Clase de inglés técnico para pilotos aviadores privados
- Angel Medina
- 24 oct
- 17 Min. de lectura
Actualizado: hace 4 días
Para una clase de inglés técnico para pilotos aviadores privados, es fundamental cubrir el vocabulario, la gramática y los procedimientos de comunicación estandarizados que exige la Organización de Aviación Civil Internacional (OACI).
Lista de temas clave, organizados en módulos:
Indice
Módulo 1: Fundamentos y lenguaje general de la aviación
Alfabeto fonético ICAO
Terminología básica de aeronaves
Instrumentos de la cabina de vuelo
Números, horas y medidas
Módulo 2: Operaciones en el aeropuerto
Vocabulario del aeropuerto
Procedimientos en tierra
Clima y previsiones (weather services)
Servicios de información de aeropuerto
Módulo 1
Fundamentos y lenguaje general de la aviación
Alfabeto fonético ICAO: Aprender y practicar el uso de letras y números para deletrear información crítica.
Terminología básica de aeronaves: Nombres de las partes principales del avión en inglés (fuselage, wings, tail, engine, landing gear, etc.).
Instrumentos de la cabina de vuelo: Identificación y vocabulario de los instrumentos y controles (altimeter, airspeed indicator, heading indicator, etc.).
Números, horas y medidas:
Números cardinales y ordinales.
Formato de la hora en aviación (UTC).
Unidades de medida comunes (pies, millas náuticas, nudos).
Alfabeto fonético ICAO: Aprender y practicar el uso de letras y números para deletrear información crítica.
¿Por qué la pronunciación es diferente para algunos números?
Las variaciones en la pronunciación de los números 3, 4, 5 y 9 buscan evitar malentendidos que podrían ocurrir debido a interferencias o similitudes fonéticas en distintos idiomas:
TREE: Se usa en lugar de "three" para evitar la dificultad de pronunciar el sonido "th" en algunas lenguas.
FOW-ER: Sustituye a "four" para que el número sea más fácil de entender.
FIFE: Se utiliza en vez de "five" para evitar la confusión con "flight" o "fire".
NI-NER: Se pronuncia en lugar de "nine" para que no se confunda con la palabra en alemán que significa "no".
Ejemplos para deletrear información crítica
Para deletrear una serie de números o un identificador que contenga tanto letras como cifras, se intercalan los términos fonéticos según corresponda:
Frecuencia 121.500: "Wun Too Wun Decimal Fife Zero Zero"
Vuelo IB3167: "India Bravo Tree Wun Six Seven"
Altitud 9500 pies: "Niner Fife Zero Zero"
Terminología básica de aeronaves: Nombres de las partes principales del avión en inglés (fuselage, wings, tail, engine, landing gear, etc.).
Table of Contents
The Backbone of an Aircraft
Fuselage
Wings
Empennage
Turbine Engines
Aeroplane Control Surfaces
The Backbone of an Aircraft
The airframe forms the structural foundation of an aeroplane, ensuring it can withstand aerodynamic forces and support various systems and components. The structure of an aeroplane can be decomposed into five main sub-assemblies: the fuselage, wings, empennage, flight controls, and landing gear.
The Fuselage: The central body structure accommodates the cockpit, passengers, and cargo. It also connects other components such as wings and the empennage.
The Wings: The primary lift-generating surfaces have control surfaces such as ailerons, flaps, and slats.
The Empennage (Tail Section): Comprises stabilisers and control surfaces that ensure stability and control around the pitch and yaw axes.
The Landing Gear: The undercarriage of an aircraft, designed to support the aircraft on the ground during taxiing, take-off, and landing.
Control Surfaces: Enable the pilot to manoeuvre the aircraft by altering its orientation around its axes.
Fuselage
The heart of any aeroplane is its fuselage — a long, sturdy metal tube that connects all the main components of the aircraft. Beyond just holding things together, the fuselage is designed to protect the flight crew, passengers, and cargo, even as it withstands the intense changes in atmospheric pressure during flight.
At the front and centre of the fuselage lies one of the most recognised parts of an aeroplane: the cockpit, or flight deck. Nestled just above the aircraft’s nose, this is where pilots take command, navigating the plane forward using advanced electronic flight instruments. These instruments, displayed on the primary flight display, form part of what’s known as a “glass cockpit.”
