Aircraft,plane,aeroplane,bird,old crate etc?

[Lister Noble]

Often pilots cringe at hearing someone calling an aircraft a plane,I've heard some call them by other names as above.
I asked a very experienced ex RAF now Commercial /Private pilot what he thought.
His reply
"Call it what you like,we know what you mean!"
Any thoughts on this?
Lister

[J.A.F.O.]

I'm afraid that plane makes me cringe, I just loathe it for no particular reason. I hear people say crate, kite, cab, and a hundred other things and let it wash over me without a word but plane will get me ranting every time.

[stiknruda]

I abhor plane and always call mine an aeroplane, aircraft, bomber or jet!

[Rod1]

I hate Plane, and always use Aircraft.

Rod1

[Confabulous]

Langley called his 'invention' the Aerodrome. It stayed on the ground all right :E

'Aircraft' just sounds better. 'Cessna' sounds like the designer dropped a Lycoming on his foot.

(And yes I know it was the designer's name. I just wish he designed something that looked a little less like a potbellied pig).

[Lister Noble]

I abhor plane and always call mine an aeroplane, aircraft, bomber or jet!

Subject for some plain discussion later today over a beer ,or two.
Lister:ok:

[Genghis the Engineer]

Usually "aircraft", I dislike "plane", which is a woodworking tool. Occasionally "jet" - usually reserved for something with either is a jet, or is so small and underpowered that the term offers some amusement.

Biggles usually called what he flew a "machine", and who are we to argue with the master! But, to the best of my knowledge, he never used "plane" either.

G

[The SSK]

Most of the old-school BA pilots I ever talked (or more usually listened) to would invariably refer to the 'aeroplane', in a very affected way, as if 'aircraft' was for plebs.

So ... that's what I do myself :hmm:

[Mike Cross]

I dislike "plane", which is a woodworking tool.
Presumably you wouldn't take any kids (baby goats) up in it then?
Or use the stick (bit of wood) 'cos ist should be called the control column.
Or a yoke (device for harnessing oxen or carrying containers) 'cos it should be called the control wheel.
:E

[Genghis the Engineer]

And if my control column is a bit of wood?

G

Never knowingly flies with baby goats, but occasionally with children. Usually uses a control column but occasionally, I must confess, a yoke.

[Kolibear]

Its my 'Gentleman's Aerial Conveyance'. And Yes, I've got another one :ok: :)

[Lister Noble]

There is a Nomad twin turboprop aircraft at the club that is used for parachuting duties.

It is called "The Meat Bomber"

Lister:}

[stiknruda]

Lister, we're just leaving for the Pulham KA.

Kolibear - good news, especially as I have two bits of your old one in mine!!


Stik - a misspelt piece of wood

[flyboyike]

I use plane or flyingmoneypit.

[BEagle]

A 'plane' is either:
1. A woodworker's tool.
2. Something which self-loading freight use to take them on holidays.

'Jet' is a RAF term of affection, much as 'crate' or 'kite' used to be. Another synonym was 'bomber' which is what we called the Vulcan. 'Cab' is a FAA term; however, bona jet mates once referred to their 'waggon' or 'wag'...:rolleyes:

Personally I prefer 'aeroplane'. Which is controlled by a 'control column' - although when discussing stability we use 'stick fixed' and 'stick free' as the descriptive terms.

[englishal]

who cares?

I suppose it really depends upon how far one is stuck up ones own anus....;)

I have a plane, I fly aeroplanes, I land at airports as well as airfields (though rarely an aerodrome). My kite is a 6 foot flexifoil, and planks cover my floors. Mind you I do like 'Gentleman's Aerial Conveyance', maybe one will consider using it in future.....:)

[stiknruda]

EA - I care!

I really think it is symptomatic of the lowering of standards and the general dumbing down to be all-inclusive to the bottom feeders!

(By bottom feeders I am not referring to microlight pilots, I mean chavs and folk who think that reality tv is entertainment!)


Stik

[Zulu Alpha]

I'd vote for Aircraft or Monoplane.

[stiknruda]

ZA - I'm amazed, I thought you'd definetely call yours a "monoplane":) :)

[camlobe]

Bus, skip, aeroplane, gentlemans aerial carriage, kite, shed, ship, plane. So what? We all know what we mean. And put in perspective of what EASA are trying to do to the art of aviation, lets concentrate on far more worthwhile topics. e.g. how to stop the strangulation of GA.

Getting ourselves sidetracked on these emotive issues won't help prevent the eurocrats regulating our flying into the memory books.

Oh, I forgot to mention. I use all of the above as well as some unprintable ones as well.:)

[kevmusic]

Damn! - knew I'd come unstuck.:hmm: You're all right in abhoring 'plane'. I used it for brevity in a long post elsewhere yesterday (is that what prompted you, Lister? ;)) but dislike it myself. C'est la vie.

Kev

[Lister Noble]

Kevmusic,no I posted it because I have tended to use plane to date, and am afraid I might be severely catisgated by the airborne masses!
Telphone='phone.Aeroplane='plane:confused:
Do you play music,if so what sort?
Lister;)

[kevmusic]

Ok, it's a bit off topic, but it's your call, so here goes: I play & teach classical, as it's what I was trained in but I've been a jazz buff most of my life & I play as much of it on gigs as I possibly can.:E

A lot of musicians fly - interesting correla... corellat...bugger it - interesting mix. Idea for a new thread?

