Aviation glossary

The public company that manages Spain's main airports, including Madrid-Barajas.

An established air route between navigation aids or waypoints, like a highway in the sky.

An airport listed in the flight plan to land at if the destination becomes unavailable.

The flashing red fuselage light indicating engines are running or about to start.

The airport area where aircraft park for boarding, refuelling and ground handling.

Air Traffic Control: the service that sequences and separates traffic to keep flying safe.

A flight's radio identifier, such as "Iberia 6250". It doesn't always match the commercial flight number.

"Ceiling And Visibility OK": visibility of 10 km or more, no significant clouds or weather.

The name a conspiracy theory gives to condensation trails, which are actually just ice. See "Contrail".

An artificial cloud of ice crystals forming behind the engines in cold, humid air at high altitude.

Wind blowing across the runway that forces crabbed landings: a favourite spectacle among spotters.

Movable surfaces on the wing's trailing edge providing extra lift at low speed for takeoff and landing.

An aborted landing: the aircraft applies power, climbs away and tries again. A routine, safe manoeuvre.

The warm light shortly after sunrise or before sunset: a spotter's favourite time to shoot.

Radio suffix for aircraft above 136 tonnes, like the B777 or A350, warning of their strong wake turbulence.

An oval circuit where ATC keeps an aircraft waiting until it can continue the approach.

Instrument Landing System: radio guidance aligning the aircraft with the runway even without visibility.

The telescopic bridge connecting the terminal to the aircraft door.

An aircraft's paint scheme. Special ones (retro, alliance, promotional) are trophies for spotters.

A routine aerodrome weather report: wind, visibility, clouds, temperature and pressure in coded format.

The manoeuvre where a tug pushes the aircraft back from its parking stand.

Sea-level-adjusted atmospheric pressure set on the altimeter so it reads correct altitudes.

Each aircraft's unique registration (EC-XXX in Spain). Collecting them is the essence of spotting.

The moment during takeoff when the pilot pulls back and the nose lifts off the runway.

At Barajas, with southerly wind arrivals use the 18 runways while departures use 14L and 14R.

At Barajas, with northerly wind arrivals use runways 32 left and right while departures use 36L and 36R.

The last stretch of the approach, aligned with the runway and moments from touchdown.

The time window assigned to a flight for takeoff or landing. Missing it can mean long delays.

An enthusiast who watches, photographs and logs aircraft. If you're reading this, you probably are one.

The four-digit transponder code identifying an aircraft on radar. 7700 signals a general emergency.

The aircraft's ground movement between apron and runway along the taxiways.

The onboard collision-avoidance system that alerts pilots and commands manoeuvres if two aircraft get too close.

A training practice where the aircraft touches down and takes off again without stopping.

The aircraft's actual path over the ground, which can differ from heading because of wind.

Key takeoff speeds: decision (no longer abort), rotation (raise the nose) and safe climb.

Swirling air left behind an aircraft, especially heavy ones. It forces separation between takeoffs and landings.

The vertical fin at the wingtip that cuts drag and saves fuel. The one WNGLTS ("winglets") is named after.