Wings
Wings are aerodynamic structures attached to the fuselage that generate lift. They house control surfaces like ailerons, flaps, and slats. The wings are the unsung heroes in this process, generating the majority of the lift that holds the plane aloft. However, creating lift isn’t as simple as it sounds — aeroplanes must be pushed through the air to achieve it. This movement encounters resistance in the form of aerodynamic drag, a challenge modern airliners tackle with winglets, the small extensions at the wingtips that reduce drag and improve efficiency.
Here are the key components that make wings so effective:
Wing Root: The part of the wing closest to the fuselage, providing structural stability.
Wing Ribs: Internal supports that shape the wing and distribute loads evenly across its surface. Together with spars, ribs ensure the wing can handle aerodynamic forces.
Ailerons
Hinged surfaces on the trailing edge of the wings, near the tips, control the aeroplane’s roll and allow it to bank left or right. When one aileron rises, the opposite aileron lowers, creating differential lift on the wings and rolling the aircraft. Fun fact: the term “aileron” comes from the French word for “little wing”!
Wing Flaps
Extendable surfaces on the trailing edge of the wings are designed to increase lift and drag during take-off and landing. Thanks to flaps, an aircraft can maintain controlled flight at significantly slower speeds, preventing the wing from stalling. Flaps extend downward to increase the wing’s surface area and camber. This enhances lift at low speeds, which is especially crucial during short-field operations or steep approaches.
Slats
Movable surfaces on the leading edge of the wings increase lift by optimising airflow over the wing during take-off and landing. Slats slide forward during takeoff and landing, creating a gap between the wing and the slat. This gap channels airflow smoothly over the upper surface of the wing, delaying airflow separation and reducing the risk of a stall.
Slats are particularly valuable in achieving low-speed flight without compromising lift, making them crucial during the approach and landing phases. On some aircraft, slats are automatically deployed based on the angle of attack.
Spoilers
Panels on the upper wing surface, that reduce lift and increase drag, are used during descent and landing. Spoilers are deployed upward into the airflow, disrupting the smooth flow over the wing. This reduces lift and helps in controlled descents or braking during landing.
Winglets
Vertical or angled extensions at the wing tips that reduce drag caused by wingtip vortices. They improve fuel efficiency, making them essential for reducing costs and environmental impact in modern airliners.
Empennage
The empennage, or tail assembly, is more than just the “back end” of an aeroplane—it’s the foundation of stability and control during flight.
While the wings generate lift and the engines provide thrust, the empennage works tirelessly to keep the aircraft balanced and aligned, countering the rotational effects of airflow (or relative wind).
The tail assembly includes the horizontal stabiliser, vertical stabiliser, elevator, and rudder, along with several other features that contribute to stability and control. It also houses the tail number, the unique identifier for each aircraft. Additionally, static wicks—small conductive devices on the trailing edge—dissipate static electricity that builds up during flight, protecting the aeroplane’s systems.
Horizontal Stabiliser
A fixed surface in the empennage that provides longitudinal stability and supports the elevators. Prevents the aeroplane's nose from moving up and down (pitch). This fixed horizontal surface balances the aircraft's centre of gravity, maintaining a level flight path.
Vertical Stabiliser
A fixed tail structure provides directional stability, to which the rudder is attached. Prevents the aeroplane’s nose from swinging side to side (yaw). This fixed vertical surface keeps the aircraft aligned with its intended flight path, acting like a keel on a boat.
Fun Fact: On the Wright brothers’ first aircraft, the horizontal stabiliser was placed at the front of the plane. This configuration called a canard (French for “duck”), is still used on some modern aircraft designs.
While the stabilisers provide fixed stability, the elevator and rudder — the hinged, movable parts of the stabilisers—are essential for controlling and manoeuvring the aircraft:
Elevator
Located on the horizontal stabiliser, these control surfaces manage pitch (the up-and-down motion of the nose), raising or lowering the aircraft's nose. When the elevator deflects upward, it decreases lift on the tail, causing the nose to pitch up. When it deflects downward, it increases lift on the tail, causing the nose to pitch down.
