Is it Aeroplane or Airplane, Aerodrome or Airfiled, Helicopter or Chopper
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Planet Google
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
49th Parallel and Windows Office Word
Jolly Green
and Senior Pilot
Great replies 
I personally think that the use of Microsoft Word has a lot to do with the use of North American terminology (no offence to Americans intended before the PC outrage bus drives up
).
With American English as the default setting it is becoming the norm for Europeans to not bother changing their language setting, so the use of American terminology is becoming the standard. Type in Aeroplane and it will come up as Airplane, as with colour, hangar, etc.
No doubt the default English at Airbus is American as VX275 pointed out
AMCP
The term 'helo' is acceptable by helicopter personnel from those limited by writing space, ignorance or mental capacity. The term 'chopper' should only be used by the mentally incapacitated, those ignorant of aviation terminology or veterans suffering from infantry flashbacks of Vietnam
very few professional helicopter drivers use the term 'helo', at least none that I know. And the term 'chopper' is most definitely a hanging offence 
I personally think that the use of Microsoft Word has a lot to do with the use of North American terminology (no offence to Americans intended before the PC outrage bus drives up
).With American English as the default setting it is becoming the norm for Europeans to not bother changing their language setting, so the use of American terminology is becoming the standard. Type in Aeroplane and it will come up as Airplane, as with colour, hangar, etc.
No doubt the default English at Airbus is American as VX275 pointed out
For the Aeroplane / Airplane debate I found it hilarious that Airbus would insist on using 'Airplane' rather than the more european Aeroplane in all their documents
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York
Posts: 875
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"stepwilk, very few professional helicopter drivers use the term 'helo', at least none that I know."
Maybe it's a Brit thing. What do the English say "short for helicopter," then?
Oh, and another one, which is a pretentious American usage of a classic English word that no longer means what it originally said: tarmac. Without exception, U. S. media call it "the tarmac" ("stuck on the tarmac, parked on the tarmac, delayed on the tarmac...") and without exception, of course, serious U. S. pilots call it "the ramp."
I actually complained about this to the Conde Nast Traveler website (I write for the magazine), and they did an entire post about how Wilkinson had nattered on about this but he was obviously wrong since the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal call it the tarmac, so there.
Maybe it's a Brit thing. What do the English say "short for helicopter," then?
Oh, and another one, which is a pretentious American usage of a classic English word that no longer means what it originally said: tarmac. Without exception, U. S. media call it "the tarmac" ("stuck on the tarmac, parked on the tarmac, delayed on the tarmac...") and without exception, of course, serious U. S. pilots call it "the ramp."
I actually complained about this to the Conde Nast Traveler website (I write for the magazine), and they did an entire post about how Wilkinson had nattered on about this but he was obviously wrong since the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal call it the tarmac, so there.
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 71
Posts: 713
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Many fighter pilots will call their aeroplane 'The Jet'... even the ex fighter pilots will call any civil transport... 'The Jet'.
I also recall some of the Army Air Corps refering to their aircraft as a 'mount'.
TCF
I also recall some of the Army Air Corps refering to their aircraft as a 'mount'.
TCF
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York
Posts: 875
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've also always been amused by the media's use of the phrase "fighter jet," as though there's such a thing as a "fighter prop" or "fighter piston." I can't imagine that military pilots call their aircraft "fighter jets."
I can understand calling it a "jet fighter," if it's a situation where you need to be clear that it isn't a "prop-driven fighter..."
I can understand calling it a "jet fighter," if it's a situation where you need to be clear that it isn't a "prop-driven fighter..."
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York
Posts: 875
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Nothing wrong with that. The vertical fin (tailfin is a slightly more casual usage) is the fixed, upright part of a conventional tail. It can also be referred to even more formally as the vertical stabilizer. The rudder is the movable vertical part, as opposed to the vertical fin. Vertical fin is correct, assuming it's applied correctly.
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: due south
Posts: 1,332
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The point I am trying to make stepwilk, is why state the obvious ?
All fins are vertical, or as near to as makes no difference.
Likewise, with the exception of a tiny handful of aircraft that hardly anyone has heard of, all fins are on the tail.
If you think it is ok to use those examples I have quoted, when referring to a wing do you say "horizontal wing" ?
If not, why not ?
