Listening: Tail-Skid Contact on Departure from Bangkok
How to do this dictation
Listen to the audio recording and write down everything you hear. You can play the audio as many times as you like. When you are finished, check your work against the transcript and the answer key below.
Before you listen — key vocabulary
These words appear in the recording. Knowing them before you listen will help you catch every word:
tail-skid (noun)
A protective part fitted under the tail of some aircraft that stops the structure being damaged if the tail touches the runway.
rotation (noun)
The moment during takeoff when the pilot raises the nose and the aircraft lifts off the runway.
scrape (noun)
A mark or scratch made when something rubs roughly against a surface.
first officer (noun phrase)
The co-pilot; the second pilot, who assists the captain.
Your dictation task
This is a full dictation. Listen carefully and write down everything you hear, word for word. Replay the audio as many times as you need. Then reveal the transcript and the answer key to mark your work line by line.
A Boeing 777 was taking off from Bangkok for a long flight to London. As the nose lifted during the rotation, the tail of the aircraft touched the runway gently. The crew felt nothing unusual, and no warning appeared in the cockpit. The flight continued normally and landed safely twelve hours later. While the aircraft was being prepared for its next journey, the first officer walked around it and noticed a small scrape under the tail. He reported the marks to the engineers and asked them to check the tail-skid before the next flight. The captain agreed and wrote a note in the technical log. The engineers inspected the area carefully and found no serious damage. After a few simple checks, the aircraft was cleared to fly again.
A protective part under the tail that prevents damage if the tail touches the ground.
rotation (noun)
The point in the takeoff run where the nose is raised and the aircraft becomes airborne.
scrape (noun)
A mark left when one surface rubs roughly against another.
first officer (noun phrase)
The co-pilot, who shares the flying duties with the captain.
turnaround (noun)
The period on the ground when an aircraft is prepared for its next flight.
technical log (noun phrase)
The document in which crews record faults and maintenance items for the engineers.
wide-body (adjective)
Describing a large aircraft with two passenger aisles, such as the Boeing 777.
Speaking follow-up
Imagine you are the first officer in this story. During your walk-around, you find the scrape under the tail. Explain to the maintenance team what you have seen and why you want the tail-skid checked before the aircraft flies again.
Record yourself on a phone voice memo so you can play it back and self-review. There’s no single right answer — the goal is to produce a clear, structured response under time pressure.
