Aviation English by Revise Before Flight

Flight Log of Lost Words: Five Haunted Stories from Aviation HistorySome words carry more than meaning. They carry echoes of old fears, forgotten stories, and the strange history of flight. In this Halloween edition of Flight Log of Lost Words, we uncover five curious entries from aviation's darker past: ✈️ GREMLINS IN THE WORKS — the imaginary creatures blamed for unexplained mechanical faults....

Episode 24: Mid-Flight Compound Nouns: Three Everyday Expressions What happens when a phrasal verb becomes a noun? Discover the pattern behind three familiar Aviation English expressions: level-off, handoff, and readback. Explore how these compound nouns work in operational communication and sharpen your language beyond the checklist. 🎧 Listen, refine your language, and keep learning beyond the c...

High or tall? ✈️ In Episode 23 of The Skybound Dictionary, we explore the difference between these two deceptively simple words: 🔹 TALL → physical height 🔹 HIGH → position, elevation, level or degree From tall towers to high altitude, discover how to choose the right word for precise aviation English. The right word. The right meaning. 🎧 Listen now — and keep your aviation English sharp.

In this episode of aviation English by Revise Before Flight, I look at the language used to describe the recent Amazon Prime Air runway excursion at Miami International Airport. What is the difference between overran and excursion? Why does the NTSB use struck rather than hit? And what exactly are navigational aids and equipment? Using the NTSB’s own wording, I explore three vocabulary choices tha...

🎙️ ICAO Booster #1 — How To Describe Turbulence Precisely Turbulence can be routine — or it can become a genuine operational concern. In this first episode of the ICAO Booster series, I break down exactly how to describe turbulence with precision: from grammar (why turbulence is uncountable) to intensity (light, moderate, severe, extreme) to the difference between occasional and intermittent. Usin...

🎙️ Minimum Fuel vs Fuel Emergency — Aviation English Beyond the Checklist (AVA052) When should a pilot report "Minimum Fuel" and when is it time to declare "Mayday, fuel"? In this episode, we explore the crucial difference between these two ICAO expressions, why they are not interchangeable, and how precise communication can make all the difference in flight operations. Using Avianca Flight 052 as...

Structural Icing, Ice Crystal Icing & Pitot Icing: What's the Difference? In this episode of Aviation English by Revise Before Flight, I explore the difference between structural icing, ice crystal icing, and pitot icing. Using clear explanations and a real-world case study involving Air Algérie Flight AH5017, I’ll examine how each type of icing occurs, why it creates unique risks, and how pil...

🎙️ Episode 18 | Thunderstorm Season – CBs, Hail & Microburst Threat | ICAO Aviation English Case Study Summer brings more than blue skies—it also brings some of the most dangerous weather phenomena pilots can encounter. In this episode of the Revise Before Flight Podcast, I explore three major convective weather hazards every aviation professional should be able to describe confidently in ICAO...

When a Lufthansa Boeing 787 abruptly drops to the tarmac at the gate, media headlines immediately scream "Landing Gear Collapse." But as aviation professionals, we have to ask: is that what actually happened? Or did the gear retract? In Episode 17 of Revise Before Flight Podcast, we break down a sudden ground incident involving flight LH-450 at Frankfurt Airport to explore one of the most critical...

In this episode, I explore the subtle but operationally critical distinction between a fault and a failure, inspired by a real-world Airbus A350 arrival in Shanghai (MU5406/CES5406) involving cascading system alerts and a subsequent loss of braking. You’ll learn: ✈️ how aviation English distinguishes between manageable system degradation and a total loss of function ✈️ why accurate terminology dic...

When we look at the sky, we see the giants at the gate—the Boeings and the Airbuses. But the foundation they stand on is built by something else entirely. In this episode of Revise Before Flight , we strip away the airline gloss to analyze the "Invisible Backbone" of global aerospace: General Aviation (GA).Accounting for over 90% of all civil aircraft in the skies, GA is not a recreational hobby—i...

In this episode, I explore a real-world operational event involving Air Malta Flight KM-478, where a crew rostering issue led to a mid-flight decision to return to departure shortly after reaching cruise altitude. You’ll learn: ✈️ how terms like crew composition, significant discrepancy, and instructor rating are used in an operational context ✈️ why crew qualification and regulatory compliance ar...

