• Aviation Glossary (circa 1945)

AIRSPEED - Speed of an airplane. (Deduct 25% when listening to a fighter pilot.)


BANK - The folks who hold the lien on a pilot's car.

CARBURETOR ICING - A phenomenon reported to by pilots that occurs immediately after they run out of gas.

CONE OF CONFUSION - An area about the size of New Jersey located near the final approach NDB at an airport.

CRAB - A VFR Instructor's attitude on an IFR day.

DEAD RECKONING - You reckon correctly, if you're a Navy carrier pilot, or you are.

DESTINATION - Geographical location 30 minutes beyond the pilot's bladder saturation point.

ENGINE FAILURE - A condition that occurs when all fuel tanks mysteriously become filled with low-octane air.

FIREWALL - Section of the aircraft specifically designed to funnel heat and smoke into the cockpit.

FLIGHT FOLLOWING - Air Force idea of formation flying.

GLIDE DISTANCE - Distance from an airplane to the nearest emergency landing field, less one mile.

HYDROPLANE - An airplane designed to land long on a short and wet runway.

IFR - A method of flying by needle and horoscope.

LEAN MIXTURE - Nonalcoholic beer.

PARACHUTES - The two chutes in a Stearman


PARASITIC DRAG - A pilot who bums a ride and complains about the service.

RANGE - Usually about 3 miles short of the destination.

RICH MIXTURE - What you order at another pilot's promotion party.

ROGER - Used when you're not sure what else to say.

SECTIONAL CHART - Any chart that ends 25 nm short of your destination.

STALL - Technique used to explain to the bank why your car payment is late.

STEEP BANKS - Banks that charge pilots more than 4% interest.

TURN & BANK INDICATOR - An instrument largely ignored by pilots.

USEFUL LOAD - Volumetric capacity of the aircraft, disregarding weight.

WAC CHART - Directions to the WAC barracks.

YANKEE - Any pilot who has to ask New Orleans tower to "Say again".