Avion, coucou, trapanelle, zinc, zingo, tagazou, aéroplane, aéronef, machine volante, and aérodyne (a bit oldish however).
These are all french words I can think of to talk about airplanes. As a non-native english speaker, my english vocabulary is much more restricter. Passed plane, airplane and aircraft, I can’t think of other synonyms. Ok, there’s airship, even if it does not applies to fixed wings aerodyne.
So today’s challenge is simple: say what is your favorite word when talking about airplane. Whatever the language, I’m interested – even in French, I still have to learn. I heard of “avionette”, and like it, but I’m not sure if it’s Italian or Spanish.
I’m really curious to see what will get out of your comments, and I expect some funny, exotic, refreshing, juicy words, but please remain polite, this blog is open to all audiences. Here you go…
Vincent Lambercy is a Swiss private pilot now living in Germany. He holds a private pilot certificate with single-engine, multi-engine and instrument ratings and has logged more than 430 hours of flight.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
An easy one : bird.
By the way, I suggest you take a look at this site : http://www.tailhook.org/AVSLANG.htm and you’ll know what Boola-boola means
Thanks a lot Tartofraiz… I never used Boola-boola for the time being. Did you ?
No, I’ve never met a drone in the air. But I understand there could be more and more of them in the near future and they don’t seem to have mode S XPDR… Which makes me wonder : will they be visible on a TCAS or TIS ? I guess not : http://news.cnet.com/2100-11746_3-6055658.html
Tartofraiz,
As far as I know, most drones are transponder equipped, or have to fly with a transponder equipped plane by their side, at least in civilian airspace. Military airspace, or war operations are obviously something else.
Avioneta is definitely used here in Spain to describe small planes but it sounds Italian to me so I suspect it’s a borrowed word.