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Aviation vocabulary · Aircraft & Systems

APU

Meaning in aviation, with examples

abbreviationCommon term

In aviation, APU means: Auxiliary power unit: a small engine, usually in the tail, that provides electrical power and air for air conditioning and engine start when the main engines are not running.

In Turkish: yardımcı güç ünitesi, APU

How it is used

Said as letters: A-P-U. Pilots start and shut down the APU and use 'APU bleed' for air. Some airports restrict APU use on stands, so ground power and pre-conditioned air are used instead.

Example sentences

  1. The APU is inoperative, so we need a ground power unit and an air start unit.

  2. We started the APU ten minutes before pushback to cool the cabin.

Common collocations

  • start the APU
  • APU bleed
  • APU shutdown
  • APU inoperative
  • APU fire
  • engineThe machine that produces the power or thrust to move an aircraft. Most airliners use jet engines called turbofans, mounted under the wings or at the tail.
  • pushbackThe procedure in which a tug pushes an aircraft backwards out of its parking stand, because airliners do not normally reverse under their own power.
  • MELMinimum equipment list: an approved document that shows which equipment may be inoperative for a flight to depart, under what conditions and for how long.
  • standA marked parking position on the apron where an aircraft is parked for boarding, loading, refuelling and other ground services.

More terms: Aircraft & Systems

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