Rudder
A vertical control surface on the tail is used to control the yaw (the side-to-side motion of the nose), helping steer the aircraft left or right around its vertical axis. Deflecting the rudder to the left or right changes the airflow over the tail, causing the aircraft to yaw in that direction.
Together, the elevator and rudder allow precise adjustments to the aircraft’s flight path, ensuring smooth and stable navigation.
Turbine Engines
To push the aeroplane forward and overcome drag, most modern aircraft rely on turbine engines mounted beneath the wings, providing the thrust needed for propulsion. On smaller, low-speed planes, propellers are often used instead of turbines, offering a simpler solution for generating thrust. While the engine itself is not part of the airframe, its integration is critical to the aircraft’s overall performance. Turbine engines are mounted on pylons beneath the wings or integrated into the fuselage. The airframe is designed to absorb engine vibrations and stresses while maintaining aerodynamic efficiency.
Types of Turbine Engines:
Turbojet: Produces thrust solely from jet exhaust.
Turbofan: Features a fan to bypass air around the engine core, enhancing efficiency.
Turboprop: Uses a turbine to drive a propeller, combining jet and propeller technologies.
Aeroplane Control Surfaces
In the picture below, you can see all the aeroplane control surfaces, including ailerons, elevators, rudder, spoilers, slats, and flaps. The control surfaces are seamlessly connected to the cockpit through mechanical linkages, hydraulics, or electrical systems. Without the structural support of the wings, fuselage, and empennage, these surfaces would lack the necessary foundation to perform their functions.
Control surfaces allow pilots to manoeuvre the aircraft by influencing its movement around the three axes of flight:
Roll: Rotation around the longitudinal axis, controlled by the ailerons.
Pitch: Rotation around the lateral axis, controlled by the elevators.
Yaw: Rotation around the vertical axis, controlled by the rudder.
Instrumentos de la cabina de vuelo: Identificación y vocabulario de los instrumentos y controles (altimeter, airspeed indicator, heading indicator, etc.)
Cockpit Basics – Understanding Aircraft Instruments
Here’s a quick breakdown of each gauge you see in the cockpit:
1. Airspeed Indicator – Shows how fast the plane is moving through the air in knots (KIAS). Green zone is safe cruising speed, red is danger.
2. Attitude Indicator – Displays the plane’s pitch (nose up/down) and bank (tilt left/right) relative to the horizon.
3. Altimeter – Tells you the aircraft’s altitude above sea level in feet.
4. Tachometer – Measures engine speed in revolutions per minute (RPM), often in hundreds.
5. Heading Indicator – Works like a compass to show the plane’s direction.
6. Turn Coordinator – Shows how quickly the aircraft is turning and whether it’s coordinated (balanced flight).
7. Engine RPM Gauge – Displays propeller speed in RPM for performance monitoring.
8. Manifold Pressure Gauge – Measures engine intake pressure (inches of mercury) along with oil pressure and temperature.
9. Vacuum Gauge / Suction Gauge – Ensures the vacuum system powering some instruments is working properly.
These instruments together help pilots control speed, altitude, direction, and engine performance safely.
Números, horas y medidas:
Números cardinales y ordinales.
Formato de la hora en aviación (UTC).
Unidades de medida comunes (pies, millas náuticas, nudos).
En inglés, los números cardinales se usan para contar y expresar cantidad ("cuántos"), mientras que los números ordinales indican orden o posición en una secuencia ("en qué lugar").
Números cardinales (Cardinal numbers)
Se utilizan para contar objetos, personas o expresar la edad, números telefónicos y años.
1: one
2: two
3: three
4: four
5: five
6: six
7: seven
8: eight
9: nine
10: ten
11: eleven
12: twelve
13: thirteen
14: fourteen
15: fifteen
16: sixteen
17: seventeen
18: eighteen
19: nineteen
20: twenty
30: thirty
40: forty
50: fifty
100: one hundred
1000: one thousand
Regla clave: Para números mayores a 20, se combina la decena con la unidad (ej. twenty-one, thirty-five).
Números ordinales (Ordinal numbers)
Se usan para indicar el orden o la posición, por ejemplo, en fechas, puestos en una carrera o pisos de un edificio. La mayoría se forman añadiendo "-th" al número cardinal.
