Even if you are English native speaker, in the aviation academy you might find yourself learning a lot of new terms and not understanding a word at the very beginning. Most of this terms are common to all airlines, but there are some slight differences from airline to airline, especially in commands. If you are a flight attendant wannabe, this article will come very handy!
ABP (able bodied passenger) is a passenger who can potentially help the crew in case of emergency.
AIRBRIDGE is that passage looking like a tunnel that you use to reach the aircraft from the gate. If you reach the aircraft by bus, then you will be using stairs instead.
ALL ATTENDANT CALL is an onboard call that all the minimum crew has to answer over the interphone. It is used to communicate some important information.
ALTITUDE is the height measured from sea level. In other words how high in the sky you are!
ARM/DISARM DOORS AND CROSSCHECK this is a command at the beginning/end of the flight that means preparing the doors for the flight (arming) or for arrival (disarming). What exactly are you arming/disarming? Simply put, the evacuation system. What about crosschecking? Well since the action of arming/disarming is very important, the procedures require the Crew to check on each other, so that everything is done properly.
ATC (air traffic control) is a system designed to give assistance to the aircraft in order to manage aircraft flow and prevent collisions.
ATTENTION CREW AT STATION this is a command coming from the pilot and it is calling upon the maximum attention of the Cabin Crew in case of some abnormal event. The minimum crew shall all go to their respective stations and wait for further instructions.
BLOCK HOURS/FLYING HOURS are the effective number of hours spent in the air, excluding the working time on ground at the airport.
BOARDING COMPLETED means that all the passengers are on board and it is also the right time for you to look for an empty seat around you! Even though in the Covid-19 era you are most likely to have it anyways!
BRACE BRACE if you hear this, well it's an emergency! Follow the Cabin Crew instructions, it is for your own safety! And do brace!
BRIEFING/DEBRIEFING The first one is the mandatory meeting that all the airlines have before the flight. Initially Cabin Crew and Flight Crew are talking separately, but finally they will join and discuss important matters like the route, altitude, weather forecast, station information, but also passenger profile, service and any relevant information for that specific flight. Debriefing is at the end of the flight and it only happens in case there was some special event like a medical emergency or any other kind of emergency.
BULKHEAD is a divider between the cabins. It is made of plastic and it is also holding the ceiling. Usually passengers with children sit there because a baby bassinet can be attached to that wall. It has extra legroom, so pax with medical condition can also sit there, as long as it is not next to the exit.
CALL BELL is the most hated button on board by the Cabin Crew 😅 The reason being is because too often it is overused. We are happy to help, but don't make us run up and down the aisle for silly requests such as dropping the empty plastic glass that perfectly fits in the seat pocket in front of you. Also if you have more than one request, shoot everything in one go. Preparing 3 cocktails at the same time is easier than 1+1+1 and going up and down for each. Get the point?
CC stands for Cabin Crew, or shortly Crew. It's a modern way of calling Flight Attendant.
CLEAR TO OPEN DOORS means that all the preparations for the disembarkation are completed: aircraft is in the parking position with engines off, airbridge or stairs are connected and the ground staff is ready to receive the passengers.
CARGO is the belly of the aircraft and that is where all the luggages are stored. Most of the airlines have airplanes that operate only cargo, which means no passengers on board.
CHARTER airline is a low cost airline operating generally short distance and by offering less service, the price is cheaper. The main cut is operating from smaller, peripherical airports instead of the main ones, choosing low peak hours that are less connectible to other flights and not giving free service on board.
CHIME is the sound of notification that you can hear in the cabin and it is mainly meant for the Cabin Crew. Interphone chimes, communication systems chime. Every chime has its own meaning, so that Crew can easily and quickly understand weather it is an emergency situation or it is a passenger asking for water. It's a selection of ding-dongs that on some flights can get quite disturbing if passengers abuse that call-button. It is important though for the Crew to keep their ears on alert at all times because they will understand a lot from every chime.
CHOCKS ON/CHOCKS OFF is useful in calculation the exact amount of hours spent in the air. From the moment the chocks are released (OFF) to the moment they are put back on (ON). Chocks are brakes on the aircraft.
