Ever been on a flight and heard something you wanted to know the meaning to? Well look no further! After speaking with a few contacts in the aviation industry I've put together a handy cheat sheet so you can look behind the curtain.
Air Pocket: Quick jolt of turbulence
All-Call: Each flight attendant report via intercom from their station
Alley: taxiway between a terminal and ramp
Apron: any expanse of tarmac that isn't the runway / taxiway
Area of weather: thunderstorm or heavy precipitation
Deadhead: repositioning a staff member as part of an on-duty assignment
Deplane: leaving the plane
Direct Flight: flight travels from point A to point B with a chance of stopping for fuel or it could be a flight who starts / carries on after you plane / deplane the equipment but the flight number remains the same (ex. flight CX 458 starting in Hong Kong, stops in Vancouver, and then continues onto its final location JFK New York. Vancouver to JFK might be direct for you but its not a direct flight as the plane started in Hong Kong)
Doors to arrival & crosscheck / disarm your doors & crosscheck: confirm that emergency escape slides attached to the doors have been disarmed. Crosscheck is meaning its been verified by another person
EFC Time: the time that the pilot expects the Holding Patter / Ground Stop to be completed
Equipment: airplane
Final approach: a straight segment of landing pattern
First Officer / Copilot: second in command of the flight deck
Flight deck: cockpit
Flight level XXXXX / AGL (Above Ground Level): the number of feet above sea level
Gatehouse: lounge or gate area
Ground stock: traffic backlog causing suspended flights to a destination
Holding pattern: racetrack shaped path flown while a plane waits to land
In-range: when Pre-board is expected to start at the gatehouse
Last-minute paperwork: everything is ready to go but he is adjusting the weight-and-balance record or the flight plan
Non-Stop Flight: flight travels from point A to point B without stopping for fuel
Pre-board: priority boarding
Ramp: the ground vehicle movement area closest to the terminal
Tarmac: "Tar-penetration Macadam" any asphalt or blacktop
Wheels-up Time: when a plane is expected to be fully airborne
And of course there is also the phonetic alphabet that is the same no matter what country you go to. This is the Canadian version but the American version use a couple different words (and Disney uses their own with Disney characters).
A = Alpha
B = Bravo
C = Charlie
D = Delta
E = Echo
F = Foxtrot
G = Golf
H = Hotel
I = India
J = Juliet
K = Kilo
L = Lima
M = Mike
N = November
O = Oscar
P = Papa
Q = Quebec
R = Romeo
S = Sierra
T = Tango
U = Uniform
V = Victor / Victory
W = Whiskey
X = X-ray
Y = Yankee
Z = Zulu
