Aeronautical Terms

14 CFR

Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

A.C.

Alternating current.

A/FD

Airport/Facility Directory—obsolete. Changed to Chart Supplement.

ADC

Air Data Computer.

ADF

Automatic Direction Finder.

ADI

Attitude Director Indicator.

ADM

Aeronautical Decision-Making

ADS-B

Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast.

AIRMET

Inflight weather advisory issued as an amendment to the area forecast, concerning weather phenomena of operational interest to all aircraft and that is potentially hazardous to aircraft with limited capability due to lack of equipment, instrumentation, or pilot qualifications.

ALS

Approach Lighting System.

AME

Aviation Medical Examiner.

ARSR

Air Route Surveillance Radar.

ARTCC

Air route Traffic Control Center.

ASDE

Airport Surface Detection Equipment.

ASOS

Automated Surface Observing System.

ASR

Airport Surveillance Radar.

ATC

Air Traffic Control.

ATCRBS

Air traffic control radar beacon system.

ATIS

Automatic Terminal Information Service.

AWOS

Automated Weather Observing System.

BC

Back Course.

CAS

Calibrated Airspeed.

CDI

Course Deviation Indicator.

CG

Center Of Gravity.

COP

Changeover Point.

CRM

Crew Resource Management.

D.C.

Direct Current.

DA

Decision Altitude.

DGPS

Differential Global Positioning System.

DH

Decision Height.

DME

Distance Measuring Equipment.

DP

Departure Procedure.

DRVSM

Domestic Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum.

DUATS

Direct User Access Terminal System (shut down May 16, 2018).

EFAS

En Route Flight Advisory Service.

EFC

Expect-Further-Clearance.

EFD

Electronic Flight Display.

EGT

Exhaust Gas Temperature.

EM wave

Electromagnetic wave.

EPR

Engine Pressure Ratio.

FA

Area Forecast. (Discontinued, replaced by Graphical Forecasts for Aviation)

FAA

Federal Aviation Administration.

FAF

Final Approach Fix.

FDI

Flight Director Indicator.

FL

Flight Level.

FMS

Flight Management System.

FOD

Foreign Object Damage.

GAMA

General Aviation Manufacturers Association.

GLS

Global Landing System.

GNSS

Global Navigation Satellite System.

GPS

Global Positioning System.

GPWS

Ground Proximity Warning System.

GS

Glideslope.

GWPS

Ground Proximity Warning System.

HAA

Height Above Airport.

HAL

Height Above Landing.

HAT

Height Above Touchdown Elevation.

HF

High Frequency.

Hg

Abbreviation for mercury, from the Latin hydrargyrum.

HSI

Horizontal Situation Indicator.

HUD

Head-Up Display.

IAF

Initial Approach Fix.

IAP

Instrument Approach Procedures.

IAS

Indicated Airspeed.

ICAO

International Civil Aviation Organization.

IFR

Instrument Flight Rules.

ILS

Instrument Landing System.

IMC

Instrument Meteorological Conditions.

INS

Inertial Navigation System.

IVSI

Instantaneous Vertical Speed Indicator.

KIAS

Knots Indicated Airspeed.

L/MF

Low or Medium Frequency.

LAAS

Local Area Augmentation System.

LDA

Localizer-type Directional Aid.

LMM

Locator Middle Marker.

LOC

Localizer.

LOM

Locator Outer Marker.

LORAN

Long range navigation. [Decommissioned in 2010]

MAA

Maximum Authorized Altitude.

MAC

Mean Aerodynamic Chord.

MAP

Missed Approach Point.

MB

Magnetic Bearing.

MCA

Minimum Crossing Altitude.

MDA

Minimum Descent Altitude.

MEA

Minimum Enroute Altitude.

MEL

Minimum Equipment List.

METAR

Aviation Routine Weather Report.

MFD

Multi-Function Display.

MH

Magnetic Heading.

MHz

Megahertz.

MLS

Microwave Landing System.

MM

Middle Marker.

MOA

Military Operations Area.

MOCA

Minimum Obstruction Clearance Altitude.

