air lock???

[stator vane]

twice in one week i have heard the term "air lock" in relation to aircraft engines. one from a passenger that was sitting next to a BA pilot on the Azures Concord affair and the next time from a purser who was told by the captain that the loud bang that she heard before the engine was shut down in cruise.

i have never heard the term before. perhaps that is due to my flight training being in the USA and then flying in korea and then brussels for the last four years.

could that be a british term for "compressor stall'??

any assistance would be appreciated.

and any information as to what causes said "air lock" and if there are any ways to avoid said event.

chairs and rear guards;

[stator vane]

wow, either i have made enemies on this site, or no one knows the term either???

amazing either way;

[QAVION]

Stator Vane...
I'd say that the pilot was simply trying to talk in everyday terms, perhaps not knowing your background. I don't know why the purser used this term. Perhaps he was simplifying for the passengers' benefit also... or simply repeating what the pilots have told him.

I stand to be corrected.

Regards,
Q.

[stator vane]

perhaps i miswrote the original question-

these were quotes from other persons who knew that i was a pilot. and this is the term given to the ones who spoke to me by pilots/captains.

is it a code phrase for "i have no ****ing idea what made that big noise?"

my question is, is "air lock" a british term for something that yankees would use another term?

i..e. tarmack/apron/ramp
or jetty/jetway/airbridge
mechanic/technician/maintainance

etc. the one use of airlock by the concord pilot in the passenger cabin as well as by the captain on the PA of the same flight.
the other by the captain to the purser on a B737.

i looked up air lock on the web here and didn't find much of any use. perhaps it is an older term since both of the captains were of the more mature type.

i've heard of the term "compressor stall" but am under the impression that it usually occurs during thrust changes or some sort of turbulence that disrupts the airflow in the engine.

perhaps a term related to a failure of a bleed air valve.

i am just guessing until someone enlightens me.

[spannersatcx]

No it's not a 'British term', as stated I think it is someone trying to keep things simple for the non technically minded, without being disrespectful I can't see that a purser would know and the capt was keeping it simple. The only (normally) loud bang you will here from an engine is from a surge, this could be cause by many things, in particular a massive disruption to the airflow through an engine.

[Basil]

An airlock can be:
a) The system of two hatches used in space vessels, submarine escape compartments, decompression chambers or isolation units to prevent loss of pressure or contamination.
b) Imagine a liquid piping system which goes up then down. If air becomes trapped at the top it may take more pressure than available in, say, a drainage system or LP fuel system to move it on. Could, as previously stated be vapour lock in fuel system.
c) Some pumps designed for liquids, e.g: centrifugal pumps or diesel injector pumps are not very good at pumping gases and will cease to function thereby airlocking the system until primed with liquid.

I'm sure you knew all that already but use a different term for it.

I'd normally refer to the engine noise as a surge - good bang innit! - but tricky to explain to the passengers :O

[stator vane]

or perhaps the pocket of air between my ears.

thanks for your replies.

i had to ask.