Essential English vocabulary used in aviation

Altitude - The height of an aircraft above sea level.
Pilot to ATC: "London Control, this is Flight 123, requesting climb to cruising altitude of 35,000 feet."
Runway - The strip of land where aircraft take off and land.
ATC to Pilot: "Flight 456, cleared for take-off on Runway 27L."
Turbulence - Sudden, violent movements of air that can affect an aircraft.
Pilot to Passengers: "Ladies and gentlemen, we are experiencing some turbulence. Please fasten your seatbelts."
Mayday - An emergency call used when an aircraft is in grave danger.
Pilot to ATC: "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday! This is Flight 789. We have an engine failure and require immediate assistance."
ATC (Air Traffic Control) - The service that directs aircraft on the ground and in the air.
Pilot to ATC: "Heathrow Tower, this is Flight 321, requesting permission to taxi to the gate."
Aerodrome - A location from which aircraft operations take place, including airports, airfields, and airstrips.
Pilot to co-pilot: "We’ll be landing at a small aerodrome just outside the city."
Aircraft - Any machine capable of atmospheric flight, such as aeroplanes, helicopters, or drones.
ATC to Pilot: "Flight 123, confirm your aircraft type is a Boeing 737."
Cabin Crew - The staff responsible for passenger safety and comfort during a flight, also known as flight attendants.
Pilot to Cabin Crew: "Cabin crew, prepare for landing in 10 minutes."
Cockpit - The area at the front of the aircraft where the pilots control the plane.
Co-pilot to Pilot: "I’ll handle the radio while you focus on the instruments in the cockpit."
Fuselage - The main body of an aircraft, housing the crew, passengers, and cargo.
Engineer to Pilot: "We’ve completed the inspection of the fuselage, and everything looks good."
Hold - The compartment in the aircraft where luggage and cargo are stored.
Cabin Crew to Passenger: "Your bag is too large for the overhead bin; it will need to go in the hold."
Taxiing - The movement of an aircraft on the ground under its own power, typically to or from the runway.
ATC to Pilot: "Flight 123, taxi to Holding Point Charlie via Taxiway Bravo."

Flight operations

Take-off - The phase of flight where the aircraft leaves the ground and becomes airborne.
Pilot to co-pilot: "Flaps set to 15 degrees. Ready for take-off."
Landing - The phase of flight where the aircraft returns to the ground.
Pilot to ATC: "Tower, this is Flight 456, on final approach for landing on Runway 09R."
Cruising Altitude - The altitude at which an aircraft levels off after take-off and maintains for most of the flight.
Pilot to ATC: "Requesting clearance to climb to our cruising altitude of 38,000 feet."
Flight Deck - Another term for the cockpit, used primarily in commercial aviation.
Cabin Crew to Pilot: "Captain, the meal for the flight deck is ready."
Pushback - The process of an aircraft being pushed backwards from its stand by a specialised vehicle, ready for taxiing.
ATC to Pilot: "Flight 123, you are cleared for pushback and engine start."
Holding Pattern - A circular flight path an aircraft follows while waiting for clearance to land.
ATC to Pilot: "Flight 789, enter a holding pattern at 10,000 feet due to traffic congestion."

Squawk Code - A four-digit code assigned by ATC to identify an aircraft on radar.
ATC to Pilot: "Flight 123, squawk 4721 for identification."
Waypoint - A specified geographical location used for navigation.
Pilot to co-pilot: "We’ll reach the next waypoint, ALPHA, in approximately 15 minutes."
ILS (Instrument Landing System) - A ground-based system that provides guidance to aircraft approaching a runway.
Pilot to ATC: "Requesting ILS approach for Runway 27L."
VFR (Visual Flight Rules) - Rules that allow pilots to operate aircraft in clear weather conditions using visual references.
Pilot to ATC: "We’ll be flying under VFR for this short hop to the nearby airfield."
IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) - Rules for flying in poor visibility, relying on instruments and ATC guidance.
Pilot to co-pilot: "We’ll need to file an IFR flight plan due to the low visibility forecast."
Transponder - A device in the aircraft that sends signals to ATC radar, providing information such as altitude and identification.
Pilot to co-pilot: "Make sure the transponder is set to the correct squawk code before take-off."