COCKPIT/FLIGHTDECK is the small cabin from where the pilots fly the aircraft, at the very front of the airplane. It is the place on board with the best view, the #viewfromtheoffice kind of pride. It is also a place where Crew hide to take a 20 min nap on those airplanes that aren't generous enough to build in a CRC (see next). It is a perfect confessional spot, with the comfortable chairs, a blanket, snacks and pitch black if needed. If only the cockpit could tell all the stories it has heard and seen...
PS- even though it might make you think about "a pit for fighting cocks", there is no known reference to any... cock fighting.
CRC (crew rest compartment). This is something you will see in your life only if you become a Flight Attendant because it is a restricted area for Crew only! And that is where the Crew are resting by taking turns on those never ending ultra long haul flights. And no, after a 17h long flight we do not flight back straight away. We are not robots. 👀 (just answering a FAQ)
CREW CONTROL is the office responsible for the flying schedule and roster changes. It is the most feared telephone call you can get 😅
CROSSCHECK means that every Crew duty linked to safety need to be double-checked by another Crew in order to stay safe at all times. It is a tiring job and we are not robots, everyone can make a mistake. Just think about how tired you are after a trip, even when going for vacation. Then think if you didn't get the chance to sit and rest, maybe not even eat on that flight. Then think about adapting to a different time-zone. Then think about going back (to base) after roughly 24h. Altitude, pressure, time zones, night shifts: it all messes with your body. Better get someone crosscheck your work.
CRUISE is that period spent in the air from A to B, climbing and descent excluded. It is the safest part of the journey so you might just seat back and relax.
DEADHEADING No worries, nobody is dead! It designates the Crew who is traveling as a passenger because they are most likely to operate on the return sector. This happens when there is an aircraft change due to the different load of passengers or when a crew is sick outstation, so they need to be replaced.
DECOMPRESSION is a loss of pressure in the aircraft. From the moment all doors are closed on ground, cabin gets pressurized in order to allow us to breath normally at high altitude. If there is a loss of pressure, there will be an emergency descent to a level where it is safe to breath and a possible diversion to the closest airport.
DEICING is a procedure that allows aircrafts to fly even in the winter time under the very low temperatures. Technically the wings get sprayed with a chemical that will prevent icing.
DELAY is any lateness in the airline industry.
DITCHING is an emergency landing on water. Remember the film Sully from the famous real case of landing on Hudson River? That is ditching.
DIVERSION is when there is an abnormal event that prevents you of landing on the scheduled airport of arrival, so a diversion is organized in flight to another nearest airport.
DOMESTIC FLIGHT is a flight within the borders of the country where the airline is based.
DOUBLE-ENDING, nothing weird! It only means that 2 crew are going to work on the same cart, helping each other and therefore being faster.
ABP (able bodied passenger) is a passenger who can potentially help the crew in case of emergency.
AIRBRIDGE is that passage looking like a tunnel that you use to reach the aircraft from the gate. If you reach the aircraft by bus, then you will be using stairs instead.
ALL ATTENDANT CALL is an onboard call that all the minimum crew has to answer over the interphone. It is used to communicate some important information.
ALTITUDE is the height measured from sea level. In other words how high in the sky you are!
ARM/DISARM DOORS AND CROSSCHECK this is a command at the beginning/end of the flight that means preparing the doors for the flight (arming) or for arrival (disarming). What exactly are you arming/disarming? Simply put, the evacuation system. What about crosschecking? Well since the action of arming/disarming is very important, the procedures require the Crew to check on each other, so that everything is done properly.
ATC (air traffic control) is a system designed to give assistance to the aircraft in order to manage aircraft flow and prevent collisions.
ATTENTION CREW AT STATION this is a command coming from the pilot and it is calling upon the maximum attention of the Cabin Crew in case of some abnormal event. The minimum crew shall all go to their respective stations and wait for further instructions.
BLOCK HOURS/FLYING HOURS are the effective number of hours spent in the air, excluding the working time on ground at the airport.
BOARDING COMPLETED means that all the passengers are on board and it is also the right time for you to look for an empty seat around you! Even though in the Covid-19 era you are most likely to have it anyways!