Número cardinal | Número ordinal | Abreviatura |
1: one | first | 1st |
2: two | second | 2nd |
3: three | third | 3rd |
4: four | fourth | 4th |
5: five | fifth | 5th |
6: six | sixth | 6th |
7: seven | seventh | 7th |
8: eight | eighth | 8th |
9: nine | ninth | 9th |
10: ten | tenth | 10th |
11: eleven | eleventh | 11th |
12: twelve | twelfth | 12th |
13: thirteen | thirteenth | 13th |
14: fourteen | fourteenth | 14th |
15: fifteen | fifteenth | 15th |
16: sixteen | sixteenth | 16th |
17: seventeen | seventeenth | 17th |
18: eighteen | eighteenth | 18th |
19: nineteen | nineteenth | 19th |
20: twenty | twentieth | 20th |
21: twenty-one | twenty-first | 21st |
22: twenty-two | twenty-second | 22nd |
30: thirty | thirtieth | 30th |
40: forty | fortieth | 40th |
50: fifty | fiftieth | 50th |
100: one hundred | hundredth | 100th |
101: one hundred one | hundred (and) first | 101st |
Reglas de los ordinales:
Para números compuestos, solo el último dígito se vuelve ordinal (ej. twenty-first).
Para las decenas que terminan en -y, se cambia la -y por -ieth (ej. thirty → thirtieth).
Las abreviaturas se forman con el número y las dos últimas letras del ordinal (ej. 2nd, 3rd, 4th).
Se dice "fifteen hundred" porque es una forma más corta y común de expresar el número
1500 especialmente en el habla informal y cuando se habla de dinero. Es más rápido de decir que "one thousand five hundred" (mil quinientos) y se basa en la idea de que hay
15 cientos en 1500. Ambas formas, "fifteen hundred" y "one thousand five hundred", son gramaticalmente correctas.
How To Calculate Zulu Time
To calculate Zulu time, you will need two key pieces of information: –
An accurate local time
Your local time zone offset
Both of the above are easy to acquire. The first needs nothing more than a good watch or clock set to the local time.
And the second?
The Federal Aviation Administration has an excellent resource where you can see the local time zone offset.
Here’s a step-by-step guide with a practical example of how to calculate Zulu time:
Check the local time on your watch
Using the above tool, search for your chosen airport.
Locate the section (normally in the first line) that says UTC ***. The letters “UTC” will be followed by a plus or minus symbol and a number.
Add or subtract the number given in the opposite sense to or from the local time. So if the number has a ‘+’ before it, you need to subtract this from the local time to work out Zulu time. Conversely, if the number has a ‘-‘ symbol before it, you will need to add this number to the local time to work out Zulu time.
Want to see how it works in real life?
Here’s a practical example, following the above steps.
Let’s say we are sitting in our flight school in Phoenix, Arizona, at 13:00 local time and want to work out Zulu time. It goes something like this…
It is 13:00 local time, so an hour afternoon.
We search for Airports in Phoenix using the above-linked tool.
In the top line of each airport, we note that the correction given is UTC -7. This means that airports in Phoenix are 7 hours behind Zulu time. Therefore, to work out Zulu time, we add 7 hours to our local time.
13:00, plus 7 hours is 20:00. So, Zulu time is 20:00.
And here’s the good bit…
Once you know Zulu time in one location, you know Zulu time in every location worldwide. If you want to set a watch to Zulu time, you can be sure that aviators will all be referencing this same time regardless of where you are on the globe! You could tell someone on the opposite side of the world what time you expect to arrive in Zulu time, and you’ll both be talking about the same time!
Why is it Called “Zulu Time”?
If you think the name ‘Zulu’ time sounds slightly odd, you aren’t alone, but there is a good reason.
If you take a look at the table above again, you’ll note that at the Greenwich Meridian, the time difference between Zulu and local time is zero. If you look at a globe or map, you’ll also see that Greenwich sits at 0° degrees longitude (or, to put it another way, zero).
Notice anything about the above?
Zero.
Are There Other Names for Zulu Time?
While pilots often refer to “Zulu” time, you will often see a few different naming conventions.
The good news is that while the names are different, they all describe exactly the same thing. You’ll sometimes hear Zulu time, also referred to as: –
UTC
This stands for “Coordinated Universal Time”. It is exactly the same thing as “Zulu” time.
