)
The airspeed shown directly on the aircraft’s airspeed indicator.
- True Airspeed (TAS)
The aircraft’s actual speed through the surrounding air after corrections for factors such as altitude and temperature.
- Groundspeed
Groundspeed is the aircraft’s speed relative to the ground.
Wind can make groundspeed different from true airspeed.
- Heading
Heading is the direction in which the aircraft’s nose is pointing, normally expressed in degrees from magnetic or true north depending on the context.
- Track
Track is the actual path the aircraft is travelling over the ground.
Heading and track are not always the same because wind can affect the aircraft’s path.
Navigation Terms
- Bearing
A bearing is the direction from one position to another, normally expressed in degrees.
- Course
Course refers to the intended direction of travel.
- Wind Correction Angle
Wind can push an aircraft away from its intended track.
Pilots therefore often need to adjust their heading to compensate for the wind. The resulting adjustment is known as the wind correction angle.
- Waypoint
A waypoint is a defined geographical position used for navigation.
Modern aircraft may display waypoints on electronic navigation systems, but student pilots should also understand the underlying principles of navigation.
- Dead Reckoning
Dead reckoning is a navigation technique based on previously known position, direction, speed, time and other relevant information.
Take-Off and Landing Terms
- Rotation
Rotation is the point during take-off when the pilot applies pitch-up control to raise the aircraft’s nose and establish the aircraft’s take-off attitude.
- Rotate Speed — VR
VR is the aircraft’s specified rotation speed.
The appropriate speed depends on the aircraft type, weight and operating conditions.
- Stall
A stall occurs when the wing exceeds its critical angle of attack and loses a significant amount of lift.
Importantly, a stall is not simply an engine failure or an aircraft travelling too slowly.
Understanding stalls and stall recovery is a fundamental part of flight training.
- Approach
An approach is the phase of flight in which the aircraft is positioned and flown towards the runway for landing.
- Final
The final approach is the last part of the approach before touchdown, when the aircraft is normally aligned with the runway.
- Touchdown
Touchdown occurs when the aircraft’s wheels make contact with the runway.
- Go-Around
A go-around occurs when a pilot decides not to land and instead executes the appropriate procedure to climb away and make another approach or divert.
Knowing when to go around is an important part of safe flying.
Weather Terms
Weather plays a major role in aviation.
- METAR
A METAR is a standardised aviation weather report describing current or recent conditions at an aerodrome.
It can include information such as:
- Wind
- Visibility
- Cloud
- Temperature
- Dew point
- Atmospheric pressure
- Significant
- weather
TAF
TAF stands for Terminal Aerodrome Forecast.
It provides a forecast of expected weather conditions at an aerodrome over a specified period.
- Wind Direction
Wind direction is normally reported as the direction from which the wind is coming.
For example, a wind reported as 180° is coming from the south.
- Headwind
A headwind is wind blowing generally towards the aircraft’s direction of travel.
It can reduce groundspeed during take-off and landing.
- Tailwind
A tailwind is wind blowing generally in the same direction as the aircraft’s movement.
Tailwinds can increase groundspeed and affect take-off and landing performance.
- Crosswind
A crosswind is wind blowing across the aircraft’s direction of travel.
Learning to handle crosswinds is an important part of flight training.
- Visibility
Visibility is an important measure of how far objects can be seen under prevailing conditions.
Cloud Base
Cloud base refers to the height of the lowest cloud layer of significance, measured according to aviation reporting conventions.
Air Traffic Control Terms
- ATC
ATC stands for Air Traffic Control.
Air traffic controllers help manage aircraft movements and maintain safe separation where applicable.
- ATIS
ATIS stands for Automatic Terminal Information Service.
It provides recorded information for pilots, such as current weather, runway information and other relevant aerodrome information.
- Clearance
An ATC clearance is an authorisation issued by air traffic control for an aircraft to proceed under specified conditions.
A clearance is not simply a suggestion.
