Okuzeka
Aviation vocabulary · Navigation & Instruments

Knot

Meaning in aviation, with examples

/nɑːt/nounCore term

In aviation, knot means: The unit of speed used in aviation and at sea: one nautical mile per hour, which is about 1.85 kilometres per hour.

In Turkish: knot, deniz mili/saat

How it is used

Used for airspeed, ground speed and wind: 'wind 270 degrees 15 knots'. Written kt or kts. A nautical mile (NM) is 1,852 metres and is used for distances on charts.

Example sentences

  1. The wind is gusting up to 35 knots, which is above our crosswind limit.

  2. Fastair 345, reduce speed to 180 knots.

Common collocations

  • 15 knots
  • gusting 30 knots
  • knots indicated
  • knots of headwind
  • airspeedThe speed of an aircraft relative to the air around it, which is what keeps it flying. Whenever there is wind, it is different from the ground speed.
  • crosswindA wind that blows across the runway from the side instead of along it, which makes takeoff and landing more difficult.
  • headwindA wind that blows against the direction an aircraft is moving. It lowers the ground speed but helps the aircraft take off and land in a shorter distance.
  • METARA routine weather report for an airport, issued every 30 or 60 minutes in a short code: wind, visibility, weather, cloud, temperature and pressure.

This word in other fields

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

More terms: Navigation & Instruments

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