Aeronautical Terms beginning with H
HAA
Height Above Airport
HAL
Height Above Landing
Handoff
An action taken to transfer the radar identification of an aircraft from one controller to another if the aircraft will enter the receiving controller’s airspace and radio communications with the aircraft will be transferred.
HAR
High Altitude Redesign
HAT
Height Above Touchdown
Have Numbers
Used by pilots to inform ATC that they have received runway, wind, and altimeter information only.
Hazardous Inflight Weather Advisory Service
Continuous recorded hazardous inflight weather forecasts broadcasted to airborne pilots over selected VOR outlets defined as an HIWAS Broadcast Area. Discontinued on January 8, 2020.
Hazardous Weather Information
Summary of significant meteorological information (SIGMET/WS), convective significant meteorological information (convective SIGMET/WST), urgent pilot weather reports (urgent PIREP/UUA), center weather advisories (CWA), airmen’s meteorological information (AIRMET/WA) and any other weather such as isolated thunderstorms that are rapidly developing and increasing in intensity, or low ceilings and visibilities that are becoming widespread which is considered significant and are not included in a current hazardous weather advisory.
Heavy
An Aircraft Class Wake Turbulence Separation Minima. Aircraft capable of takeoff weights of 300,000 pounds or more whether or not they are operating at this weight during a particular phase of flight.
Heavy (Aircraft)
Aircraft Classes.
Height Above Airport
The height of the Minimum Descent Altitude above the published airport elevation. This is published in conjunction with circling minimums.
Height Above Landing
The height above a designated helicopter landing area used for helicopter instrument approach procedures.
Height Above Touchdown
The height of the Decision Height or Minimum Descent Altitude above the highest runway elevation in the touchdown zone (first 3,000 feet of the runway). HAT is published on instrument approach charts in conjunction with all straight-in minimums.
Helicopter
Rotorcraft that, for its horizontal motion, depends principally on its engine-driven rotors.
Helicopter [ICAO]
A heavier-than-air aircraft supported in flight chiefly by the reactions of the air on one or more power-driven rotors on substantially vertical axes.
Helipad
A small, designated area, usually with a prepared surface, on a heliport, airport, landing/takeoff area, apron/ramp, or movement area used for takeoff, landing, or parking of helicopters.
Heliport
An area of land, water, or structure used or intended to be used for the landing and takeoff of helicopters and includes its buildings and facilities if any.
Heliport Reference Point (HRP)
The geographic center of a heliport.
Hertz
The standard radio equivalent of frequency in cycles per second of an electromagnetic wave. Kilohertz (kHz) is a frequency of one thousand cycles per second. Megahertz (MHz) is a frequency of one million cycles per second.
HF
High Frequency
HF Communications
High Frequency Communications.
High Altitude Redesign (HAR)
A level of non-restrictive routing (NRR) service for aircraft that have all waypoints associated with the HAR program in their flight management systems or RNAV equipage.
High Frequency
The frequency band between 3 and 30 MHz.
High Frequency Communications
High radio frequencies (HF) between 3 and 30 MHz used for air-to-ground voice communication in overseas operations.
High Speed Exit
High Speed Taxiway.
High Speed Taxiway
A long radius taxiway designed and provided with lighting or marking to define the path of aircraft, traveling at high speed (up to 60 knots), from the runway center to a point on the center of a taxiway. Also referred to as long radius exit or turn-off taxiway. The high speed taxiway is designed to expedite aircraft turning off the runway after landing, thus reducing runway occupancy time.
High Speed Turnoff
High Speed Taxiway.
HIWAS
Hazardous Inflight Weather Advisory Service. Discontinued on January 8, 2020.
HIWAS Area
Hazardous Inflight Weather Advisory Service. Discontinued on January 8, 2020.
HIWAS Broadcast Area
A geographical area of responsibility including one or more HIWAS outlet areas assigned to an AFSS/FSS for hazardous weather advisory broadcasting. Discontinued on January 8, 2020.
HIWAS Outlet Area
An area defined as a 150 NM radius of a HIWAS outlet, expanded as necessary to provide coverage. Discontinued on January 8, 2020.
Hold For Release
Used by ATC to delay an aircraft for traffic management reasons; i.e., weather, traffic volume, etc. Hold for release instructions (including departure delay information) are used to inform a pilot or a controller (either directly or through an authorized relay) that an IFR departure clearance is not valid until a release time or additional instructions have been received.
Hold In Lieu Of Procedure Turn
A hold in lieu of procedure turn shall be established over a final or intermediate fix when an approach can be made from a properly aligned holding pattern. The hold in lieu of procedure turn permits the pilot to align with the final or intermediate segment of the approach and/or descend in the holding pattern to an altitude that will permit a normal descent to the final approach fix altitude. The hold in lieu of procedure turn is a required maneuver (the same as a procedure turn) unless the aircraft is being radar vectored to the final approach course, when “NoPT” is shown on the approach chart, or when the pilot requests or the controller advises the pilot to make a “straight-in” approach.
Hold Procedure
A predetermined maneuver which keeps aircraft within a specified airspace while awaiting further clearance from air traffic control. Also used during ground operations to keep aircraft within a specified area or at a specified point while awaiting further clearance from air traffic control.
Hold-Short Point
A point on the runway beyond which a landing aircraft with a LAHSO clearance is not authorized to proceed. This point may be located prior to an intersecting runway, taxiway, predetermined point, or approach/departure flight path.
Hold-Short Position Lights
Flashing in-pavement white lights located at specified hold-short points.
Hold-Short Position Marking
The painted runway marking located at the hold-short point on all LAHSO runways.
Hold-Short Position Signs
Red and white holding position signs located alongside the hold-short point.
Holding Fix
A specified fix identifiable to a pilot by NAVAIDs or visual reference to the ground used as a reference point in establishing and maintaining the position of an aircraft while holding.
Holding Point [ICAO]
A specified location, identified by visual or other means, in the vicinity of which the position of an aircraft in flight is maintained in accordance with air traffic control clearances.
Holding Procedure
Hold Procedure.
Homing
Flight toward a NAVAID, without correcting for wind, by adjusting the aircraft heading to maintain a relative bearing of zero degrees.
Homing [ICAO]
The procedure of using the direction-finding equipment of one radio station with the emission of another radio station, where at least one of the stations is mobile, and whereby the mobile station proceeds continuously towards the other station.
Hover Check
Used to describe when a helicopter/VTOL aircraft requires a stabilized hover to conduct a performance/power check prior to hover taxi, air taxi, or takeoff. Altitude of the hover will vary based on the purpose of the check.
Hover Taxi
Used to describe a helicopter/VTOL aircraft movement conducted above the surface and in ground effect at airspeeds less than approximately 20 knots. The actual height may vary, and some helicopters may require hover taxi above 25 feet AGL to reduce ground effect turbulence or provide clearance for cargo slingloads.
How Do You Hear Me?
A question relating to the quality of the transmission or to determine how well the transmission is being received.
Hz
Hertz
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