Answers

1. combi – A: able to carry both passengers and cargo. A combi plane dropped off mail, two tourists and supplies for the village store.

2. Hobbs meter – A: device that can measure how long an aircraft is in use. Uri watched the Hobbs meter, not wanting to pay for more than two hours of plane rental.

3. biplane – B: aircraft with two sets of wings. The historic 1930s biplane took off with no problem. 4. taxi – C: move along the ground. At last, the delayed plane taxied away from the terminal.

5. avionics – A: electronic equipment fitted in an aircraft. Ahmad was an avionics engineer interested in improving autopilot technology.

6. bird control – B: keeping birds away from the airport. Playing recordings of avian distress calls is a proven bird-control strategy.

7. instrument flight rules – B: regulations for relying on instruments instead of visual references. Pilots must fly under instrument flight rules when the weather makes it hard to see.

8. ditch – B: make a forced landing on water. Arthur, a military flying ace, had once survived ditching in the Pacific. 9. overbook – A: accept too many reservations. Airlines deliberately overbook flights because typically, some passengers don’t show up.

10. ceiling – C: maximum altitude of an aircraft. U-2 spy planes have such a high ceiling that their pilots wear pressure suits.

11. buzz-saw noise – C: sound of a supersonic fan. Amy’s baby, asleep when he boarded the jet, was soon awakened by buzz-saw noise.

12. wind shear – C: sudden change in wind speed and direction. Wind shear is dangerous for planes.

13. aeromodelling – B: building and flying model aircraft. Aeromodelling clubs have fields where enthusiasts can try out their creations.

14. stall – B: loss of lift and consequent fall. Nabila paid close attention when her flight instructor explained how to recover from a stall.

15. deplane – C: leave an aircraft. After deplaning, Hayley realised she’d left her phone behind.