"Deck Angle"

Hacker15e

Hacker15e

Who am I? Where are my pants?
At what point in a 121 pilot's career does he stop talking about pitch attitude and start using the term "deck angle"?

A T-38 student I was recently talking to, who had a background flying for the regionals before joining the USAF, used "deck angle". I not-so-subtly reminded him that a military fighter doesn't have a "flight deck", and thus no "deck angle".
 
I've never heard it used in a technical sense in 121 ops. I've always assumed it was the angle between a planar line at the surface of the earth and the pitch attitude of the aircraft. I was told (long ago) that it was a Navy term and was the angle of climb in reference to a carrier's deck (hence "deck angle") and had nothing to do with a flight deck.
 
BobDDuck said:
I've always assumed it was the angle between a planar line at the surface of the earth and the pitch attitude of the aircraft. I was told (long ago) that it was a Navy term and was the angle of climb in reference to a carrier's deck (hence "deck angle") and had nothing to do with a flight deck.
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I've heard USAF heavy dudes use the term quite a lot (ergo a steep takeoff being a 'steep deck angle'), along with USAF Reservists who are airline guys. Haven't heard the Navy guys use it, although I'd believe the reference to the carrier.
 
I had this high pitch attitude...

I had this bitchin deck angle the other day...

Its all about being one of the cool kids!
 
Hacker15e said:
At what point in a 121 pilot's career does he stop talking about pitch attitude and start using the term "deck angle"?

A T-38 student I was recently talking to, who had a background flying for the regionals before joining the USAF, used "deck angle". I not-so-subtly reminded him that a military fighter doesn't have a "flight deck", and thus no "deck angle".
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I've heard them used interchangeably, even in GA circles.
 
I've used it before, to describe climb out angle. However, that said, I really have no angle of attack, as the lift is created by gas, not a wing.
 
Only time I use "deck angle" instead of "pitch attitude" is when talking about adding more flaps to help the FAs drag the carts up the aisle.
 
dasleben said:
Only time I use "deck angle" instead of "pitch attitude" is when talking about adding more flaps to help the FAs drag the carts up the aisle.
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This is how I think of it. You're describing the same thing, and in the end the real issue is pitch angle. But pitch angle has to do with us, and getting performance out of the aircraft. Thinking of pitch angle in TERMS OF deck angle reminds me that there are people back there, and while I might not so much mind hanging out with 5 degrees of nose up pitch attitude, the folks in the back probably don't care for it. While they don't care how far up or down my nose is pitched, they DO care what angle the floor (deck) is at.
 
jtrain609 said:
This is how I think of it. You're describing the same thing, and in the end the real issue is pitch angle. But pitch angle has to do with us, and getting performance out of the aircraft. Thinking of pitch angle in TERMS OF deck angle reminds me that there are people back there, and while I might not so much mind hanging out with 5 degrees of nose up pitch attitude, the folks in the back probably don't care for it. While they don't care how far up or down my nose is pitched, they DO care what angle the floor (deck) is at.
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Agreed. I recently watched one of our jets fly a long downwind, probably at flaps 5. That nose gets way up in the air. I don't like to add drag unless I need it to slow (the general method that's taught on this jet is to stay as clean as possible, adding flaps only if you need to slow), but I can't imagine it's easy to walk around or stow carts with the nose way up in the air.
 
As an RJ pilot I would never use the phrase "deck angle" for fear I would be decked.
 
Have heard it, not in the Navy, but on the civilian side. Also, what do you guys call a fighter cockpit? Isn't that like saying "box" or "heading"?
 
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