Fear of flying Dictionary

FEAR OF FLYING  DICTIONARY

Flying without Fear

Abnormal; Something that is outside the normal operation of the aircraft but which does not constitute an immediate danger.
Aborted landing; Correctly called a go around. The process where an aircraft climbs away after the decision has been taken not to land.
Acceleration height; The height at which the pilot reduces power and the rate of climb to accelerate and starts to retract the flaps.
Acceleration; The process of changing speed with respect to a direction.
Acrophobia; Fear of heights.
Agoraphobia; The fear of open spaces.
Aileron; The  movable surface on the wings, which allow the pilot to bank or turn the aircraft. Situated at the ends of each wing.
Air pockets; No such thing
Air traffic; Airborne traffic and any flying machine either flying or preparing to fly or after flight until the engines have been stopped
Airborne; The time the aircraft leaves the runway during take off until it finally touches down and completes its flight.
Air-conditioning; The system on board, which provides clean air to a predetermined temperature.
Aircraft; See airplanes.
Airflow; In effect the ‘wind’ which an aircraft is subjected to because of its movement.
Airplane; A heavier than air vehicle which supports itself with fixed wings.
Airport; An area set-aside for the navigation of flying machines.
Airspeed indicator; A flight deck instrument which shows the speed of an aircraft through the air.
Airway; A designated corridor with lower and upper limits allocated for the use of aircraft under the control of Air Traffic Control.
Airworthiness Certificate; The authority given to an aircraft jointly by the manufacturer or airline airworthiness Authority and aviation authority of the country.
Alcohol; A drink which dehydrates the body.  NOT RECOMMENDED FOR ANXIOUS PASSENGERS.
Altimeter; Instrument showing height above a reference point.
Altitude; Height in feet or metres above a specified datum.

Approaching; The part of the flight where the aircraft is positioning to align itself with the runway in order to land.
Area control; The ATC service that controls aircraft when it is leaving or arriving at an Airfield. See Airport
Assessment; Process by which crew are measured in their technical and behavioural techniques.
Attitude; The way an aircraft points in relation to the ground, measured in degrees above and below the horizon and degrees from wings level in terms of banking.
Autoland;    A landing which is controlled solely by the automatic pilots and is monitored by the pilots.
Aviation authority; A government body approved by the international agency responsible for aerial navigation.
Aviation Fuel; On small propeller driven aircraft is very similar to car petrol, diesel fuel is now being used on aircraft fitted with diesel engines.
Avoiding action; An instruction given by Air Traffic Control to avoid potential conflict.

Anxiety; Feelings produced by fear.

B

Fear of flying

Backup; System on an aircraft which is able to provide services in the event of the main system mal functioning.
Baggage; Luggage which is legally entitled to be on board and which has been inspected prior to loading and which is recorded on the ships papers.
Balloon; Heavier than air flying machine which ascends and descends according to the amount of hot air in it.
Banking; The leaning process by which an aircraft turns.
Beacon; A radio transmitter that sends out signals to assist in the navigation of aircraft. They can send different sorts of information such as bearings position lines or distances.
Behaviour; What someone does in response to thought and emotion.

Bird; First flying animal.

Wilbur Wright one of the two brothers who made the first powered flight was asked to give a speech at a dinner in their honour, he rose and said  ” I know of only one other bird that flies and talks…and that’s a parrot…and it doesn’t fly too well.”  and promptly sat down.

Black box; An orange coloured, fire and crash proof metal box which records what the aircraft is doing and how the aircraft is configured and what the crew are saying. Recorded on fire proof tape.
Blind landing; Landing done by the automatic pilot without reference to external visual information which the pilot might otherwise need. Aircraft and airlines have different requirements to do this. They all need at least two servicable automatic pilots to do this.
Bulkhead; Partition placed between different classes of passengers.
Bulkhead 2; Part of the aircraft separating one area from another…typically the pressurised areas  from the un-pressurised areas.