But wait, shouldn’t it be called “C-U-T” in that case? Well, technically, yes. However, the French insisted on calling ‘it temps Universel coordonne’. UTC was decided on as a compromise to keep both French and English speakers happy.
GMT
This stands for Greenwich Mean Time. Once again, it is exactly the same as “Zulu time”. You’ll find GMT and UTC used interchangeably. It is merely an abbreviation indicating the time at the zero longitudinal meridians… Or to make life simple Greenwich.
Where Might I See Zulu Time Used in Aviation?
There are plenty of places where Zulu time can be used as a useful tool in aviation. Some are actually really important.
Practical examples of effective uses of Zulu time are as follows: –
Navigation
Pilots use Zulu time in navigation all the time.
If you are flying in a different time zone and want to tell air traffic control that you will be overhead a certain location at a certain point, you must be both using the same clock.
Zulu time allows pilots to accurately state when they are above a fix without confusion.
Weather Reporting
Let’s say you look at an airport forecast, and it states there will be bad weather at 14:00Z. By getting the time in Zulu, you can be 100% certain of whether you’ll be able to land or not.
Even if the difference between local time and UTC is only an hour, this might make a significant difference to flight safety.
Final Thoughts…
Zulu time is a universal time used to prevent confusion caused by everyone referencing local time. By creating a worldwide ‘standard’ time, aviators can all be sure they are talking at the same time. Zulu time is easy to work out. Simply apply a correction to the local time, and you are good to go.
Aviation uses a mix of metric and imperial units, with knots (nautical miles per hour) for speed, feet for altitude, and nautical miles for long distances. Other common units include pounds or kilograms for weight, inches of mercury or hectopascals for pressure, and Celsius for temperature. The international standardization around these units was established early in aviation's history, making a complete switch to metric impractical.
Distance and altitude
Altitude: Feet
Long-distance: Nautical miles (NM)
Short distance (like runways): Meters or feet
Vertical speed: Feet per minute
Speed
Airspeed and ground speed: Knots (kt)
High-speed: Mach number
Weight and mass
Aircraft weight: Pounds (lbs) or kilograms (kg)
Cargo capacity: Kilograms (kg)
Fuel quantity: Kilograms (kg) or gallons
Pressure
Altimeter setting: Inches of mercury (inHg) in the US, Canada, and Japan, and hectopascals (hPa) elsewhere
Temperature
Temperature: Celsius (°C)
Other units
Time: Hours and minutes (using Coordinated Universal Time or UTC)
Wind direction: Degrees, either magnetic or true depending on the situation
Módulo 2
Operaciones en el aeropuerto
Vocabulario del aeropuerto: Términos relacionados con la infraestructura aeroportuaria (runway, taxiway, hangar, apron, control tower).
Procedimientos en tierra: Comunicación para el rodaje (taxiing), remolque (pushback) y estacionamiento.
Clima y previsiones (weather services):
Reportes meteorológicos (METAR, TAF).
Pronósticos y vocabulario para describir fenómenos meteorológicos (fog, cloud cover, visibility, turbulence).
Servicios de información de aeropuerto: Entender el Servicio de Información Automática de Terminal (ATIS).
(Fuente FAA)
Vocabulario del aeropuerto: Términos relacionados con la infraestructura aeroportuaria (runway, taxiway, hangar, apron, control tower)
An airport is a place where aircraft regularly land and take off, and which has buildings and facilities for passengers, cargo, and aircraft maintenance.
Key components and facilities typically include:
Runways and taxiways: Paved areas where aircraft take off, land, and move between the runway and parking areas.
Terminal buildings: Structures where passengers check in, go through security, wait for flights (in lounges), board planes, and collect their baggage upon arrival.
Control towers: Facilities from which air traffic controllers manage the movement of aircraft in the air and on the ground to ensure safety and efficiency.
Hangars: Buildings used for sheltering, supplying, and repairing aircraft.
Other services: Refueling stations, emergency services, customs and immigration facilities (at international airports), car parking, and various shops and restaurants for travelers.
Aprons: The areas where aircraft are parked for loading and unloading passengers and cargo.
Air traffic control (ATC) facilities: Buildings and systems that manage and direct aircraft movement on the ground and in the air.
