List of abbreviations

Revision as of 20:00, 3 October 2008 by Flughund (talk | contribs) (moved text from Definitions Acronyms; began merging)
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  A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z 


A

Abbreviation Meaning(s) Description
A/C Aircraft
A/P Autopilot
A/T Autothrottle A/P Subsystem which controls the throttle
ADF Atomatic direction finder tuned to NDB
AFCS Automatic Flight Control System
AGL Above Ground Level
ALS Approach lighting system
ALT Altitude related to MSL
Apt Elev Airport Elevation the MSL of a central point of an airport
ASOS Automated Surface Observation System measures and broadcasts surface wheather info automatically
ATC Air Traffic Control
ATIS Automatic Terminal Information Service
AWACS Airborne Warning And Control System

B

Abbreviation Meaning(s) Description
BC Back course part of ILS, beacon that provides range information, like OM/MM/IM, specifies FAF for back course, a back course is non-precison since no G/S associated
BRT Brightness

C

Abbreviation Meaning(s) Description
CDI Course Deviation Indicator part of a VOR gauge, a needle showing whether you are on course (centered) or not (left or right)
CDU Control Display Unit
CTAF Common Traffic Advisory Frequency Available at airfields with no operational control tower.

D

Abbreviation Meaning(s)
DME Distance measuring equipment
DTG Distance to go

E

Abbreviation Meaning(s)
EAT Estimated Arrival Time
EDT Estimated Departure Time
EICAS Engine Indication and Crew Alerting System
ETA Estimated Time of Arrival

F

Abbreviation Meaning(s)
FDM Flight Dynamics Model
FL Flight Level

G

Abbreviation Meaning(s)
GA Go-Around
GA General Aviation
GAR Go-Around
GPS Global Positioning System

H

Abbreviation Meaning(s)
HDG Heading
HUD Head up display

I

Abbreviation Meaning(s)
IATA International Air Transport Association
ICAO International Civil Aviation Organisation
IFR Instrument flight rules
ILS Instrument Landing System

J

K

Abbreviation Meaning(s)
KIAS Knots Indicated Airspeed

L

Abbreviation Meaning(s)
LTA Lighter than Air

M

N

Abbreviation Meaning(s)
ND Navigational Display

O

P

Abbreviation Meaning(s)
PAPI Precision Approach Path Indicator

Q

R

S

Abbreviation Meaning(s)
STOL Short take off and landing
STOVL Short take off and vertical landing

T

Abbreviation Meaning(s)
TACAN Tactical Air Navigation
THDG True Heading

U

V

Abbreviation Meaning(s)
VOR VHF Omnidirectional Radio Range
VSI Vertical speed indicator
VTOL Vertical take off and landing

