Ski
Ski turns up in 2 fields: asphalt, aviation. Here is what it means to the people in each one.
Ski in asphalt
Crew name for the long averaging beam on a paver that gives the grade sensor a smoothed reference.
A long beam, often 24 to 40 feet, that rides on the existing surface or the adjacent mat beside the paver. The grade sensor reads its average height instead of every bump, so the screed bridges short dips and humps and builds a smoother surface. Non-contact versions carry a row of sonic or laser sensors along a beam, and crews call those skis too.
"Run the ski on the old lane, not on the gravel shoulder, that shoulder's got more waves than the lake."
Ski in aviation
A long, flat runner attached to the landing gear of an aircraft for operating on snow or ice.
Skis replace or enclose standard wheeled landing gear to distribute the weight of an aircraft over soft, frozen surfaces. They are heavily used in polar operations and bush flying to prevent the aircraft from sinking into deep snow during takeoff and landing. Some designs feature retractable wheels that protrude through the ski for operations on both hard runways and snow.
"We need to swap the mains out for skis before the deployment to McMurdo."