BRACE BRACE if you hear this, well it's an emergency! Follow the Cabin Crew instructions, it is for your own safety! And do brace!
BRIEFING/DEBRIEFING The first one is the mandatory meeting that all the airlines have before the flight. Initially Cabin Crew and Flight Crew are talking separately, but finally they will join and discuss important matters like the route, altitude, weather forecast, station information, but also passenger profile, service and any relevant information for that specific flight. Debriefing is at the end of the flight and it only happens in case there was some special event like a medical emergency or any other kind of emergency.
BULKHEAD is a divider between the cabins. It is made of plastic and it is also holding the ceiling. Usually passengers with children sit there because a baby bassinet can be attached to that wall. It has extra legroom, so pax with medical condition can also sit there, as long as it is not next to the exit.
CALL BELL is the most hated button on board by the Cabin Crew 😅 The reason being is because too often it is overused. We are happy to help, but don't make us run up and down the aisle for silly requests such as dropping the empty plastic glass that perfectly fits in the seat pocket in front of you. Also if you have more than one request, shoot everything in one go. Preparing 3 cocktails at the same time is easier than 1+1+1 and going up and down for each. Get the point?
CC stands for Cabin Crew, or shortly Crew. It's a modern way of calling Flight Attendant.
CLEAR TO OPEN DOORS means that all the preparations for the disembarkation are completed: aircraft is in the parking position with engines off, airbridge or stairs are connected and the ground staff is ready to receive the passengers.
CARGO is the belly of the aircraft and that is where all the luggages are stored. Most of the airlines have airplanes that operate only cargo, which means no passengers on board.
CHARTER airline is a low cost airline operating generally short distance and by offering less service, the price is cheaper. The main cut is operating from smaller, peripherical airports instead of the main ones, choosing low peak hours that are less connectible to other flights and not giving free service on board.
CHIME is the sound of notification that you can hear in the cabin and it is mainly meant for the Cabin Crew. Interphone chimes, communication systems chime. Every chime has its own meaning, so that Crew can easily and quickly understand weather it is an emergency situation or it is a passenger asking for water. It's a selection of ding-dongs that on some flights can get quite disturbing if passengers abuse that call-button. It is important though for the Crew to keep their ears on alert at all times because they will understand a lot from every chime.
CHOCKS ON/CHOCKS OFF is useful in calculation the exact amount of hours spent in the air. From the moment the chocks are released (OFF) to the moment they are put back on (ON). Chocks are brakes on the aircraft.
COCKPIT/FLIGHTDECK is the small cabin from where the pilots fly the aircraft, at the very front of the airplane. It is the place on board with the best view, the #viewfromtheoffice kind of pride. It is also a place where Crew hide to take a 20 min nap on those airplanes that aren't generous enough to build in a CRC (see next). It is a perfect confessional spot, with the comfortable chairs, a blanket, snacks and pitch black if needed. If only the cockpit could tell all the stories it has heard and seen...
PS- even though it might make you think about "a pit for fighting cocks", there is no known reference to any... cock fighting.
CRC (crew rest compartment). This is something you will see in your life only if you become a Flight Attendant because it is a restricted area for Crew only! And that is where the Crew are resting by taking turns on those never ending ultra long haul flights. And no, after a 17h long flight we do not flight back straight away. We are not robots. 👀 (just answering a FAQ)
CREW CONTROL is the office responsible for the flying schedule and roster changes. It is the most feared telephone call you can get 😅
CROSSCHECK means that every Crew duty linked to safety need to be double-checked by another Crew in order to stay safe at all times. It is a tiring job and we are not robots, everyone can make a mistake. Just think about how tired you are after a trip, even when going for vacation. Then think if you didn't get the chance to sit and rest, maybe not even eat on that flight. Then think about adapting to a different time-zone. Then think about going back (to base) after roughly 24h. Altitude, pressure, time zones, night shifts: it all messes with your body. Better get someone crosscheck your work.
CRUISE is that period spent in the air from A to B, climbing and descent excluded. It is the safest part of the journey so you might just seat back and relax.
