volplane

English

Etymology

French vol plané ‘gliding flight’.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈvɒlpleɪn/

Noun

volplane (plural volplanes)

1. a steep, controlled dive, especially by an aircraft with the engine off

Verb

volplane (third-person singular simple present volplanes, present participle volplaning, simple past and past participle volplaned)

1. to make a volplane
   • 1973: Curtains of vapor drift back to reveal the Americans, volplaning along well inside ten meters and only a little faster than the balloon. — Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow