Is a plane a plane or vice versa? The importance of proper terminology

the word game

A great deal of air traffic management-related material passes through our hands, usually for review to ensure quality of content and consistency of terminology. There is a disturbing trend that becomes more and more evident with the passage of time. The documents show a level of deterioration in quality with respect to the use of terminology.

Why is this a problem? Unless they have been sensitized to the subject, the authors of these documents may not be particularly bothered by the fact that they use the terms aircraft, airplane or aeroplane interchangeably in their text, they may even feel that the varied use of words reflects better writing. style. But in technical documents, the terms used must all have their precise definition and it is not enough to find a given word in a Webster’s Dictionary.

Let’s take a look at these three words, plane, plane, and plane. They are all English words and they all mean something that flies. Very sure. But there are plenty of things that “fly,” from hot air balloons to helicopters and, depending on how you define “flying,” even hovercrafts. So how do we know what exactly a given text refers to if it is not clear from the context?

If you see a piece of text that says “a flashing white light will be displayed on all aircraft” and then another that says “a flashing white light will be displayed on all aircraft” and you own a helicopter, a glider and a balloon aerostatic, which one would you need to equip according to the first requirement? And the second?

Although I assume you know the answer without the explanation that follows, it is still interesting to see these terms in more detail.

First of all, we have to say goodbye to the term “airplane”, at least in the international context. Only airplanes and airplanes have been defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

An aircraft is any machine that can gain support in the atmosphere from the reaction of the air other than the reactions of the air against the earth’s surface.

An airplane is a mechanically propelled, heavier-than-air aircraft whose lift in flight is derived primarily from aerodynamic reactions on surfaces that remain stationary under given flight conditions.

So what do these definitions tell us? A hovercraft is not an airplane (reactions of the air against the earth’s surface) and a glider is not an airplane (power driven) but it is an airplane. A balloon is a plane but it is not a plane… and so on.

As you can see, expressing requirements, adequacy of infrastructure and desired services requires proper use of terminology, otherwise things quickly become ambiguous, leading to misunderstandings and endless discussions.

We use the terms airplane and plane (the subject of the most common mistakes) as examples, but there are many other terms that, if used incorrectly or inconsistently, can lead to serious comprehension problems.

Some simple rules can help

The proper use of terminology is not rocket science. It takes a good knowledge of the subject and a little discipline. Here are some simple rules that can help.

• If there is an ICAO defined term for something, use it. ICAO has developed definitions for the terms it uses in regulations followed by aviation around the world. The use of ICAO defined terms provides immediate benefits in terms of consistency with ICAO documents and documents derived from them. Those definitions are also consistent with each other.
• If there is not an ICAO definition but a definition from another large organization, use that. In some ICAO cases, developments may be behind schedule and they may not have a definition (yet) for a term or the term may not be used in ICAO provisions. However, some other organization may have developed a definition that is widely accepted or even standardized. In such cases, this recognized definition should be used and the source clearly identified. There may be several definitions from different sources… use the one that seems most appropriate but use it everywhere consistently.
• Create your own definition. In some cases, you may find that a term that no one has given a definition for yet needs to be understood in a particular way and that way only. Create your own definition and use it consistently across all your documents. It’s also a good idea to try to promote your new definition. If you needed it, others might as well. The wider it is used, the better the overall consistency.
• When a term has multiple meanings. A great example of this is airside and landside, two terms that divide an airport into two, one that could be called a public area and the other restricted only to passengers and employees. The problem is that there are at least two schools of thought about where the dividing line is between the airside and the groundside. Although the dividing line is always artificial and arbitrary, its actual position makes a difference to the processes that run along the divide. In such cases, feel free to adopt the position of the dividing line that is best for you, however, always clearly indicate where the border between the airside and the landside is (or whatever else the given term requires). A clear indication mitigates the negative effects of this type of multiple use.
• Be consistent. Perhaps the most important rule is to be consistent. There is only one thing worse than using undefined terms or terms with the wrong definition: using terms inconsistently in a document. Inconsistent use of technical terms is the surest way to confuse the reader.

What about the abbreviations?

Few disciplines in the world are as prolific in the creation of abbreviations as aviation. When we speak, the uninitiated may think we’re using some kind of secret code language… Worse yet, we tend to assume that each of us knows all the abbreviations for every part of the business when in fact it’s CUTE (Terminal Equipment common user) may mean nothing to an air traffic controller, while ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service) may sound like a four-letter word to a check-in agent. For senior managers, who may have come from the financial world, neither CUTE nor ATIS can tell much except if there is a price against it… So what to do with abbreviations?

Again, the main rules are: use accepted abbreviations whenever possible and be consistent throughout. Include a list of abbreviations in all technical documents and consider writing the full words (followed by the abbreviation) when they are first used in the text.

Avoid creating new abbreviations. Of course, this isn’t always possible, at the very least, there are new work groups, new processes, new teams, and everyone yearns for their own easy-to-remember names. So go ahead and come up with new abbreviations, but try to avoid reusing abbreviations that already have a well-established meaning. You can feel that your field is stronger and will eventually push the other guy out, but believe me, not paying attention to this will only confuse everyone.

What if you are writing in your national language?

Whether you are writing in English or your national language, the guidelines are the same. However, they may not be as easily implemented if the terminology has not yet been introduced in your language to the same level of detail as in English. There may be opportunities to be a pioneer in enriching the local language with the new terms required… In some cases, trying to force consistency and new terms in the professional writing scene may not be easy or appreciated by your peers . Use good arguments and examples similar to those above to convince them of the importance of proper use of terminology.

Responsibility for SESAR, NextGen and SWIM

Experts in Europe and the United States are busy writing the blueprints for the next-generation SESAR and NextGen air traffic management systems, respectively. Those systems will introduce new concepts, new technologies and new processes, each with their specific terms and abbreviations.

System Wide Information Management (SWIM) is something that draws heavily on ideas first put forward in the field of general information technology, and SWIM applies those things in an aviation context.

All of the above activities will generate tons of new documents that need to be consistent across the board, both in terms of the old definitions and abbreviations and the new ones that will be introduced. Their responsibility is enormous if we take into account that the SESAR and NextGen documents will determine for decades to come what is called what and what we understand why.

Get it wrong or inconsistent and future generations will struggle with inconsistent and divergent terminology for a long time.

The new documents we see today are cause for concern and show signs of people ignoring the simplest rules of terminology usage. You have to remember that, at the end of the day, we will all need to know without a doubt if we need to put that flashing white light on the particular flying machine that we own. Only a consistent and appropriate terminology can help to decide…