Emergency and safety

Emergency Exit - A designated door or window for evacuating the aircraft in case of an emergency.
Cabin Crew to Passengers: "In case of an emergency, the nearest exit is located here and here."
Evacuation Slide - An inflatable slide used for rapid exit from the aircraft during an emergency.
Pilot to Cabin Crew: "Prepare the evacuation slides for immediate deployment."
Black Box - The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, used to investigate accidents.
Investigator to Engineer: "We need to recover the black box to understand what happened during the flight."
Pan-Pan - A radio call indicating an urgent situation that is not immediately life-threatening.
Pilot to ATC: "Pan-Pan, Pan-Pan, Pan-Pan. This is Flight 123. We have a minor technical issue but are not in immediate danger."
Ditching - The controlled landing of an aircraft on water.
Pilot to Passengers: "Brace for impact. We are preparing for a ditching in the ocean."

Weather and environmental terms

Crosswind - A wind blowing perpendicular to the aircraft’s direction of travel, affecting take-off and landing.
Pilot to co-pilot: "The crosswind is strong today. Be ready to adjust the rudder during landing."
Headwind - A wind blowing directly against the aircraft’s direction of travel, increasing lift.
Pilot to ATC: "We’re experiencing a strong headwind, which is delaying our arrival time."
Tailwind - A wind blowing in the same direction as the aircraft’s travel, reducing landing distance but requiring caution.
Pilot to co-pilot: "The tailwind is pushing us faster than expected. Reduce speed for landing."
Icing - The accumulation of ice on the aircraft’s surfaces, which can affect performance.
Pilot to ATC: "We’re encountering icing conditions. Requesting a higher altitude to avoid it."
Visibility - The distance at which objects can be clearly seen, crucial for safe flying.
Pilot to co-pilot: "Visibility is down to 1 kilometre. We’ll need to rely on instruments for landing."

Air Traffic Control (ATC)

Clearance - Authorisation given by ATC for an aircraft to proceed under specific conditions.
ATC to Pilot: "Flight 123, you are cleared for take-off on Runway 27L."
Vector - A heading instruction given by ATC to guide an aircraft.
ATC to Pilot: "Flight 456, turn left heading 270. Vectoring you for final approach."
Holding Point - A designated location on the taxiway where aircraft wait before entering the runway.
ATC to Pilot: "Flight 789, hold at Holding Point Bravo. Wait for clearance to enter the runway."
Final Approach - The last segment of the landing approach, aligned with the runway.
Pilot to ATC: "Tower, this is Flight 123, on final approach for Runway 09R."
Go-Around - Aborting a landing attempt and climbing to re-enter the landing pattern.
Pilot to ATC: "Going around. Unable to land due to an obstacle on the runway."

Aircraft systems

Flaps - Surfaces on the wings that can be extended to increase lift during take-off and landing.
Pilot to co-pilot: "Set flaps to 20 degrees for take-off."
Slats - Movable surfaces on the leading edge of the wings to improve lift at low speeds.
Pilot to co-pilot: "Extend the slats for landing configuration."
Thrust - The force produced by the engines to propel the aircraft forward.
Pilot to co-pilot: "Increase thrust to maintain altitude in this headwind."
Yaw - The side-to-side movement of the aircraft’s nose, controlled by the rudder.
Pilot to co-pilot: "Use the rudder to correct the yaw during the crosswind landing."
Pitch - The up-and-down movement of the aircraft’s nose, controlled by the elevators.
Pilot to co-pilot: "Adjust the pitch to maintain a steady climb rate."
Roll - The tilting motion of the aircraft’s wings, controlled by the ailerons.
Pilot to co-pilot: "Bank left with a 15-degree roll to align with the runway."