And do you play/enjoy music, Lister?

Kev

[J.A.F.O.]

Lister

For some of us:

Telephone = Telephone
Aeroplane = Aeroplane
Mobile Telephone = Mobile Telephone
Television = Television
Radio = Wireless
Wicked Water World = Public Baths

You see I'm working on developing a sort of befuddled High Court judge persona, a "Who is this Gazza Gascoigne?" kind of image and I'm getting quite good at it.

This weeks favourites are:

frowning at the word "texted" and ostentatiosly flipping through my pocket dictionary before questioning whether it's a verb

and saying "I pod, I pod, no, I'm frightfully sorry, you did what?" Whenever anybody talks about their latest mobile music thingy.

I know it's pointless and pathetic but we all need a hobby.

I've hated the word plane when referring to a gentleman's aerial conveyance since I was a boy of fourteen but the high court judge thing is a little more recent. I'm planning to be hideously behind the times until I'm 93, at which point I'll get frighteningly hip and trendy.

[funfly]

I can get vexed by people spelling 'Plain Sailing'
It's Plane Sailing of course - it's what boats do when they are going well (or so I'm told)

[TwoDeadDogs]

hi all
Some old ex-colleagues referred to their helicopters as "Machines" and anyone calling them "choppers" was regarded as beyond naff.Similarly, the busdrivers in Dublin insist on referring to their vehicles as "cars" and woe betide anyone who calls them buses.Go figure....I have heard, quite a few times, airline pilots of my acquaintance, do anything but refer to their Boeing or Airbus by it's actual name.Some of them refer to the 320 as the Minibus and the 330 as the Big Bus.Maybe pilots are frustrated bus drivers and bus drivers are frustrated 'Bus drivers.....;)
regards
TDD

[Lister Noble]

Ok, it's a bit off topic, but it's your call, so here goes: I play & teach classical, as it's what I was trained in but I've been a jazz buff most of my life & I play as much of it on gigs as I possibly can.:E

A lot of musicians fly - interesting correla... corellat...bugger it - interesting mix. Idea for a new thread?

And do you play/enjoy music, Lister?

Kev
Kev,played bass guitar in rock/blues band in early sixties,then didn't see any of the band for 40 odd years,they contacted me early this year,we have reformed and will do a few gigs each year.
We are playing here in south Norfolk next weekend but minus the keyboard player,we are using midi files or something like that to replace him but obviously not the same as a real musician
You can't help out there can you?;)
.Lister:)

[Nimbus265]

I've tried to strum my Fender in the cockpit, but I can never seem to close the canopy as the end sticks out!:p

[Mike Cross]

I can get vexed by people spelling 'Plain Sailing'

Ahem...... "Plain Sail" means you are using what in racing is referred to as "white sails" i.e. you are sailing without a spinnaker. The order "make all plain sail" would have meant "put up every sail that can be flown on all points of sailing" i.e. exclude things that can only be flown with the wind abaft the beam, such as spinnakers. Spinnakers are fiiddly things to use but great fun and provide additional power downwind.

The expression "it was plain sailing" therefore means it was simple and straightforward.

Being "on the plane" or "planing" is something else altogether. A boat moving through the water creates a bow wave and of course a wave creates a trough. As speed increases the bow wave lengthens. When the speed is such that the trough is under the stern it takes a tremendous amount of additional power to get any addiitonal speed. If you can achieve that power the boat starts to move up the wave and is planing. It will accelerate rapidly, as anyone who has driven a planing powerboat can testify.

[Lister Noble]

I've tried to strum my Fender in the cockpit, but I can never seem to close the canopy as the end sticks out!:p

No trouble at all in the Tiger Moth!
Lister;)

[AfricanEagle]

In Italian it is "aereo" or "velivolo"

Most times I use aeroplane or aircraft when speaking English, but I do like "magnificent flying machine".

Oh, nearly forgot the best: "Ndeke" meaning bird in swahili.

[SKYYACHT]

I make no apologies - I can't abide the Americanism of "Airplane". It is an aeroplane..... like wise "Airfoil" is in fact an "Aerofoil".

At the end of the day - who really cares? As long as I can get in, start up, and drill some holes in the sky after work, what does it matter.

I understand that Douglas Bader hated the expression 'plane.....

Thats it - its a nice day, I have no aeroplane available, so I am going to pull my motorbike out of the garage, and go do some truly lowlevel flying.....

:D

[kevmusic]

Lister, you have a PM!!:D

[360BakTrak]

I'm not a big fan of 'plane', but as my 19 month old son can say 'plane' and not any other derivative as yet I tolerate (encourage) it much to the disgust of my better half! As soon as his language skills improve, we'll be working on a more appropriate word for said heavier-than-air machine. Unfortunately he can already say the word 'horse', much to my disgust and my better half's delight!:{

[J.A.F.O.]

Ndeke I like.

Better than paraffin parrot which I've heard before.

Jazz and pointless indignation, got to be the best thread of the year.

[femaleWannabe]

I call it a "plane" because "aircraft" sounds too much like I actually know what I'm talking about :rolleyes: