Just wondering.......

[Rifleman]

From an ex-Brit to all the Brits ........

........when an aircraft makes that turn from base leg during a circuit of touch-n-go's or even a full stop landing.......why is it termed to be on "finals" -

[beaky]

From an ex-Brit to all the Brits ........

........when an aircraft makes that turn from base leg during a circuit of touch-n-go's or even a full stop landing.......why is it termed to be on "finals" -  plural ?

..... isn't the final approach, a single one, each and every time......?

...............Hmmmmmmm.......just wondering ?.... :-?

 ;D  ;D  ;D

There you go, thinking again... you're going to hurt yourself doing that...  ;D

[Rifleman]

Gee, thanks Sean........but in fairness, I should expect you to catch me again .......    ;D

........all in good fun though........

..........BTW......do you call in to the tower when you go on "finals".....  

[beaky]

Gee, thanks Sean........but in fairness, I should expect you to catch me again .......    ;D

........all in good fun though........

..........BTW......do you call in to the tower when you go on "finals".....  

Been a while since I went anywhere near a towered field (I have a problem with authority- and landing fees), but generally I don't call out any leg of the pattern at controlled fields unless they ask me to.
Just to digress; I can't recall ever being asked to report position in the pattern...  but my last towered-field approach, to KNEW some years ago, got me my favorite after-intital-callup position request ever:

"Report over the fish hatchery..."



and this whole "finals/final" thing is moot to us Yanks: we know the correct way to say it.

[Mobius]

I've always wondered the same thing about "maths".  "Maths" always sounded a bit silly to me when I'm so used to saying just "math".  It's a weird thing, this English language.

[expat]

I've always wondered the same thing about "maths".  "Maths" always sounded a bit silly to me when I'm so used to saying just "math".  It's a weird thing, this English language.

Maths is the shorten version of mathematics. You going to study one number or several. Pick a number between 1 and 9 and study it, would that be math or mathematic.  ;D

Matt

[expat]

From an ex-Brit to all the Brits ........

........when an aircraft makes that turn from base leg during a circuit of touch-n-go's or even a full stop landing.......why is it termed to be on "finals" -  plural ?

..... isn't the final approach, a single one, each and every time......?

...............Hmmmmmmm.......just wondering ?.... :-?

 ;D  ;D  ;D

No idea, but what about other plural singulars

Scissors
Short
Trousers
Species
Shambles
Folk
Series
Hair

Matt

[Hagar]

Very interesting. I suppose it's what you're used to. Those Colonials always seem to change things just for the sake of it or to be different from the traditional ways that have evolved naturally for centuries.

Math without the S always sounds wrong to me. As Matt says, it's short for mathematics NOT mathematic. In Britain it's traditional to add a letter S to many abbreviated terms. For example; I'll be going for my brekkers (breakfast) soon. Thinners (the stuff you use for thinning paint) is another example that springs to mind.

[H]

...but what about other plural singulars

Scissors
Short
Trousers
Species
Shambles
Folk
Series
Hair

Matt

-Each major part is a scissor, thus also called a "pair of scissors."
-Shorts have each pantleg, or trouser, cut short (or off).
-See the previous for trouser.
-Species is a bit arbitrary; there can be more than one variance or subspecies.
-Shambles, presumedly, refers to many scattered or disoriented pieces.
-The only difference I can see is when folk is used in reference to a particular group (as, "my folk," when refering to one's relatives, etc.) or folks for everyone in general; it's most often used either way, however.
-Series refers to a number of items in a line or row.
-? The last is a hairy subject. I've occasionally been asked if I'd cut my hair and I've asked, "Which one?"

8-)

[expat]

...but what about other plural singulars

Scissors
Short
Trousers
Species
Shambles
Folk
Series
Hair

Matt

-Each major part is a scissor, thus also called a "pair of scissors."
-Shorts have each pantleg, or trouser, cut short (or off).
-See the previous for trouser.
-Species is a bit arbitrary; there can be more than one variance or subspecies.
-Shambles, presumedly, refers to many scattered or disoriented pieces.
-The only difference I can see is when folk is used in reference to a particular group (as, "my folk," when refering to one's relatives, etc.) or folks for everyone in general; it's most often used either way, however.
-Series refers to a number of items in a line or row.
-? The last is a hairy subject. I've occasionally been asked if I'd cut my hair and I've asked, "Which one?"

8-)

Well according to the Oxford dictionary, all can be used as a singular or plural verb.

Matt

[Brett_Henderson]

Here's a weird one. Since spending quite a bit of time in Ohio, I've noticed these folks refer to the document required to operate cars and planes as a plural.

"I have to get my driver's license renewed, they expire next month" ..

[expat]

Here's a weird one. Since spending quite a bit of time in Ohio, I've noticed these folks refer to the document required to operate cars and planes as a plural.

"I have to get my driver's license renewed, they expire next month" ..

That's just Ohio, same would happen in East Anglia.

Matt

[Fozzer]

Here's a weird one......

......."I have to get my driver's license renewed, they expire next month" ..

THEY?.... ...!

Both the Licence AND the driver... ...!

Paul...I always hope that I last longer than my Licence... ...!

[Woodlouse2002]

Here's a weird one. Since spending quite a bit of time in Ohio, I've noticed these folks refer to the document required to operate cars and planes as a plural.

"I have to get my driver's license renewed, they expire next month" ..

This is quite simple. They simply have a chauffer with a terminal illness who's licence is about to run out.

[C]

Back to flying, I suspect it has something to do with the oldest military flying school in the world, the RAF Central Flying School (CFS).

As we all know (or are about to find out), their standard circuit is a oval pattern, consisting of an upwind leg, upwind turn, downwind leg (which gives it's name to the "Downwind to Land/Roll (touch and go in civvy land)" call), and finally, a constant turn leading to the final approach. This turn is called the "finals turn", and is where the call "Finals" is made in a military circuit, hance the name.

I suspect its prevalence is due to the number of post war civil CFIs (Chief Flying Instructors this side of the pond, not CFI in the US sense) who were military pilots during the war.