In this episode, I break down a runway incursion accident at LaGuardia Airport that occurred on March 22nd, 2026, involving an Air Canada Express CRJ-900 and an airport fire vehicle. You’ll learn: ✈️ how operational phrases like runway incursion, crossing clearance, and rollout phase are used in real-world context ✈️ why factors such as emergency traffic, high workload, and compressed timing can r...

In this episode, I break down a real-world near midair event over Newark Liberty International Airport, where an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 and a FedEx Boeing 777 came within just 300 feet of each other on intersecting approaches. You’ll learn: ✈️ how terms like near collision, loss of separation, and converging traffic are used in operational context ✈️ why terminal airspace congestion and high c...

In this episode, I explore the subtle but operationally critical distinction between tail scrape and tail strike, inspired by a real-world event - a Sun Country Boeing 737-800, registration N851SY performing flight (SY201/SCX201) from Milwaukee,WI to Orlando,FL (USA). You’ll learn: ✈️ how aviation English reflects severity and operational consequences ✈️ why tail strike appears in safety reports,...

🎙️ Flight Log of Lost Words — Episode 10: 5 Spooky Idioms at the Edge of Transmission Some aviation stories never make it into manuals. Some words drift through the air like echoes. And some idioms sound as though they were lifted from the crackling static between far-off transmissions. Tonight, Aviation English specialist Emilia Barska guides you into the linguistic twilight — where English becom...

What happens when a plane, just minutes into its climb, is suddenly grounded by a bird? On October 2nd, a China Eastern A321 operating Flight MU-2701 was forced to stop its ascent and return to Wuxi after a suspected bird strike at 8,900 feet. Join Aviation English specialist Emilia Barska as she breaks down the crew's textbook response, the resulting 7.5-hour passenger delay, and the damage that...

Welcome to Episode 8 - Luggage, Baggage and Beyond - The Skybound Glossary. It is your ultimate guide to decoding travel terminology. I'm clearing the air on the subtle but important differences between "luggage" and "baggage," including their regional uses and figurative meanings. You'll also get an essential glossary of bag types, from "carry-ons" and "garment bags." Check my "luggage lingo" to...

What happens when a pilot's identity is grounded for mental health? This episode exposes the "unseen turbulence" of aviation's re-certification process, revealing why the current system can hinder recovery and compromise safety. I make a compelling case for universal counseling as the missing piece in aviation's safety puzzle.

Today on "Revise Before Flight," we revisited the tragic in-flight breakup of China Airlines Flight CI611, or Dynasty 611, which claimed 225 lives. This routine flight on May 25th, 2002, vanished mid-climb due to a structural failure. The investigation pinpointed an inadequately repaired 1980 tail strike as the root cause, leading to undetected fatigue damage that compromised the aircraft's integr...

Earth Month Special – Trash Talk, Cleared for Takeoff This Earth Month, we’re clearing up some serious trash talk. Rubbish, trash, garbage, litter, waste, refuse — same topic, very different meanings. In this episode, you’ll learn how to use each term with accuracy and confidence. Because clear language is part of global responsibility.

Today, we descend into Delta Air Lines EDV 4819 — not to relive the accident, but to extract meaning from it. The landing at Toronto Pearson wasn’t just unfortunate; it’s a powerful language case study. Because every incident leaves more than wreckage behind — it leaves words, phrases, and lessons worth mastering.

Before the engines spool up, language is already at work. In this episode, I teach you three advanced pre-flight routine phrases used in real operational contexts — the kind that elevate clarity, confidence, and ICAO performance. We’ll also uncover why phrasal verbs and compound nouns are not optional extras, but essential tools for pilots and controllers aiming at ICAO Level 5 and beyond. Because...

Somewhere between standard phraseology and silence, aviation English begins. In this episode, we climb beyond definitions and procedures to answer three essential questions: ✈️ What aviation English really is ✈️ Why ICAO standardized phraseology exists ✈️ And when pilots and controllers must step outside it — into plain English This is the space where safety meets language, where clarity replaces...

This is Aviation English by Revise Before Flight — a podcast for those who see language not only as a tool, but as an art of precision. In this episode you'll learn more about Emilia Barska, your guide through the language of flight — from cockpit conversations to calm reflection. Here, English meets aviation and learning becomes a journey worth taking. Whether you’re a pilot, a student, or simply...