Flight Abbreviations

Flight Abbreviations

These web pages are dedicated to breaking down the terminology of aviation.

If you have any suggestions for additions please email webmaster@mistert.com

A-F G-L M-R S-Z

A-F: aal,Above Aerodrome Level; ACAS,Airborne Collision Avoidance System (see also TCAS); ACC,Area Control Centre; ACFT,AcraFT; AD,Aerodrome Data; ADF,Automatic Direction Finding; ADR,ADvisory Route; ADT,Approved Departure Time; AFIS,Aerodrome Flight Information Service; AFS,Aeronautical Fixed Service; AFTN,Aeronautical Fixed Telecomunication Network; AGCS,Air Ground Communication Service; agl,Above Ground Level; AIC,Air Information Circular; AIP,Air Information Publication; AIRAC,Aeronautical Information Regulation And Control; AIRPROX,AIRcraft PROXimity (replaces Airmiss/APHAZ); AIS,Air Information Service; ALT,ALTitude; amsl,Above Mean Sea Level; ANO,Air Navigation Order; APAPI,Abbreviated Precision Approach Path Indicator; APP,APProach; ATA,Actual Time of Arrival; ATC,Air Traffic Control; ATD,Actual Time of Departure; ATIS,Automatic Terminal Information Service; ATPL(A),Airline Transport Pilot License (Aeroplane); ATS,Air Traffic Service; ATSU,Air Traffic Service Unit; AT-VASIS,Abbreviated T – Visual Approach Slope Indicator System; ATZ,Air Traffic Zone; CAA,Civil Aviation Authority; CAVOK,Visibility, Cloud and present weather better than prescribed values or conditions (CAVOK pronounced Cav-okay); CG,Centre Gravity; CMC,Crew Member Certificates; C of A,Certificate of Airworthiness; C of G,Centre of Gravity; CPL(A),Commercial Pilot License (Aeroplane)
CPLD,CouPLeD autopilot; C/S,Call Sign; CTA,ConTrol Area; CTR,ConTRol zone; DAAIS,Danger Area Activity Information Service; DACS,Danger Area Crossing Service; DF,Direction Finding
DME,Distance Measuring Equipment; DR,Dead Reckoning; EAT,Expected Approach Time
EFIS,Electronic Flight Instrument System; ETA,Expected Time of Arrival; ETD,Expected Time of Departure; FAF,Final Approach Fix; FATO,Final Approach and Take Off; FDIR,Flight DIRector; FIR,Flight Information Region; FIS,Flight Information Service; FL,Flight Level
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G-L: GA General Aviation; GAT General Air Traffic; GLONASS Global Orbiting NAvigation Satelite System; GMC Ground Movement Control; GNSS Global Navigation Satelite System
GPS Global Positioning Satelite; H24 Continuous Day and Night Service; HF High Frequency; HJ Sunrise to Sunset; HN Sunset to Sunrise; HSI Horizontal Situation Indicator; ICAO International Civil Aviation Authority
IFR Instrument Flight Rules
ILS Instrument Landing System; IMC Instrumental Meteorological Conditions; JAA Joint Aviation Authority; JAR Joint Aviation Requirements; LARS Low Airspace Radar Service
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M-R: MAC Mean Aerodynamic Chord; MAPt Missed Approach Point; MATZ Military Aerodrome Traffic Zone; MFD Multi Functional Display
NOTAM; NOZ Normal Operating Zone; NPPL National Private Pilots License; NTZ No Transgression Zone; PANS-ATM Procedures for Air Navigation Services – Air Traffic Management; PIB Pre-flight Information Bulletin; PIC Pilot In Control; PIO Pilot Induced Oscillation; PLN flight PlaN; PPL Private Pilot License; PPL(H) Private Pilot License (Helicoptor); QFE; QNE landing altimeter setting; QNH; RADALT RADar ALTimeter; RMI Radio Magnetic Indicator; RNAV aRea NAVigation; RNP Required Navigation Performance; RSR onRoute Surveillance Radar; RVR Runway Visual Range; RWY RunWaY
top S-Z: SAR Search And Rescue; SEP Single Engine Piston; SRA Surveillance Radar Approach; SSCPE StormSCoPE; SSR Secondary Surveillance Radar; TAR Terminal Area Radar; TCAS Traffic alert & Collision Avoidance System; TL Transition Level; TWR ToWeR; TWY Taxi WaY; VFR Visual Flight Rules; VMC Visual Meteorological Conditions; VOR Very high frequency Omnidirectional Radio; VSI Vertical Speed Indicator; WX RDR Weather RaDaR
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Chapter 1 Page 6

IAF Initial Approach Fix

ICAO* International Civil Aviation Organisation

IF Intermediate Approach Fix

IFR Instrument Flight Rules

ILS Instrument Landing System

IMC Instrument Meteorological Conditions

IRVR Instrumented Runway Visual Range

Kg Kilogramme(s)

kHz Kilohertz

Km Kilometre(s)

Kt Knot(s)

MAPt Missed Approach Point

MATZ* Military Aerodrome Traffic Zone

mb Millibars

MDA/H Minimum Descent Altitude/Height

MEDA* Military Emergency Diversion Aerodrome

MET* Meteorological or Meteorology

METAR* Routine aviation aerodrome weather report

MHz Megahertz

NATS National Air Traffic Services

NDB Non-Directional Radio Beacon

OAC Oceanic Area Control Unit

OCA Oceanic Control Area

5 February 2002

CAP 413 Radiotelephony Manual 2002

Chapter 1 Page 7

OCA/H Obstacle Clearance Altitude/Height

PAPI* Precision Approach Path Indicator (pronounced PAPI)

PAR Precision Approach Radar

QDM Magnetic heading (zero wind) (Sometimes employed to indicate magnetic

heading of a runway)

QDR Magnetic bearing

QFE The observed pressure at a specified datum (usually aerodrome or runway

threshold elevation) corrected for temperature

QGH Ground interpreted letdown procedure using DF equipment

QNE Landing altimeter setting

QNH Altimeter sub-scale setting to obtain elevation when on the ground and

indications of elevation when in the air

QTE True Bearing

RA Resolution Advisory (see TCAS)

RCC Rescue Co-ordination Centre

RPS Regional Pressure Setting

RTF Radiotelephone/Radiotelephony

RVR Runway Visual Range

SAR Search and Rescue

SID* Standard Instrument Departure

SIGMET* Significant information concerning en-route weather phenomena which may

affect the safety of aircraft operations

SRA Surveillance Radar Approach

SSR Secondary Surveillance Radar

STAR* Standard Instrument Arrival

TA Traffic Advisory (see TCAS)

TAF* Terminal Aerodrome Forecast

TCAS* Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (pronounced Tee-kas) (see ACAS)

TMA Terminal Control Area

T-VASIS T Visual Approach Slope Indicator System (pronounced TEE-VASIS)

1 October 2002

CAP 413 Radiotelephony Manual 2002

UAS Upper Airspace

UHF Ultra-High Frequency

UIR Upper Flight Information Region

UTC Co-ordinated Universal Time

VASIS* Visual Approach Slope Indicator System (pronounced VASIS)

VDF Very High Frequency Direction-Finding Station

VFR Visual Flight Rules

VHF Very High Frequency (30 to 300 MHz)

VMC Visual Meteorological Conditions

VOLMET* Meteorological information for aircraft in flight

VOR VHF Omnidirectional Radio Range

VORTAC* VOR and TACAN combination