whirlybird
Chopper, informally speaking
Whirlybird is informal slang for a helicopter, evoking the spinning rotor blades.
The word has a playful, almost childlike quality: We heard the whirlybird overhead before we saw it.
It appears occasionally in journalism and casual speech but rarely in technical contexts.
Rotorcraft or cleaver
- rotorSpinning mechanical assembly
- bladeFlat cutting edge
- cockpitPilot's control compartment
- pilotOne who steers aircraft
hovering · skids · turbine · airborne · aviator · airlift · medevac · gunship
Armed support aircraft
- ApacheSouthwestern indigenous nation
- HueyGerman-origin boy's name
- reconnaissanceInformation-gathering before action
- assaultViolent offensive act
artillery · combat · sortie · mission · patrol · escort · deploy
Departure or parody
- landingDescent's final moment
- altitudeMeasured height above reference
- airspeedAircraft's atmospheric velocity
- aerodynamicsPhysics of air motion
navigation · flight · sky · airborne · hover · lift · thrust · maneuver
Spinning mechanical assembly
revolve · propeller · spinning · rotation · twirl · torque · centrifugal
Emergency air transport injured
- search-and-rescueLocating and retrieving imperiled persons
- airliftEmergency transport by plane
- evacuationRemoval from danger
- coastguardSeafaring emergency responders
paramedic · emergency · lifesaver · disaster · relief · survivor · triage · extrication
Thing that rotates
- windmillRotating structure harnessing air
- playgroundChildren's outdoor recreation space
- childhoodLife's earliest phase
- noveltyQuality of being original
chopper
Rotorcraft or cleaver
pilot · hovering · skids · turbine · airborne · aviator · airlift · medevac · gunship · Apache
gunship
Armed support aircraft
- ApacheSouthwestern indigenous nation
- HueyGerman-origin boy's name
- reconnaissanceInformation-gathering before action
assault · artillery · combat · sortie · mission · patrol · escort · deploy
takeoff
Departure or parody
- landingDescent's final moment
- altitudeMeasured height above reference
- airspeedAircraft's atmospheric velocity
aerodynamics · navigation · flight · sky · airborne · hover · lift · thrust · maneuver · banking
rotor
Spinning mechanical assembly
gyrate · revolve · propeller · spinning · rotation · twirl · torque · centrifugal
medevac
Emergency air transport injured
- search-and-rescueLocating and retrieving imperiled persons
- airliftEmergency transport by plane
- evacuationRemoval from danger
coastguard · paramedic · emergency · lifesaver · disaster · relief · survivor · triage · extrication · winch
spinner
Thing that rotates
- windmillRotating structure harnessing air
- playgroundChildren's outdoor recreation space
- childhoodLife's earliest phase