W

Abbreviation Meaning(s) Description
WCA Wind correction angle

X

Y

Z

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into List of abbreviations.
DG
Directional Gyro
DH
Decision Height, point on G/S where to decide to continue landing or missed approach, similar to MDA, for precision approaches, determined by altimeter, lowest height where an approach can be flown by instrument alone
DME
Distance Measuring Equipment, measures the distance(slant, not on-ground distance) to the tuned in VOR,
EFATO
Engine Failure after take-off - usually resulting in a force-landing.
EICAS
Engine Indication and Crew Alerting System
FAF
Final Approach Fix
FD
Flight Director, horizontal and vertical bars on your PD
G/S
Glideslope, provides vertical guidance during ILS, UHF, always goes together with LOC, usually 3deg, usable 10NM from field
GPS
Global Positioning System, allows a very exact measuring of location all over the world, based on satellites
HUD
Head Up Display
IAF
Initial Approach Fix
IAP
Intstrument Approach Plate, see Approach Plate, aka. Terminal Procedures
IATA
an Airport Designator, used on Flight Tickets, Baggage,...
ICAO
an Airport Designator, used for Navigation
IFR
Instrument Flight Rules, 0-179: odd thousands, 180-359: even thousands
ILS
Instrument Landing System
IM
Inner Marker, part of ILS, beacon that provides range information, only for Cat II where it is the DH point, 100ft from runway threshold
JBD
Jet Blast Deflector
LDA
Localizer-type Directional Aid, similar to LOC, but offset from runway heading, the approach path is not lined up with runway
LNAV
Lateral Navigation,
LOC
Localizer, provides lateral guidance during ILS, VHF, always goes together with G/S, usable 18NM from field
LOC-A
an approach plate that ends with a letter indicates that a circling approach is required
MALSR
Medium intensity Approach Lighting System with Runway alignment indicator lights, a type of Runway Approach lighting
MAP
Missed Approach Point, touch down zone of runway
MDA
Minimum Descend Altitude, during an approach, this specifies the minimum Altitude (MSL) before the runway is in sight and a safe landing can be made
MEA
Mean Enroute Altitude
METAR
Meteorological Aerodrome Report
MIRL
Medium Intensity Runway Lights
MLS
Microwave Landing System
MM
Middle Marker, part of ILS, beacon that provides range information, 3500ft from runway threshold
MOCA
Minimum Obstruction Clearance Altitude
MSA
Minimum Safe Altitude, provides minimum of 1000ft clearance from obstructions and terrain
MSL
Mean Sea Level, Standardized height figure, Altimeters show the current A/C height over MSL
Navaid
Helper for navigation, eg: NDB, Fixes, VOR, GPS
ND
Navigation Display
NDB
Non Directional Beacon, LW, sends out Morse code of its ID, reception only reliable > 1000ft AGL
OAT
Outside Air Temperature, the temperature of undisturbed air, derived by correcting TAT for compressibility errors
OBS
Omni Bearing Selector, part of a VOR gauge, used to rotate the course card
OM
Outer Marker, part of ILS, beacon that provides range information, 4-7NM from runway threshold
PAPI
Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI), similar to VASI, but more precise, uses four lights
PFD
Primary flight display
PD
Primary Display
PF
Pilot Flying, the person that currently controls the airplane, can be either Captain or F/O
PFL
Practice Forced Landing. Practise approach carried out to a suitable field. No landing is made.
PIREP
Pilot Report (abbreviated UA in the briefing teletype, UUA is urgent PIREP)
PNF
Pilot Non-Flying, the person who's not the PF
RAT
Ram Air Temperature, the raw, non-corrected temp. as measured by the temperature probe. Errors due to the Ram effect (air compressed in the probe) and the position (air may be disturbed by parts of the airplane, and also due to the effect of the air compression in front of the plane) RAT may also describe a Ram Air Turbine; a device deployed into the airstream on large aircraft to provided minimum electrical power in the event of generator-failure.
RMI
Radio Magnetic Indicator
RNAV
Area Navigation, flying by longitude/latitude points that are not radio navigation aids, GPS or IRS is usually used.
RTO
Rejected Takeoff
RVR
Runway Visibility Range,
SAT
Static Air Temperature, same as OAT
SDF
Simple Directional Facility,
SID
Standard Instrument Departure, for takeoffs, specifies the route from the runway to the first waypoint
STAR
Standard Terminal Arrival, for landings, speciefies the route from the last waypoint down to the runway
TACAN
Tactical Air Navigation, military
TAF
Terminal Aerodrome Forecast
TAT
Total Air Temperature, this is derived by correcting the RAT for position. Still contains an error due to the compressibility of air inside the temperature probe.
TDZE
Touch Down Zone Elevation, the MSL of the touch down point of a runway
TOGA
Take-Off / Go-Around. Automatic single-switch operation of throttle for Take-off / Go-Around Power.
T&P(s)
Temperatures and pressures relating to engine systems.
UNICOM
Universal Communications. See also: CTAF
VOR
VHF Omnidirectional Range
VFR
Visual Flight Rules, 0-179: odd thousands+500ft, 180-359: even thousands+500ft
VNAV
Vertical Navigation,
A/P VASI
Visual Approach Slope Indicator, an approach lighting system, typically two lights left of the runway,
VORTAC
VHF Omni-Directional Range/Tactical Air Navigation, military