All fins are vertical, or as near to as makes no difference.
Likewise, with the exception of a tiny handful of aircraft that hardly anyone has heard of, all fins are on the tail.
If you think it is ok to use those examples I have quoted, when referring to a wing do you say "horizontal wing" ?
If not, why not ?
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York
Posts: 875
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"All fins are vertical, or as near to as makes no difference."
An exceedingly fine point, since there are horizontal fins on ships, fish, belly tanks, bombs and a variety of other objects both aeronautical and not. I think what happens is that properly speaking, a conventional airplane has a vertical stabilizer and two horizontal stabilizer, and though I've never heard the horizontal stabs called "horizontal fins," I guess the former gets improperly simplified to "vertical fin."
Yeah, you're right, strictly speaking (and I guess that's what we're having fun doing here), but that's one I think I've been guilty of, and I get handsomely paid for knowing English, particularly aeronautical English.
But it could be worse. Recently on a Porsche-owners forum that I frequent, I complained about some spelling (most Porsche owners spell an instrument as "a guage") and somebody simply posted a photo of a quasi-official badge with big letters GRAMMAR POLICE and the legend "To Serve and Correct."
Hey, how about the old classic "the glide scope," which I still occasionally see?
An exceedingly fine point, since there are horizontal fins on ships, fish, belly tanks, bombs and a variety of other objects both aeronautical and not. I think what happens is that properly speaking, a conventional airplane has a vertical stabilizer and two horizontal stabilizer, and though I've never heard the horizontal stabs called "horizontal fins," I guess the former gets improperly simplified to "vertical fin."
Yeah, you're right, strictly speaking (and I guess that's what we're having fun doing here), but that's one I think I've been guilty of, and I get handsomely paid for knowing English, particularly aeronautical English.
But it could be worse. Recently on a Porsche-owners forum that I frequent, I complained about some spelling (most Porsche owners spell an instrument as "a guage") and somebody simply posted a photo of a quasi-official badge with big letters GRAMMAR POLICE and the legend "To Serve and Correct."
Hey, how about the old classic "the glide scope," which I still occasionally see?
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York
Posts: 875
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Funny, I just noticed for the first time that the very title of this thread contains a non-word. Unless the poster meant air-filed, like a flight plan...
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: At home, occasionally
Posts: 136
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
.......Post retirement from a big airline, and until not all that long ago, I flew a 1960s BAC 1-11. (a sturdy British built low-wing monoplane)
It lived in a hangar at a provincial aerodrome, and more than that, it had cockpit placards for "Warning Lamps" and a "Hooter".
To reach the aerodrome, I had to motor down from town, as they dug up the last bit of the railway line in 1936.
It lived in a hangar at a provincial aerodrome, and more than that, it had cockpit placards for "Warning Lamps" and a "Hooter".
To reach the aerodrome, I had to motor down from town, as they dug up the last bit of the railway line in 1936.
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: due south
Posts: 1,332
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Amos Keeto: Nothing wrong with that.
I don't use that those terms because I grew up with fin and tailplane, but they are correct because the tail assembly with a separate vertical and horizontal component does stabilise an aircraft.
I don't use that those terms because I grew up with fin and tailplane, but they are correct because the tail assembly with a separate vertical and horizontal component does stabilise an aircraft.
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: On the Bay, Vic, Oz
Age: 80
Posts: 415
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I always found all aircraft to be inherently unstable, and it was the job of the pilot to stabilise it. Thus a vertical stabiliser is a standing pilot, a horizontal stabiliser is a pilot lying down. Not sure about when pilot sitting in the left-hand seat though, probably the auto-pilot does it then. 
"Likewise, Americans call the 'tailplanes' , 'stabilizers'"
We get to call them anything we want, since we invented the things.
We get to call them anything we want, since we invented the things.
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 288
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
When did an American invent a stabiliser before 1804, when George Cayley flew a glider with them? 
Also, I remember Sir George Edwards once wrote (I paraphrase of course) "it is not written 111 or 1-11, the correct form is 'One-Eleven' and that is how it should always be written.
"HISTORY POLICE"
Also, I remember Sir George Edwards once wrote (I paraphrase of course) "it is not written 111 or 1-11, the correct form is 'One-Eleven' and that is how it should always be written.
"HISTORY POLICE"
