Aircraft

Aircraft

Any machine or device that is capable of atmospheric flight either by buoyancy or by the movement of air over its surfaces.

Industry: Aviation

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Aircraft

complex aircraft

Aviation; Aircraft

An aircraft with retractable landing gear, flaps, and a controllable pitch propeller.

minimum safe altitude (MSA)

Aviation; Aircraft

The minimum altitude depicted on approach charts which provides at least 1,000 feet of obstacle clearance for emergency use within a specified distance from the listed navigation facility.

variation

Aviation; Aircraft

Compass error caused by the difference in the physical locations of the magnetic north pole and the geographic north pole.

feeder facilities

Aviation; Aircraft

Used by ATC to direct aircraft to intervening fixes between the en route structure and the initial approach fix.

radiosonde

Aviation; Aircraft

A weather instrument that observes and reports meteorological conditions from the upper atmosphere. This instrument is typically carried into the atmosphere by some form of weather balloon.