C

Fear of Flying

Cabin crew; Members of the crew whose legal duty is to deal with emergencies in the cabin and to ensure that all the activities in the cabin maintain the required safety levels.
Caffeine; Ingredient of many drinks…unhelpful to most nervous flyers.

Cargo holds; Designated areas where unsupervised articles are secured which have independent smoke and fire protection from the rest of the aircraft.
Cargo; Non permanent articles on board, carried under strict security rules and secured in approved locations on the aircraft.
Catastrophising; Assuming the worst outcome for any event.
Catering; The supply of food and drinking supplies to an aircraft.
Centre Line;    The markings and position on the runway which marks the centre of it and which is aligned with the radio guidance information for the instruments.
Check;    In engineering this refers to a scheduled maintenance procedure.
Check;    For pilots this means a statutory test of competence either in a simulator  and or aircraft.

Check-in;    The process of recording the names of passengers and baggage weights prior to flight. This is a legally required procedure.

Checks;    Pilot slang for competency tests.
Checks;    Procedures that set the aircraft for a particular stage or state of flight.

Children; Persons who are under a specified age limit.
Circadian rhythm;    The body’s inbuilt time clock for sleep and activity… approximately 25 hour cycle.
Claustrophobia;    The fear of being in an enclosed space. A characteristic of many fearful flyers.
Clear air turbulence;    Turbulence which is caused by colliding air masses and which occurs when not in cloud.
Climbing;    The period when an aircraft is gaining altitude.
Cloud;    The result of water condensing into visible moisture caused by rising air.
Clusters;    Groups of fearful thoughts. For example the thought that turbulence is dangerous and that turbulence might cause the wings to fall off and the thought that you might be air sick.
Cockpit.    Place where the piloting crew are seated and where all the controls necessary for flight are located. Now called the flight deck.
Cognitive dissonance;    The interaction of conflicting information. Not immediately obvious.
Cognitive therapy.    Therapy based on thinking processes leading to behavioural changes.
Compass; Instrument for showing direction. These can vary from a simple magnetised needle to information presented in digital form in a glass cockpit.
Competency test;    The six-monthly tests for pilots to ensure the ability to perform prescribed manoeuvres under normal and abnormal situations.
Compressors;     Motors or a system attached to the engines (or  by a gearbox)  that compresses air to maintain temperature and pressure within the aircraft.
Condensation trail;     The white trail left in the sky behind a highflying aircraft caused by water vapour in the exhaust freezing as it leaves the engine.
Configuration;    The way the aircraft is set with regard to speed, power settings, flap setting and wheel position.
Confirmation bias;    The process of finding and using information that confirms what you think.
Conflicting traffic;    Air traffic movement which impinges on other traffic movements. Usually resolved by ATC requesting a change of direction speed or altitude for one of the aircraft involved.
Contrail;    Same as condensation trail.
Control column;    The steering wheel in the flight deck.

Cirrus;    High level cloud consisting of ice crystals.
Control Tower;    The building on an airport where the airfield controllers are able to see most if not all of the airfield.
Copilot;    A qualified pilot who is acting under the authority of the captain.
Coping imagery;    Thinking of a beneficial outcome or mental images to divert attention from the surrounding environment.
Crew meals;    Food specifically allocated to crew members and for the pilots are different types of food.
Crosswind;     A wind that blows at an angle to the required direction of travel.
Cruising level;    The height at which it is most economical to fly, taking into account the weight of the aircraft and the speed temperature and direction of the air it is flying in.
Cruising;    The part of the flight where the aircraft generally maintains constant altitude, however on some short flights it may be the maximum height achieved during the flight
Cumulonimbus;      Clouds that have developed from cumulus into thunderstorms.
Cumulus;    Clouds formed by rising air. Look white and fluffy.

