birdcage: translation
n.
The airspace in the immediate vicinity of an airport.
Example Citation:"The night sky over LAX was alive with moving lights as dozens of planes waited in the birdcage for their turn to land."
Notes:Officially called the "terminal control area," another name for this airspace is "upside-down wedding cake," because the waiting planes are stacked at multiple altitudes and the higher the altitude the wider the circular flight path the plane must follow.
Related Word:
nerd bird
Category:Aviation