chandelle
Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
- noun A sudden, steep climbing turn of an aircraft, executed to alter flight direction and gain altitude simultaneously.
- verb-intransitive To execute a chandelle.
Examples
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Recovering on a reciprocal heading, the Spad pilot added power, climbing into a chandelle to perhaps 5,000 feet heading outbound.
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She was either using too much rudder in her chandelle maneuvers or not enough.
Note
The word 'chandelle' comes from a French word meaning 'candle'. According to Propilotguide.com, the maneuver was perfected by WWI French aviators, who described it as 'monter en chandelle', to climb around a candle.
