Okuzeka
Aviation vocabulary · Maintenance

Hydraulics

Meaning in aviation, with examples

/haɪˈdrɔːlɪks/nounCommon term

In aviation, hydraulics means: The systems that use fluid under high pressure to move heavy parts such as the flight controls, landing gear, flaps and brakes.

In Turkish: hidrolik sistem, hidrolik

How it is used

Airliners have two or three independent hydraulic systems, so the aircraft stays controllable if one fails. Pilots talk about losing a hydraulic system and low hydraulic pressure; engineers check fluid levels and look for leaks.

Example sentences

  1. After the hydraulic failure, our landing distance was much longer.

  2. The engineers found a hydraulic leak behind the main gear.

Common collocations

  • hydraulic system
  • hydraulic pressure
  • hydraulic leak
  • hydraulic fluid
  • loss of hydraulics
  • landing gearThe wheels, legs and brakes that support an aircraft on the ground. On most aircraft the gear folds up into the body or the wings after takeoff.
  • flapsMovable panels on the rear edge of the wings that extend to give more lift at low speed. They are used mainly for takeoff and landing.
  • elevatorThe movable surface on the horizontal part of the tail that makes the nose go up or down. The pilot moves it by pulling or pushing the control column or sidestick.
  • defectA fault in a part or system of an aircraft that must be recorded and then either repaired or formally deferred before the next flight.

More terms: Maintenance

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: