The words aviation runs on
Radio calls, codes and slang from the tower and the cockpit, in plain English. Every definition comes from the rule books pilots and controllers use.
BOGEYWhat does “bogey” mean?An aircraft whose identity is unknown. The word behind the name.Read it →SQUAWKWhat does “squawk” mean? Squawk codes explainedSet the transponder to a four-digit code, so radar and ADS-B show who the aircraft is.Read it →HEAVYWhy do pilots say “heavy”? (and “super”)A callsign suffix for big jets (300,000 lb or more at takeoff), so others allow for their wake.Read it →MAYDAYMayday vs pan-pan: what's the difference?Mayday: distress, immediate help needed. Pan-pan: urgent, but not immediate.Read it →ALFA BRAVOThe phonetic alphabet: Alfa, Bravo, Charlie...Code words for letters (Alfa, Bravo, Charlie...) so they can't be misheard on the radio.Read it →ZULUWhat is Zulu time?UTC, the single clock aviation runs on. Z is its letter; Zulu is how Z is said.Read it →ROGERWhat do “roger” and “wilco” mean?Roger: received. Wilco: received and will comply.Read it →SITREPWhat does SITREP mean?A situation report: what's happening in an area right now.Read it →TALLY-HOWhat does “tally-ho” mean?The call for spotting the target: “I see it.” Today, just TALLY.Read it →BINGOWhat does “bingo fuel” mean?The fuel needed to get home. Reach it and you head back.Read it →ANGELSWhat does “angels” mean in aviation?Height in thousands of feet: “angels twenty” is 20,000 feet.Read it →BUSTERWhat does “buster” mean in aviation?Fly at maximum continuous speed.Read it →BREVITYFighter pilot slang: the radio words, explainedBrevity codes: one radio word that does the work of a sentence.Read it →
Bogey · free on iPhone and Android
Hear it, then see it
Bogey shows every aircraft around you, live. Tap one and the card tells you what it is, who flies it and where it's going.
- A live map of every aircraft around you, at its real position.
- Tap one and it flips into a trading card: type, airline, route, photo.
- Catch rare ones. Build a collection. Climb the leaderboard.