More Pilot Speak

“I was changing lanes to get to the right most lane since I needed to do a right turn, and keeping an eye on the two aircraft coming on the right lane, they were at ….”

What! I thought flabbergasted. Did I really say that? I smiled mischievously as I corrected myself and went on with my narrative.

“… and when are you going to tow it to the hanger? I thought you said 1-2 days?” I queried another time.

“… when she was at the other flight…” Oops. Not again, I thought.

Here we go again I thought, amused at the easy slip of the tongue, when it felt totally normal to mix terminology used with one mode of transportation with another mode. The rate of such occurrences can be more frequent especially when one is engaged, preoccupied, or engrossed daily on the topic.

Recently perusing through a car owner’s manual looking for information on controls to open the baggage compartment (oops did it again), I was amused to learn that the terminology shift was not one sided. Cockpit?

As technology and modes of transportation continue to evolve, the day is not far when ground and aerial transportation converge into one. Today there is a distinction between whether it is surface transportation vehicle i.e., a car, or an air transportation vehicle, i.e., an airplane. As technology and automation advanced over the last few decades and continue to evolve, increasing automation in both surface and air transportation has drastically enhanced the capabilities in both modes of transportation. Self-driving cars continue to grow and replace manual transmission vehicles just as drones have started to invade the skies. In the not too distant future, it will become fairly common for someone to drive out of their hanger, accelerate to take-off speed, lift-off, cruise at altitude to desired destination, descend, land and taxi-in, park, and head in for a another day at the office. 

That future of the flying car is coming and will bring forth a host of blended terminology and these unexpected slips of the tongue will no longer be atypical, but the norm.