Reporters saying "TARMAC" how stupid!!

Why is it that idiot reporters use the term "TARMAC"? Nobody in the aviation
world uses that term do they? But then again reporters usually know abolutely
nothing about aviation. What inspired this rant? The recent reporting on the
US Airways baggage situation and the Northwest airlines flight that kept the
passengers on the airplane for 14 hours. On another note did Northwest lose a
lawsuit awhile back for keeping people on an airplane while they sat on the
ground for a very long time. If I remember correctly there was talk of false
imprisonment charges against the airline.

"CASK829" wrote in message
...
Why is it that idiot reporters use the term "TARMAC"? Nobody in the
aviation
world uses that term do they?

Dunno, but it's a perfectly good English word (in lower case--it's not an
acronym), so why shouldn't reporters use it?

--Gary

It bugs me, too. Most ramps are concrete, not tar-macadam, but the newsies
think that saying tarmac makes them sound knowledgeable.

Bob Gardner

"Gary Drescher" wrote in message
...
"CASK829" wrote in message
...
Why is it that idiot reporters use the term "TARMAC"? Nobody in the
aviation
world uses that term do they?

Dunno, but it's a perfectly good English word (in lower case--it's not an
acronym), so why shouldn't reporters use it?

--Gary

"tarmacadam"

That's a new one to me. What is it a type of material? I aways
wondered why it was called a "tarmac", but I must say it doesn't bother
me that reporters use the term. I'm a pilot and and I thougt "tarmac"
was a perfectly acceptable term...so I guess I can't expect any better
from them. I usually refer to it as the "ramp", or is it even the same
thing? I don't remember these terms from my checkride and it sure as
hell has never been a subject of conversation at my airport...I don't
know about you fellas....

wrote in message
oups.com...
"tarmacadam"

That's a new one to me. What is it a type of material?

AKA asphalt.

It bugs me, too. Most ramps are concrete, not tar-macadam, but the newsies
think that saying tarmac makes them sound knowledgeable.

It bugs me not. English evolves through usage, and this usage is
reasonable. Tarmac (short for tarmacadam) is actually a trade name
for the substance; it (the word)is formed from "tar" and "macadam".
Macadam (the paving substance made of crushed stone and a binder,
usually tar) is named after its inventer, John L. McAdam, a Scottish
engineer.

Soon, places paved with tarmac started to be called "tarmac", and
since this began to especially be applied to areas around hangars,
those areas themselves were often called "tarmac" irrespective of what
they were paved with. (I don't know why (or even if) tarmac was the
pavement of choice). It's actually a good word - it fills a niche.

Are you equally bugged by people calling the place where planes are
parked "the ramp" when it's not sloped and doesn't connect a higher
place with a lower place (except in the sense of nothing being
perfectly flat)? Or calling clusters of well known thin vertical
hazards "antenna farms" when nothing is grown or harvested there?

Jose
--
Money: What you need when you run out of brains.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Are you equally bugged by people calling the place where planes are parked
"the ramp" when it's not sloped and doesn't connect a higher place with a
lower place (except in the sense of nothing being perfectly flat)? Or
calling clusters of well known thin vertical hazards "antenna farms" when
nothing is grown or harvested there?

Let's not forget the flaps -- that don't.

And the throttle -- that doesn't.

Or "taxiing" and "Fixed Base Operator," for that matter. These are terms
that simply aren't logical, yet we use them all the time.

English often doesn't make much sense, except in context.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Don't forget that you're driving on a parkway and parking on a
driveway...I usually don't think one is stupid for using these terms...

Jay Honeck wrote:

snip

English often doesn't make much sense, except in context.

Don't get me started on "pre-boarding"....

--
Frank....H

Jay,

Don't you love aviation terms.

We're going to depart from "the terminal".

Before landing we're on our "final" approach.
Really inspires confidence, eh?

Warmest regards,
Rick