D

Fear of flying

Defense; A procedure for minimizing the effects of a threat.
De-pressurisation;    When the air pressure inside the cabin is less than the prescribed amount. And is usually caused by door seals leaking air. Overcome by descending the aircraft to a lower altitude.
Descending;    The part of the flight part of the flight where the aircraft is reducing altitude.
Disembarking;    The legal process when the passengers leave the aircraft.
Disorientation;    The effect of conflicting information being processed by the brain. Suffered by passengers when the aircraft changes speed or attitude and cannot be confirmed by visual information.
Distractions;    Any process by which thoughts can be directed away from their source towards another subject.
Diversion Fuel;    The extra fuel carried by an aircraft allocated specifically and solely for use during a diversion.
Diversion;    The process of flying to an airport other than the destination.
Doors to automatic;    A request to cabin crew to set the normal passenger entry doors to a position so that in the event of their being opened the inflatable slides automatically deploy.
Doors to manual;    Call made by a crew member to set the door so that when it is opened the escape slides DO NOT deploy.
Doors;     Aircraft have different types of doors depending upon the general design of the aircraft. Plug doors open inwards and fit into the cabin frame (the fuselage) like a plug fits into a sink. It is too big to pass through the opening. Other doors are outward opening and have an over-centre bar device that prevents the door from opening. Both types have rubber seals around them to maintain air tightness around the edges of the doors to maintain cabin pressure.
Downdraft;     Meteorological term for air that descends quickly over a short time and area.
Drag;     Is the resistance to the planes movement caused by the thickness or ‘stickiness’ of the air it is moving through.
Drift;     The angle between the weight and aircraft is pointing and the way it is traveling.
Duty period;    see duty.
Duty;     The legal period of time when a crew is allocated to be working or is working or has worked.

E

Fear of flying

Electrics; Pilots expression for the electrical system on the aircraft.
Elevator; The control which alters the pitch angle of the aircraft.
Emergency; A situation requiring defined actions within an immediate and short time scale.
Emotion; Feelings brought about by thoughts.
Engine failure; A malfunction of an engine which results in a loss of power.
Engine; Aircraft have piston jet or turboprop engines. Piston engines are like car engines ( yes and some are diesel) Jet engines are the ones that suck in cold air and blast hot air out the back and turboprop engines are jet engines fitted with propellers on the front to combine the economics of jet engines with the low altitude benefits of propeller driven aircraft.
Expectation; The expected result after a course of action.
Experience; For pilots is measured in flight time hours.

F

Fear of flying

Fatigue; A medical situation where mental and physical processes are diminished.
Fear of flying; Worry and anxiety about flying caused by thoughts or experiences.
Flaps down; When the flap system is progressively extended to increase the area of the wings for low-speed flight.
Flaps up; When the flaps are inside the wings of the aircraft or forming a part of the normal shape of the wing.
Flaps. Extensions of the wings to make the wing area greater. They normally come out and then down to make the wings more curved.
Flight plan; The coded message required before an aircraft can use certain classes of airspace. It records; Aircraft type, speed, route, duration of flight, fuel on board, reserve fuel available, emergency equipment carried, pilots name, cruising altitude etc.
Food poisoning; Caused by contaminated food…generally reveals itself within 4 or 24 hours of the poisoned food being eaten. Minimised in aircrews by controlled catering and rules.
Phobia; An exaggerated and irrational fear.
Fright; Reaction to fear.
Fuel reserves; The onboard fuel specifically allocated to being used for parts of the flight other than the direct route.
Fuel Specification; The legally required fuel applicable to an aircraft engines with regard to its Type, density, flashpoint and freezing point.
Fuel tank; Passenger aircraft have multiple tanks and usually have to have individual tanks to supply each engine. Often fitted with internal fuel pumps.
Flight instrument indications; The information shown to the pilot via the instruments to show the aircraft’s performance and position.

