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Aviation vocabulary · Flight Phases

Descent

Meaning in aviation, with examples

/dɪˈsent/nounCore term

In aviation, descent means: The phase of flight in which an aircraft leaves its cruising level and goes down towards the destination before the approach begins.

In Turkish: alçalma, alçalış

How it is used

Pilots plan the 'top of descent', the point where it starts, and call ATC with 'request descent'. The verb is 'descend': 'descend to flight level 120'. Passengers hear 'we have started our descent' in the announcement before landing.

Example sentences

  1. Ladies and gentlemen, we have started our descent into Antalya.

  2. Ankara Control, Fastair 345, request descent.

Common collocations

  • start the descent
  • top of descent
  • request descent
  • rate of descent
  • emergency descent
  • climbTo gain height. In aviation the word also names the phase of flight between takeoff and cruise, when the aircraft goes up to its cruising level.
  • approachThe phase of flight after the descent in which an aircraft is guided towards the runway it will land on, usually following a published procedure.
  • cruiseThe longest and usually level part of a flight, flown at a steady altitude and speed between the climb and the descent.
  • altitudeThe vertical distance of an aircraft above mean sea level, usually given in feet. Height, by contrast, is measured from the ground or the airport.

More terms: Flight Phases

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