tarmac

Tarmac is a trade name for a road surfacing material, and airport movement areas are generally asphalt or concrete rather than tarmac at all. Journalists use it constantly, aviation professionals almost never — and TailzIN's dark theme is named "Tarmac" with that irony fully intended.

Nearby in Slang

• spotting — The hobby of observing, identifying, logging and photographing aircraft.
• tail — Spotter shorthand for an individual airframe, taken from its tail number.
• the fence — The airport perimeter fence, and by extension the standard spotting position outside it.