G

Fear of flying

G.M.T; Greenwich Mean Time The time in any part of the world referenced to Greenwich. The 0 degrees longitude position on the earth’s surface. It runs through London.
Glass cockpit; A cockpit where information is presented to the pilot in digitised form via computer image processing. The advantage is the space saving afforded by the ability to select the desired information rather than having it constantly on display. The information is presented on multi functional screens.
Glider; A flying machine without an engine but with wings to provide lift.
Globalization; The mental process of believing that an isolated incident is common.
Go around; The correct term for an aborted landing or overshoot.
GPS;  Global Positioning System. A navigation system based on the satellite positioning system. This is not commonly used in civil aircraft.
Gyroscope. A spinning wheel which by virtue of its construction can spin at a very high speed to enable anything attached to, to maintain a steady position. Now replaced in aircraft instruments by laser shift measuring prisms.

Geostrophic Wind Effect; The change of wind direction because of the rotation of the earth.

H

Fear of flying

Hailstones; Very large and frozen water droplets sufficiently heavy not to be kept up by air currents. They rarely damage aircraft except on the nose cone.
Headwind; A wind slowing the progress of an aircraft over the ground.
Hereditary; Traits as a result of genetic programming…can be a cause of a fear of flying although it is more likely to be a general trend of ‘nervous sensitivity’.
Heuristic; A well used shortcut to solving problems but has the shortcoming of relying on ‘the usual’ and ‘familiar’.
Holding; The process of maintaining position while waiting to be given permission to continue the flight.
Hydraulic failure; The event where one or more systems fails to operate in the expected way. This can mean high or low pressure, high or low temperature of the fluid. It will also be caused by a leak in the system. However it rarely means complete failure because of the safeguards in the syetem. Hydraulic power can be provided by electrical pumps or airflow driven generators. See RAT.
Hydraulic system; The system which is able to supply hydraulic power from a sourse along a route to activate a piece of equipment. A commercial aircraft will have multiple hydraulic systems. Each is switchable to serve not only its primary control but others as well.
Hydraulics; The system that provides power to operate the controls wheels and brakes.

I

Fear of flying

ILS; Instrument Landing System. Radio guidance for aircraft to align them with the runway, when it is sufficiently accurate it is also used to allow aircraft to do automatic landings and blind landings.
Inertial navigation; navigation system which calculates position by integrating speed and direction and wind effect and comparing with known ground reference points.
In-flight computer; Electronic equipment which controls aircraft systems .
Irrational; Behaviour that is not related to rational reasoning.

Intermediate approach; Part of the flight between completing the descent and before starting the final approach.

Ice prevention; Is by using the systems available , either hot air,  electrical heating or mechanically by rubber ‘boots’ that expand and contract to break ice off the front of the wings.

Instrument flying;  Controlling a plane  by using the instruments and not looking out of the pilots’ window. Most commercial flights take place like this.

Instrument Rating; A qualification that all commercial pilots have to have. Considered the most difficult test of all the checks and tests that pilots ever have. Consist of a flight lasting about 40 minutes where the pilot plies  bt using only his/her instruments except for the take off and the touchdown. As difficult as driving your car for 40 minutes without letting the speed vary by more than 2 miles per hour, position on the road by more than 3 feet and observing and obeying every road sign,  using flickers, lights, horn, handbrake/park brake absolutely correctly at the right time etc etc. About 5 times harder than the Advanced Motorists Test in the UK.

J

Fear of flying

Jet engines; An engine which provides thrust by sucking in cold air heating it out very quickly and expelling it through a smaller nozzle at the back of the engine.

Jet lag; The problems associated with crossing time zones.

Jet fuel; Is like domestic paraffin but highly refined and prepared. It usually has a freezing point of about -40C K.

K

Kerosene; Another name for aviation fuel

Kite; A tethered flying device which relies upon the wind to support it.