Support facilities: This includes cargo and postal terminals, maintenance workshops, refueling stations, and emergency services.
Airports serve as crucial connection points between cities, countries, and continents, facilitating the movement of people and goods.
Airport infrastructure includes components like runways, terminals, and air traffic control towers, organized into two main areas:
Airport áreas
Landside: This is the area accessible to the general public and includes roads, parking lots, and public transport links. Passengers access the airside through the terminal buildings, which house check-in counters, security checkpoints, and baggage claim.
Airside: This is the secure area that aircraft use. It includes the runways, taxiways, aprons (where aircraft park), and hangars for maintenance and storage.
An "Airport Facilities Directory" can refer to a pilot's manual, now known as a Chart Supplement, or a database for passenger amenities, depending on the user's needs.
For pilots and aviation professionals
Chart Supplement (formerly Airport/Facility Directory, or A/FD): This is a manual for the United States that includes comprehensive data for airports, seaplane bases, and heliports that are open to the public. It contains operational data such as:
Hours of operation
Fuel types available
Runway details (length, width, lighting)
Communication frequencies
Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) and weather information
Official Sources: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provides access to these documents online. For example, the FAA's Aeronautical Information Services (AIS) manages the production of aeronautical publications, including Chart Supplements.
Non Official Surces: www.skyvector.com and www.airnav.com
Airports can be categorized by their function, such as commercial, general aviation, cargo, or military. Other classification systems include their role in the airport system (like international, national or regional), whether they have an air traffic control tower (towered vs. non-towered), and their capacity for passengers or cargo.
By primary function
Commercial Airports: Handle scheduled passenger and cargo flights. They can be further classified as primary or non-primary based on passenger volume, and as large, medium, small, or non-hub based on their percentage of national passenger boardings.
General Aviation Airports: Support non-commercial activities like private, recreational, and business flying.
Cargo Airports: Specialize in handling freight and goods, with a high volume of cargo operations.
Military Airports: Used exclusively by the military for defense purposes.
Mixed-Use: Airports that serve both commercial and military functions.
By role and size
National Airports: Provide communities with access to national and international markets.
Regional Airports: Connect communities to regional and national markets, often located in metropolitan areas.
Local Airports: Supplement local communities with access to markets within a state or region.
Basic Airports: Link communities to the national system and support general aviation.
Other classifications
International vs. Domestic:
International: Have customs and immigration facilities to handle flights between countries.
Domestic: Only handle flights within the same country and do not have customs facilities.
Reliever Airports: Built to reduce traffic and congestion at larger commercial airports.
Airport with Air Traffic Control (Towered): Airports with an air traffic control tower.
Airport without Air Traffic Control (Non-towered): Airports that do not have an air traffic control tower.
Spaceports: Facilities specifically designed for launching or receiving spacecraft.
Procedimientos en tierra: Comunicación para el rodaje (taxiing), remolque (pushback) y estacionamiento.
The four Ws of aviation communications are the structure for a clear and concise radio call: Who you are calling, Who you are, Where you are, and What you want. Following this protocol helps minimize radio congestion and ensures that Air Traffic Control (ATC) receives all the necessary information for effective communication and safety.
The Four Ws explained
Who you're calling: State the name of the facility or controller you are calling, such as "New York Approach" or "Clearance Delivery".
Who you are: Provide your full aircraft call sign, for example, "Cessna 7560 Romeo 8".
Where you are: State your current location. This can be your position on the ground (e.g., "holding short of Runway 22 on Alpha") or in the air (e.g., "five miles north of the airport").
What you want: Clearly state your request, such as "request taxi for departure" or "requesting flight following".
Example of a radio call
Who you're calling: "Concord Ground"
Who you are: "Diamond 526 Delta"
Where you are: "from the north end ramp"
What you want: "requesting taxi for northeast departure"
Additional information: Include any other required information, like the ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service) code you have received, for example, "with Bravo".
Key takeaways
Clarity is key: This structured approach is designed to reduce confusion and enhance safety.
Be concise: Sticking to the four Ws keeps your transmissions brief, which is important for reducing radio frequency congestion.
Follow standard phraseology: Avoid jargon or slang. The Pilot/Controller Glossary, used by both pilots and controllers, provides the correct terminology
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