Aviation maintenance

Initialism of Commercial Crew Development.

CCM

Initialism of Cabin Crew Member (“cabin crew, flight attendant”).

That point on an aircraft where all the various lifting forces act. If the centre or lift is not coincident with the centre of gravity on the fore/aft axis, the plane will pitch, if not coincident on the lateral axis, it will roll.

CEO

Acronym of current engine option.

ChemCam

Abbreviation of Chemistry and Camera, an instrument onboard the Curiosity rover.

chemical rocket

a rocket that uses a chemical reaction of its propellants to generate its gaseous exhaust

CheMin

Abbreviation of Chemistry and Mineralogy, an instrument onboard the Curiosity rover at Mars.

cherubs

nounAviation maintenanceslang

A multiservice tactical brevity code for communicating the altitude of friendly aircraft.

chin

The lower part of the front of an aircraft, below the nose.

CIBER

Initialism of Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment.

CL

Initialism of lift coefficient.

clean

adjectiveAviation maintenance

Allowing an uninterrupted flow over surfaces, without protrusions such as racks or landing gear.

cloche

An apparatus used in controlling certain aeroplanes, consisting principally of a steering column mounted with a universal joint at the base, which is bell-shaped and has attached to it the cables for controlling the wing-warping devices, elevator planes, etc.

CM

Initialism of command module.

cockade

An emblem of concentric circles of different colours, identifying the country to which an aircraft belongs.

codeshare

An agreement whereby an airline buys space on another airline and markets the extra space as its own. Often used to increase a route network without the costs of running a full service.

COL

Initialism of centre of lift

combined cycle

adjectiveAviation maintenance

using multiple propulsion techniques in an interlinked synergistic way to give improved performance

commercial

adjectiveAviation maintenance

Designating an airport that serves passenger and/or cargo flights.

company

nounAviation maintenanceinformal

A specific aircraft or its airline, usually used in air traffic communications to refer conveniently to another aircraft operated by the same airline.

compound balloon

A variation of the hot-air balloon that is lifted by two separate balloons of different types, usually suspended one over the other.

constellation

A fleet of satellites used for the same purpose.

control surface

A moveable surface attached to a machine such as an aircraft or submarine that can be used to control the machine's motion in roll, pitch or yaw.

COTS

Acronym of Commercial Orbital Transportation Services, a program for delivery to the International Space Station by private companies.

countdown

A count backward in fixed units to the time of some event, especially the launch of a space vehicle.

crab

To navigate (an aircraft, e.g. a glider) sideways against an air current in order to maintain a straight-line course.

cricket

nounAviation maintenanceslang

An aural warning sound consisting of a continuously-repeating chime, designed to be difficult for pilots to ignore.

CRM

Initialism of cockpit resource management.

CSM

Initialism of command and service module.

cycle

One take-off and landing of an aircraft, referring to a pressurisation cycle which places stresses on the fuselage.

cycler

A, usually man-made, object that follows such an orbit.

cyclic

The flight control used to control a helicopter's direction and rate of horizontal movement by tilting the lift vector of the helicopter's main rotor disk.

Dakota

Out of air-to-ground ordinance.

deadstick landing

nounAviation maintenanceidiomatic

A forced landing without propulsion of an aircraft that normally operates with propulsion.

decay

Loss of airspeed due to drag.

delta hinge

On rotorcraft, a hinge with its axis parallel to the rotor plane of rotation, which permits the rotor blades to flap.

delta wing

An aircraft wing having a swept-back shape in the form of an isosceles triangle; used mostly on supersonic aircraft

delta-v

The maximum possible change in the scalar speed of a rocket or other vehicle if operated in a vacuum away from external forces.

demate

To move (a space shuttle orbiter) off the back of an aircraft that can carry it.

demisability

The state of being demisable.

demisable

adjectiveAviation maintenance

(of a spacecraft or component) Capable of burning up completely during atmospheric re-entry such that no hazardous debris survives to impact the surface.

deorbit burn

A firing of the engines of a spacecraft to enable it to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere.

depart

To lose control of an aircraft; to "depart" (sense 5) from controlled flight (with the aircraft as the direct object)

depth

the perpendicular distance from the chord to the farthest point of an arched surface

DET

Abbreviation of digital event timer.

DIA

Initialism of Denver International Airport.

dihedral

adjectiveAviation maintenance

Of wing pairs, inclined at an upward angle to each other.

dip

A sudden drop followed by a climb, usually to avoid obstacles or as the result of getting into an airhole.

direct

adjectiveAviation maintenance

Having a single flight number.

dirigible

A self-propelled airship that can be steered.

dirty

adjectiveAviation maintenance

Having the undercarriage or flaps in the down position.

disk