Aviation Basics: Phonetic Alphabet, Time and Codes
The phonetic alphabet, the 24-hour clock, UTC, airport and airline codes and common abbreviations used in airline and airport jobs.
Aviation Knowledge
Before you start
- Questions
- 15
- Time
- 15 minutes
- Format
- Single section
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Aviation Basics: Phonetic Alphabet, Time and Codes: all 15 questions with answers
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Choose the correct answer, A, B, C or D.
Q1.In the phonetic alphabet used in aviation, the letter B is said as:
- A.Beta
- B.Bravo
- C.Baker
- D.Boston
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Answer: B. Bravo
The ICAO/NATO phonetic alphabet uses Bravo for B. It is used so letters are not confused on radios and phone calls.
Q2.Which word stands for the letter J in the aviation phonetic alphabet?
- A.Jupiter
- B.Jack
- C.Juliett
- D.Jamaica
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Answer: C. Juliett
J is Juliett. ICAO spells it with two t's (and A as Alfa) so speakers of other languages pronounce it correctly.
Q3.How would you read the booking reference QX7 over the phone?
- A.Queen X-ray Seven
- B.Quebec Xylophone Seven
- C.Quick Extra Seven
- D.Quebec X-ray Seven
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Answer: D. Quebec X-ray Seven
Q is Quebec and X is X-ray. Booking references are often spelled this way to avoid mistakes.
Q4.A flight departs at 9:45 pm. How is this written in the 24-hour clock?
- A.21:45
- B.19:45
- C.09:45
- D.22:45
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Answer: A. 21:45
Add 12 to afternoon and evening hours: 9:45 pm becomes 21:45.
Q5.What does 00:30 mean on a flight schedule?
- A.Half past noon
- B.Half past midnight
- C.12:30 pm
- D.10:30 am
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Answer: B. Half past midnight
00:00 is midnight, so 00:30 is thirty minutes after midnight.
Q6.In aviation, UTC is:
- A.The local time at the departure airport
- B.A type of air traffic control unit
- C.Coordinated Universal Time, one time standard used worldwide
- D.The time zone of the airline's head office
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Answer: C. Coordinated Universal Time, one time standard used worldwide
Aviation uses UTC so flight plans and schedules mean the same thing in every country.
Q7.Pilots and air traffic controllers often call UTC:
- A.Alpha time
- B.Local time
- C.Bravo time
- D.Zulu time
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Answer: D. Zulu time
UTC is known as Zulu time, from the phonetic word for Z.
Q8.Three-letter codes such as LHR, DXB and JFK are:
- A.IATA airport codes
- B.Aircraft registration numbers
- C.Flight numbers
- D.Seat classes
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Answer: A. IATA airport codes
IATA three-letter codes identify airports on tickets, bag tags and boarding passes.
Q9.Which airport has the IATA code LHR?
- A.Lahore
- B.London Heathrow
- C.Los Angeles
- D.Leeds Bradford
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Answer: B. London Heathrow
LHR is London Heathrow. Lahore is LHE, Los Angeles is LAX and Leeds Bradford is LBA.
Q10.Which airport has the IATA code DXB?
- A.Doha Hamad
- B.Dubai International
- C.Delhi Indira Gandhi
- D.Dublin
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Answer: B. Dubai International
DXB is Dubai International. Doha is DOH, Delhi is DEL and Dublin is DUB.
Q11.Four-letter codes such as EGLL and KJFK are:
- A.IATA airport codes
- B.Airline booking references
- C.ICAO airport codes
- D.Gate numbers
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Answer: C. ICAO airport codes
ICAO codes have four letters and are used mainly by pilots and air traffic control. EGLL is Heathrow and KJFK is New York JFK.
Q12.In the flight number EK202, what does EK identify?
- A.The departure airport
- B.The aircraft type
- C.The terminal
- D.The airline
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Answer: D. The airline
The first two characters are the airline's IATA designator; EK is Emirates.
Q13.On a flight information screen, ETA means:
- A.Estimated time of arrival
- B.Expected ticket allowance
- C.Early take-off approval
- D.Estimated transfer area
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Answer: A. Estimated time of arrival
ETA is the estimated time of arrival; ETD is the estimated time of departure.
Q14.A flight leaves Dubai (UTC+4) at 08:00 local time and flies for 7 hours to London in winter (UTC+0). What is the local arrival time in London?
- A.15:00
- B.11:00
- C.07:00
- D.19:00
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Answer: B. 11:00
08:00 in Dubai is 04:00 UTC. Add 7 hours: 11:00 UTC, which is 11:00 in London in winter.
Q15.In airline language, PAX means:
- A.Payment
- B.Packages
- C.Passengers
- D.Pilots
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Answer: C. Passengers
PAX is the standard abbreviation for passengers, as in "180 pax on board".