DEADHEADING No worries, nobody is dead! It designates the Crew who is traveling as a passenger because they are most likely to operate on the return sector. This happens when there is an aircraft change due to the different load of passengers or when a crew is sick outstation, so they need to be replaced.
DECOMPRESSION is a loss of pressure in the aircraft. From the moment all doors are closed on ground, cabin gets pressurized in order to allow us to breath normally at high altitude. If there is a loss of pressure, there will be an emergency descent to a level where it is safe to breath and a possible diversion to the closest airport.
DEICING is a procedure that allows aircrafts to fly even in the winter time under the very low temperatures. Technically the wings get sprayed with a chemical that will prevent icing.
DELAY is any lateness in the airline industry.
DITCHING is an emergency landing on water. Remember the film Sully from the famous real case of landing on Hudson River? That is ditching.
DIVERSION is when there is an abnormal event that prevents you of landing on the scheduled airport of arrival, so a diversion is organized in flight to another nearest airport.
DOMESTIC FLIGHT is a flight within the borders of the country where the airline is based.
DOUBLE-ENDING, nothing weird! It only means that 2 crew are going to work on the same cart, helping each other and therefore being faster.
EASA →European Aviation Safety Agency
ENGINE FAILURE is when the engine stops working. Don't worry, the aircraft has a 3h autonomy to fly with 1 engine only, so you will most likely have a diversion to the nearest airport.
EQUIPMENT is any emergency and medical tools available on board: fire extinguisher, gloves, oxygen bottles, survival kit, medicines, automated external defibrillator, megaphone, emergency locator transmitter etc
ETA →estimated time of arrival
ETD →estimated time of departure
EVACUATE if you hear this, just think about saving your life. And your bags are not worth your or other peoples life. So drop everything and run out of the aircraft!
FEET not the smelly ones, but the unit of measuring the altitude. Bigger aircrafts go up to 40.000ft
FERRY FLIGHT is a flight with NO passengers on board. It happens rarely, but I did get the chance to experience it and it is cool! Only Crew on board, performing safety duties, but no service, except among ourselves. In my case we had to return an empty aircraft back to base because we had a diversion due to lightning striking, but I'll talk about that more in a separate story.
FINAL APPROACH is when should be seated with seatbelt fastened and all your luggages stowed, seat upright, tray table stowed, armrest down, window blinds up. In one word, secured for landing.
FREQUENT FLYER is a passenger that flies often on the same airline, therefor has some perks out of it, like special discounts on duty free, possibility to collect miles and use them for an upgrade etc
GALLEY is the kitchen on board. That is where all the fun happens!
HATRACK is the overhead bin used to stow the luggages.
HOMEBASE/OUTSTATION. Homebase is the city where the specific airline is based. Wherever the flight is bound to, it will return to base. Outstation is any other station, in other words the destination you're flying to.
INBOARD/OUTBOARD the aircraft is a quick way to designate the position of something in the aircraft. If it is inboard, it is where those middle seats are. Outboard is where the windows are. It goes without saying, it is only used on wide body aircrafts (the ones that have more than 1 aisle).
INBOUND/OUTBOUND Crew are the Crew flying respectively back to the base and out of base.
INFANT is a child of less than 2 years. They need to be on parents lap during take-off and landing (secured with the special infant seat belt) and can use the basinet for sleeping during the flight.
INTERPHONE is the on board phone that the Crew is using to communicate among each other. It only works on board.
JUMPSEAT is a foldable chair where the Crew is sitting during take-off and landing. It is for Crew use only and it is located at every station/aircraft door.
LAYOVER is an overstay in the destination of arrival. Every flight longer than 5h has a layover, but in Covid-19 era these regulations have changed. The Crew go in the hotel and are free to explore for the duration of the layover that might be minimum (just enough to rest) or even couple of days long. Back in the golden age of flying layovers were sometimes a week long. Imagine that! A mini vacation every time you go for work!
LOCAL TIME is the actual time of the place where the Crew is, or the time of the destination the Crew is speaking about.
...to be continued!
PS - here is a fun video of some tips during the recruitment day and some more aviation terminology:
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