L

Fear Of Flying

Landing phase; The part of the approach between where the pilots have decided to land and the completion of  slowing down on the runway and starting to taxi to its parking location.
Latitude and Longitude; The method of referring to a position on the earth’s surface.  90 degrees latitude is at the poles. Latitude is North or south of the equator. Longitude East or West of Greenwich.
Life changing event; In connection with a fear of flying. An event which causes extra stress above normal events and can relate directly to a change of attitude towards risks and perceived risk.
Lift; Upward force generated by the wings of an aircraft.
Lightning strike; A term given when an aircraft is hit by lightning in-flight. It does not cause damage and does not interfere with the equipment on board.
Lightning; Static electricity generated by the friction of water particles and air particles.

M

Fear of Flying

Maintenance;  A  schedule of engineering inspection and rectification according to the number of hours a plane has been flying or the number of landings that it has done.
Maximum take off weight; The the maximum legal weight at which an aircraft can take off.
Memory; The mind’ s  process of storing and retrieving information. Learn about this on our Ground course
Miracle; Not required in aviation
Movements; Of the aircraft…often upsetting to the passengers because of the accelerations of the plane and the fact that you sometimes can not see out of the window.

Media; Probably the best way of getting ideas and thoughts to make your fear of flying worse than it is.

Mach Number; Mach 1 is the speed of sound.  The  cruising Mach number of a modern jet is about .84 which means the plane is flying at 84% of the local speed of sound.

Mandatory Requirement; The legal and statutory framework laid down for the Licensing of pilots, engineers cabin crew and  ATC  controllers. Usually on a six monthly or annual training requirement.

N

Fear of Flying

NLP; Neuro linguistic programming a process for re- evaluating circumstances by changing thought patterns.
Navigation; The controlled movement of an aircraft. Or the science of calculating position by using speed and direction and wind effect.
Nearmiss;  NONSENSE TERM Journalists description for the term air prox which stands for air proximity meaning that aircraft are closer to each other than expected. It does not mean the possibility of collision. See TCAS.
Negative beliefs; beliefs that mitigate against achieving a particular behavior.
No smoking signs; Cabin indicators operated from the flight deck to show that  smoking is NEVER permitted on board.
Noise; To a nervous passenger is anything that upsets them but is more than likely to be perfectly normal to the crew.
Normal; Flying and aviation in general.

Never exceed speed; The maximum speed an aircraft is allowed to fly at.   Known to pilots as VNE

O

Fear of Flying

Oxygen; The part of air that is required to sustain life. Oxygen is carried on board for medical puposes and is available to individual passengers via masks in the event of loss of cabin pressure.

Optimum altitude; An airliner has an optimum height at which to fly according to its weight although there are restrictions and variations to this because of ATC or weather or winds.

Operational procedures; The laid down and legal procedures which an airline has to conform to in every aspect of its business.

P

Panic attack; State of mind when the heart rate  increases and difficulty in breathing occurs.

Panic; State of mind where thought normal processes are replaced by overwhelming feelings of fear and doom.

Parking; The period when the aircraft is being aligned and positioned prior to stopping
Personalising; The process of believing that because something that has happened to someone else it will happen to you.
Phobia; Irrational fear
Physiology; The science of the functions of a body.

Pilot; Person who is licensed to fly an aircraft.
Pitch; The angle of the nose of the aircraft above or below the level position.
Point of no return; Incorrect description of the V1 speed at take off.
Position; Of an aircraft…relation to Latitude and Longitude or in a procedure laid down to depart from or arrive at an airport or navigational route.
Positive beliefs; Beliefs that assist in achieving a particular behavior.
Possibility; Things that could happen.
Post traumatic stress disorder; Behavioural and psychological reaction to a disturbing event.
Power; Normally the amount of work an engine can do.  (Power = work done / time taken)
Pressurization; The system on board an aircraft which keeps the air pressure inside the aircraft to a level which will allow passengers and crew to have sufficient oxygen to breathe and function normally.
Probability; The likelihood of something happening.
Problem-solving; A system of bringing about a required outcome from a previous set of conditions.
Psychology; The science of human behaviour.

