Maria Karra Feb 12, 2005:

David, if you choose to use the word "clock": it's not really "starting" the clock, prendre here means "take a measurement", "record". Good luck.

Non-ProZ.com Feb 8, 2005:

Maria Perhaps not a typo as such, but as this English acronym seems to be very close in meaning to the French word "top" in the sense of "top d�part" (i.e. a ""cue" or "signal" to start sth), it seems quite plausible that the two may be confused.

Maria Karra Feb 7, 2005:

If it's not the acronym and your text says "Top", I'm having second thoughts. Unless it's a typo.

Non-ProZ.com Feb 7, 2005:

Maria No, it does say "Top" in the diagram and "top" in the text although I've found a *very* similar document on the 'Net where it is written TOP: http://flymac.waika9.com/CoursIFR/navinst.html. Your answer sounds convincing.

Non-ProZ.com Feb 7, 2005:

Another example: "A partir d'un QDM 1, prendre un cap qui diff�re d'un angle a et prendre un top. Attendre un QDM 2 dont la diff�rence avec le QDM 1 est �gale � a. Le temps �coul� entre les deux QDM rep�sente le temps de vol s�parant l'avion de la station par vent nul. [...] a = 45� sera utilis� chaque fois que l'on veut contr�ler son �cartement par rapport � une balise".
This is followed by a diagram showing a plane's flight path horizontal across the page. This line is intersected by a vertical line (at right-angles) at the bottom of which we have the station. A dotted line runs from the station at 45� to join the horizontal line in front of the plane (thereby forming a triangle). The intersection between the horizontal line and the dotted line is labelled "Top 1" and the intersection between the horizontal and vertical lines is labelled "Top 2". It would therefore appear that they are indeed time checks.

Non-ProZ.com Feb 7, 2005:

irat56: Your definition is correct, but I don't think "top" is the word used in English. "Take a time check", I wonder?

Non-ProZ.com Feb 7, 2005:

"take a mark"???