- Squawk
A squawk refers to the transponder code assigned to an aircraft.
The aircraft’s transponder transmits information that assists air traffic control in identifying and tracking the aircraft.
- Readback
Pilots are often required to read back important ATC instructions to confirm that they have correctly understood them.
Clear communication is an essential aviation skill.
Common Aviation Abbreviations
As your training progresses, you will encounter many abbreviations.
Here are some of the common ones:
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
| ATC | Air Traffic Control |
| ATIS | Automatic Terminal Information Service |
| CPL | Commercial Pilot Licence |
| PPL | Private Pilot Licence |
| ICAO | International Civil Aviation Organization |
| CASA | Civil Aviation Safety Authority |
| VFR | Visual Flight Rules |
| IFR | Instrument Flight Rules |
| VMC | Visual Meteorological Conditions |
| IMC | Instrument Meteorological Conditions |
| AGL | Above Ground Level |
| AMSL | Above Mean Sea Level |
| QNH | Altimeter pressure setting used to indicate altitude above mean sea level |
| METAR | Aviation routine weather report |
| TAF | Terminal Aerodrome Forecast |
| NOTAM | Notice to Airmen / Notice to Air Missions |
| PIC | Pilot in Command |
| SOP | Standard Operating Procedure |
| VOR | VHF Omnidirectional Range |
| GPS | Global Positioning System |
| FIR | Flight Information Region |
| ATSB | Australian Transport Safety Bureau |
You don’t need to memorise all of these before beginning flight training. You will learn them progressively throughout your course.
What Does VFR Mean?
VFR stands for Visual Flight Rules.
Under VFR, pilots operate primarily with reference to visual conditions and must comply with the applicable visual flight rules and weather requirements.
Many student pilots begin their training flying under VFR.
As training progresses, students may also learn instrument flying and the principles associated with IFR operations.
What Does IFR Mean?
IFR stands for Instrument Flight Rules.
IFR operations rely more heavily on the aircraft’s instruments and approved navigation procedures rather than relying primarily on outside visual references.
Instrument flying is an important part of professional aviation training and is particularly relevant to pilots who ultimately want to pursue airline careers.
What Is a PIC?
PIC stands for Pilot in Command.
The Pilot in Command has responsibility for the operation of the aircraft during a flight, subject to the applicable aviation regulations.
As a student pilot, you will progressively take on more responsibility as your skills and experience develop.
What Is a CPL?
CPL stands for Commercial Pilot Licence.
A CPL allows a pilot to exercise the privileges associated with commercial pilot operations, subject to the relevant regulations, ratings, endorsements and operating requirements.
For someone pursuing professional flying as a career, obtaining a commercial pilot licence is an important milestone.
What Is a PPL?
PPL stands for Private Pilot Licence.
A PPL allows a pilot to fly privately, subject to the privileges and limitations of the licence and applicable regulations.
A PPL and CPL are different licences with different privileges and training requirements.
What Is a NOTAM?
NOTAM stands for Notice to Airmen, although the terminology has evolved internationally and you may also see the term “Notice to Air Missions.”
NOTAMs provide pilots with information about temporary or changing conditions that may affect flight operations.
For example, they may contain information about:
- Runway closures
- Navigation aid changes
- Temporary airspace restrictions
- Hazards
- Other operational information
Checking relevant NOTAMs is an important part of flight planning.
Aviation Has Its Own Language
Don’t worry if these terms seem confusing at first.
Every professional pilot started somewhere, and aviation terminology becomes much easier once you hear and use it regularly.
The most important thing is not to try to memorise hundreds of terms before you begin training.
Instead:
Learn the terminology → Understand the concept → Apply it during your training → Use it until it becomes natural.
Before long, terms such as heading, altitude, airspeed, final, crosswind, stall, METAR and ATC will become a normal part of your everyday language.
And that’s exactly what you want.
Learning the language of aviation is one of the first steps towards thinking like a pilot.