MRA

Minimum Reception Altitude.

MSA

Minimum Safe Altitude.

MSL

Mean Sea Level.

MTR

Military Training Route.

MVA

Minimum Vectoring Altitude.

N1

Rotational speed of the low pressure compressor in a turbine engine.

N2

Rotational speed of the high pressure compressor in a turbine engine.

NAS

National Airspace System.

NAV/COM

Navigation and communication radio.

NAVAID

Navigational aid.

NDB

Nondirectional Radio Beacon.

NM

Nautical Mile.

NOAA

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NoPT

No Procedure Turn.

NOTAM

Notice to Airmen.

NRP

National Route Program.

NSA

National Security Area.

NTSB

National Transportation Safety Board.

NWS

National Weather Service.

ODP

Obstacle Departure Procedures.

OM

Outer Marker.

P-static

Precipitation Static.

PAPI

Precision Approach Path Indicator.

PAR

Precision Approach Radar.

PFD

Primary Flight Display.

PIC

Pilot In Command.

PIREP

Pilot Report.

POH/AFM

Pilot’s Operating Handbook/Airplane Flight Manual.

PRM

Precision Runway Monitor.

RAIM

Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring.

RB

Relative Bearing.

RBI

Relative Bearing Indicator.

RCO

Remote Communications Outlet.

REIL

Runway End Identifier Lights.

RF

Radio Frequency.

RMI

Radio Magnetic Indicator.

RNAV

Area Navigation.

RNP

Required Navigation Performance.

RT

Receiver-Transmitter.

RVR

Runway Visual Range.

RVV

Runway Visibility Value.

SA

Selective Availability.

SDF

Simplified Directional Facility.

SIDS

Standard Instrument Departure Procedures.

SIGMET

The acronym for Significant Meteorological information. A weather advisory issued concerning weather significant to the safety of all aircraft.

SRM

Single-pilot Resource Management.

SSR

Secondary Surveillance Radar.

SSV

Standard Service Volume.

STAR

Standard Terminal Arrival Route.

TAA

Terminal Arrival Area.

TACAN

Tactical Air Navigation.

TAWS

Terrain Awareness and Warning System.

TCAS

Traffic Alert Collision Avoidance System.

TCH

Threshold Crossing Height.

TDZE

Touchdown Zone Elevation.

TEC

Tower En Route Control.

TERP

Terminal instrument approach procedure.

TFR

Temporary Flight Restriction.

TIS

Traffic Information Service.

TPP

United States Terminal Procedures Publication.

UHF

Ultra-High Frequency.

V1

Takeoff decision speed.

V2

Takeoff safety speed.

Va

The design maneuvering speed. The maximum speed at which full, abrupt control movement can be used without overstressing the airframe.

VASI

Visual Approach Slope Indicator.

VDP

Visual Descent Point.

Vfe

The maximum speed with the flaps extended. The upper limit of the white arc.

VFR

Visual flight rules.

Vle

Landing gear extended speed. The maximum speed at which an airplane can be safely flown with the landing gear extended.

Vlo

Landing gear operating speed. The maximum speed for extending or retracting the landing gear if using an airplane equipped with retractable landing gear.

Vmc

Minimum control airspeed. This is the minimum flight speed at which a light, twin-engine airplane can be satisfactorily controlled when an engine suddenly becomes inoperative and the remaining engine is at takeoff power.

Vne

The never-exceed speed. Operating above this speed is prohibited since it may result in damage or structural failure. The red line on the airspeed indicator.

Vno

The maximum structural cruising speed. Do not exceed this speed except in smooth air. The upper limit of the green arc.

VOR

Very-high frequency Omnidirectional Range.

VORTAC

A facility consisting of two components, VOR and TACAN, which provides three individual services: VOR azimuth, TACAN azimuth, and TACAN distance (DME) at one site.

VOT

VOR test facility.

VSI

Vertical Speed Indicator.

WAAS

Wide Area Augmentation System.

WARP

Weather And Radar Processing.

WCA

Wind Correction Angle.