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Aviation vocabulary · Crew & Flight Planning

Captain

Meaning in aviation, with examples

/ˈkæptən/nounCore term

In aviation, captain means: The pilot in command of a flight, who has final responsibility for the aircraft, its crew and its passengers. Captains usually sit in the left seat.

In Turkish: kaptan pilot, kaptan

How it is used

Used as a rank and as a form of address: 'Captain Demir'. In announcements: 'This is your captain speaking.' Official documents also use 'pilot in command' (PIC) or 'commander'. Captains typically wear four stripes.

Example sentences

  1. The captain decided to wait for the storm to pass before starting the engines.

  2. Please inform the captain that all passengers are on board.

Common collocations

  • pilot in command
  • captain's decision
  • inform the captain
  • training captain
  • upgrade to captain
  • first officerThe second pilot in an airline crew, who shares the flying and the duties with the captain and usually sits in the right seat.
  • cockpitThe area at the front of an aircraft where the pilots sit and operate the controls, instruments and radios.
  • briefingA short meeting or explanation before a task, in which the crew shares information about the flight, the route, the weather, roles and possible risks.
  • CRMCrew resource management: training and practices that help crews communicate, share tasks, make decisions together and catch each other's mistakes.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Crew & Flight Planning

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