Phrases for communication between a pilot and an air traffic controller

“Request taxi clearance” - A pilot’s request for permission to move the aircraft on the ground.
Pilot to ATC: "Ground, this is Flight 123, request taxi clearance to Runway 27L."
“Cleared for take-off” - ATC authorisation for an aircraft to begin its take-off roll.
ATC to Pilot: "Flight 123, cleared for take-off on Runway 27L."
“Roger” - Acknowledgement of a message (note: does not mean compliance).
Pilot to ATC: "Roger, maintaining current altitude."
“Wilco” - Short for “will comply,” indicating that the instruction has been understood and will be followed.
Pilot to ATC: "Wilco, turning left heading 270."
“Standing by” - Indicates readiness to receive further instructions.
Pilot to ATC: "Flight 123, standing by for further instructions."

Miscellaneous English for aviation terms

Gate - The designated area at an airport terminal where passengers board and disembark.
ATC to pilot: "Flight 123, proceed to Gate 15 for passenger disembarkation."
Turnaround Time - The time taken to prepare an aircraft for its next flight after landing.
Ground Staff to Pilot: "We’ll aim for a 45-minute turnaround time for your next flight."
De-icing - The process of removing ice and snow from the aircraft’s surfaces before take-off.
Pilot to ground staff: "We need de-icing before departure due to the freezing temperatures."
Load sheet - A document detailing the weight and balance of the aircraft, including passengers, cargo, and fuel.
Co-pilot to pilot: "The load sheet shows we’re within limits for take-off."
APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) - A small engine in the aircraft that provides power when the main engines are off.
Pilot to Engineer: "The APU is not functioning. We’ll need external power for the pre-flight checks."

Numbers and pronunciation

Numbers are critical in aviation communication. Mispronunciations or misunderstandings can lead to serious errors, so specific pronunciation rules are followed to ensure clarity and accuracy. Here’s how numbers are pronounced in aviation:

Why different pronunciation is used in aviation?

In aviation, clarity is paramount. Many numbers sound similar, especially over radio transmissions where static or background noise can interfere. To avoid confusion, certain numbers are pronounced differently:

To avoid confusion between similar-sounding numbers: For example, "three" and "five" can sound alike over the radio, so "three" becomes "tree" and "five" becomes "fife."
To prevent language barriers: Aviation is a global industry, and English is the international language of aviation. Pronunciations like "niner" for "nine" help avoid confusion with non-English words (e.g., "nein" in German).
To ensure precision in critical instructions: Mishearing a number could lead to incorrect altitude, heading, or frequency settings, which can be dangerous.

Number pronunciation table

Number	Code word	Pronunciation	Reason for pronunciation
0	Zero	"Zee-ro"	To avoid confusion with the letter "O."
3	Tree	"Tree"	To avoid confusion with "five."
5	Fife	"Fife"	To avoid confusion with "three."
9	Niner	"Niner"	To avoid confusion with the German word "nein" (no).
1000	Thousand	"Thou-sand"	Used for altitude and distance measurements.
10,000	Ten thousand	"Ten thou-sand"	Used for higher altitude measurements.

Example 1: "Flight 123, descend to 5,000 feet." (Pronounced as "Flight one-two-three, descend to fife thousand feet.")

Example 2: "Change frequency to 119.9." (Pronounced as "Change frequency to one-one-niner decimal niner.")

Example 3: "Heading 350, climb to 10,000 feet." (Pronounced as "Heading three-fife-zero, climb to one-zero thousand feet.")

Additional notes on number usage

Decimal points: Decimals are pronounced as "decimal." For example, 118.5 is pronounced "one-one-eight decimal fife."
Altitudes: Altitudes are pronounced digit by digit. For example, 12,000 feet is pronounced "one-two thousand feet."
Frequencies: Frequencies are pronounced digit by digit. For example, 121.5 MHz is pronounced "one-two-one decimal fife megahertz."
Headings: Headings are pronounced digit by digit. For example, 270 degrees is pronounced "two-seven-zero degrees."

Using standardized pronunciation ensures that pilots and air traffic controllers can communicate clearly, even in high-stress situations or noisy environments. This reduces the risk of misunderstandings, which is critical for the safety of all flights.