Pitot tube; The orifice into which air flows to register the speed of the plane

Q

QNH; A setting on an altimeter which shows the height above mean sea level in that area.

QFE; A setting on an altimeter which shows the height above a reference point…usually an airport or runway.

R
Radar Control; The time when an aircraft’s progress is controlled by Air Traffic Control and is visible to the controller on his radar set.
RAT; Ram air turbine a device…a small windmill like device that is lowered into the airflow which provides hydraulic or electrical power.
Rational; Based on logic and reason
Refuelling; Process of puting fuel on an aircraft. Done under very strict regulations and quality control of the fuel.
Relaxation; Period of time when there are no demands on the time energy or mental effort of a person.
Resultant behaviour; Behaviour as the result of a prior event. If regular it is know as classical conditioning; If ‘this’ happens…then there is a predictable and constant reaction.
Reverse thrust; The use of the engine power to resist forward movement. Works by re-directing air from the back of the engine forwards instaed of backwards. The engine does not run backwards.
Risk; The difference between a threat and the defenses offered to minimize the effects
Routine; Regular process and procedure laid down to produce a particular outcome.
Rudder; The vertical part at the back of the aircraft which keeps the aircraft pointing towards the oncoming airflow. Works like a weather vane.

S
Safety; A culture in which the airline industry  operates.
Safety briefings;. The legally required announcements to passengers, given by licensed members of the crew.
Salads; Foods which are recommended for nervous passengers
Seat belt signs ‘ON’;  A legal requirement to return to your seat and fasten your seat belt
Seatbelts signs;  Cabin indicators operated from the flight deck to show when there is possible turbulence or for landing and take off.

Self Help; Applying strategies and behaviours to bring about a required change.
Ships papers;   The legal documentation which records information such as the
Sick bag;   A bag legally available for use by passengers who are likely to be sick.
Significant life event; Death of a friend or family member, becoming a parent, falling in love, losing a job.
Sinking;    Downward movement of an aircraft
Situation Thought Emotion relationship;    The connection between thoughts generated
Slats;    Part of the flap system which extends on the front of the wing and when extended increases the lift on a wing.
Sleep deficit;   The amount of sleep missing over a period of time
Sleep pattern; The trend over a period of time which identifies the times and quality of sleep.
Sleep; The time spent recovering from conscious activity.
Spacing; The distance that air traffic control keep aircraft a part according to their position. On Airways it is approximately 80 miles. Around an airport it is approximately 5 miles because of the lower speeds that aircraft are flying at.
Stability; Of an aircraft is its built in tendency to return to level flight.
Static wicks; Devices that look like paint brushes which discharge  static electricity into the air.
Stop speed;    (See) V1 The speed at which an aircraft can either take off or stop on the runway in the event of an engine malfunction.
Strategy; And organize system for dealing with your fear of flying
Stratus; Form of low cloud associated with light rain and drizzle.
Stress inducing ideas; Thoughts which increase  the  stress on  a person.
Stress;    Is the feeling caused by a perception that you are not able to meet the demands of the occasion.
Supporter;    Someone who can give regular help and assistance to a person who has a fear of flying.

T

Fear of Flying

Tail plane;    Parts at the rear of the aircraft which controls sideways and up-and-down movements.
Tail wind;    A wind speeding up the progress of an aircraft over the ground.
Takeoff;    The procedure to get an aircraft airborne from being stationary.
Taxing; Maneuvering the aircraft on the ground under its own power.
TCAS;        Stands for Traffic Collision and Avoidance System. A system on board an aircraft which alerts the pilots to other aircraft around them. It also provides information to the pilots on the course of action that they should take to avoid conflicting aircraft.
Technical delay;  A delay caused by the lack of availablity of an aircraft to operate a service.

