Aero-Terms!

Designed to be a daily reminder of the terms, names, acronyms and explanations of the unique language that populates the aviation world, ANN Contributor Aleta "I'm Not Making An Asterisk Of Myself" Vinas will be selecting... and defining unique aeronautical terms each day from all tiers of the aviation world...

Aerospace, sport aviation, fixed wing, helo, you name it... it's all fair game and with a full year's selection already coming together, we can assure you that Aero-Terms should serve as a quick but intriguing reminder of the terms you may use every day or an introduction to an aspects of the Aero-World you may not yet be familiar with.

Cool, no?

Suggestions for future Aero-Terms are ALWAYS welcome, as are additions or discussion of the explanations given for each Aero-Term.

Attitude

In the simplest use, it is the orientation of an aircraft with respect to the horizon. This is a function of two angles: pitch and roll. The pitch angle specifies the orientation of the aircraft's longitudinal axis, while the roll angle specifies the orientation of the lateral axis. The pilot adjusts the controls (the stick or the yoke) to adjust the aircraft attitude in order to keep the aircraft on course or turn or change altitude. Also describes the more complex relation of an aircraft to its surroundings, particularly airflow and gravity. This takes into account the settings of other flight controls such as the rudder, engine power, flaps or slats and also airflow. Unusual attitudes often give pilots a bad attitude.

FMI: www.algebra.com/algebra/about/history/Aircraft-attitude.wikipedia