DOES NOT  NECESSARILY MEAN SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE PLANE

Technical log;      The book which contains legal information for a particular aircraft regarding it’s technical status.
Technical problem;  Often said by the  flight  crew or ground crew  when the aircraft is temporarily unable to operate the flight. Maybe passenger problems, Air Traffic Control, mechanical problem with the plane etc etc.
TFT; Thought field therapy. A process of tapping the bodies meridians to bring about changes of thinking and behaviour.
Thought stopping;    A  process of interrupting unhelpful thoughts for example snapping an elastic band on the wrist or shouting “STOP”.
Threat;    Something that is likely to endanger.
Thrust levers; The levers in the cockpit which control the amount of power from the engines.
Thunderstorm; An electrical storm caused by friction of the air inside a cloud.
Time; Alpha and Zulu the first being local time and the second Greenwich Mean Time.
Time zone;     A geographic area which has a common local time.
Trim;     To  remove a continuous force on the control wheel. Normally applied to the pitch control
Touchdown; The point or time at which the aircraft’s wheels touch the runway.
Training;. All aviation training has to be performed by qualified personnel. Flying training has to be conducted at approved airfields, which have to have minimum levels of facilities.
Traumatic life event; A bad experience of a flight or events surrounding a flight. Or something of a personal nature that has an influence on life.
Triggers; Words or actions times or places where certain procedures are actioned.
Trim;      A flight control system which allows the pilot to fly the aircraft without having to resist or apply a force to the control wheel or stick.
Turbo prop engines;     A jet engine with a propeller on the front of it. It enjoys the benefit of good low speed performance and the economy and power of a pure jet.

TwitterFollow @fixfearofflying

Turbulence; “Is uncomfortable but that’s not the same as dangerous.”

U

Fear of Flying

Undercarriage;      The landing gear. The assembly of wheels and shock absorbers that support the aircraft on the ground. Is raised in flight by hydraulic motors.
Unstable air; Air which instead of cooling as it rises becomes relatively warmer.  See weather
Unstable;   Aircraft design feature which makes it more manoeuvrable. Does not apply to civil aircraft which are designed to be stable.

Uniform; Still used even in these less formal times so that the crew can be identified by the passengers if there is an emergency

V;         A symbol for defining speeds that apply to an aircraft at certain stages of flight.
V1;       The speed on take off which allows the aircraft to choose between taking off or aborting the take off.
V2;     The speed at which the aircraft would climb if it had an engine failure on take off.
Variable;      Used to describe a wind direction for aircraft taking off or landing.
Vector;     Part of a force which assists or works against a desired outcome.
Velocity;    A movement which has speed and direction.
Victor;   Phonetic pronunciation of the letter R.
VR;    The speed at which the pilot starts to raise the aircraft nose to take off.

W
Watery foods;    Foods with a high water content such as fruit.
Weather radar;     Equipment that shows in pictorial form where areas of bad weather are located.
Weight and balance chart; The legal documentation which shows that the total weight.
Wind Shear;   Meteorological term for a sudden change of wind direction either vertically or horizontally.
Wings;    The parts of the aircraft designed to support the aircraft in flight.

X

X-ray; The phonetic pronounciation of the letter Z

Y

Fear of Flying

Yankee; Letter of the phonetic alphabet.
Yaw; Movement of the aircraft around its vertical axis. Or the action that could be described as slewing from side to side.

Yaw Damper; Device fitted on a plane to automatically reduce the effects of yaw when the aircraft is affected by such things as gusts.

Yes; A word never used in flying but is substitued by affirmative which is less likely to be misinterpreted.

Yesterday; The best time to start doing something about your fear of flying.

Z

Captain Keith

Zero flight time;   Pilot training which is performed solely on flight simulators.
Zero fuel weight;    The maximum allowable weight of an aircraft without fuel.
Zulu;   Is the abbreviation for Greenwich mean time as opposed to local time.
Zulu; The last letter in the phonetic alphabet.