Compiled by Manuel Bessler
A/C AirCraft, or simply airplane A/P Autopilot, electronic aid that can fly the A/C, mostly used during cruise to keep the A/C flying on course without having the Pilot keep his hands on the controls all the time. A/T Autothrottle, A/P Subsystem that controls the throttle MSL Mean Sea Level, Standardized height figure, Altimeters show the current A/C height over MSL AGL Above Ground Level, height above the Ground over which you are currently flying MSA Minimum Safe Altitude, provides minimum of 1000ft clearance from obstructions and terrain 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 MOCA Minimum Obstruction Clearance Altitude WCA Wind Correction Angle 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 ATIS Automatic Terminal Information Service PD Primary Display ND Navigation Display EICAS Engine Indication and Crew Alerting System DG Directional Gyro FD Flight Director, horizontal and vertical bars on your PD DME Distance Measuring Equipment, measures the distance(slant, not on-ground distance) to the tuned in VOR, SDF Simple Directional Facility, ADF Automatic Direction Finder, tuned to NDB RMI Radio Magnetic Indicator NDB Non Directional Beacon, LW, sends out Morse code of its ID, reception only reliable > 1000ft AGL VOR VHF Omnidirectional Range ILS OBS Omni Bearing Selector, part of a VOR gauge, used to rotate the course card CDI Course Deviation Indicator, part of a VOR gauge, a needle showing whether you are on course (centered) or not (left or right) IFR Instrument Flight Rules, 0-179: odd thousands, 180-359: even thousands VFR Visual Flight Rules, 0-179: odd thousands+500ft, 180-359: even thousands+500ft 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 IAF Initial Approach Fix FAF Final Approach Fix MAP Missed Approach Point, touch down zone of runway Precision Approach Approach system that provides vertical guidance (eg. glide path), ILS is one Non-Precision Approach Approach system that does not provide vertical guidance (glide path), GPS Global Positioning System, allows a very exact measuring of location all over the world, based on satellites LNAV Lateral Navigation, RNAV Area Navigation, flying by longitude/latitude points that are not radio navigation aids, GPS or IRS is usually used. VNAV Vertical Navigation, A/P 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 G/S Glideslope, provides vertical guidance during ILS, UHF, always goes together with LOC, usually 3deg, usable 10NM from field OM Outer Marker, part of ILS, beacon that provides range information, 4-7NM from runway threshold MM Middle Marker, part of ILS, beacon that provides range information, 3500ft from runway threshold 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 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 LDA Localizer-type Directional Aid, similar to LOC, but offset from runway heading, the approach path is not lined up with runway TOGA RTO Rejected Takeoff Approach Plate Charts containing information on approaching a specific Airport, Terminal Procedures new name for IAP Navaid Helper for navigation, eg: NDB, Fixes, VOR, GPS TDZE Touch Down Zone Elevation, the MSL of the touch down point of a runway Apt Elev Airport Elevation, the MSL of a central point of an airport IAP Intstrument Approach Plate, see Approach Plate, aka. Terminal Procedures ICAO , an Airport Designator, used for Navigation IATA , an Airport Designator, used on Flight Tickets, Baggage,... MALSR Medium intensity Approach Lighting System with Runway alignment indicator lights, a type of Runway Approach lighting MIRL Medium Intensity Runway Lights VASI Visual Approach Slope Indicator, an approach lighting system, typically two lights left of the runway, PAPI Precision Approach Path Indicator, similar to VASI, but more precise, uses four lights CTAF Common Traffic Advisory Frequency, only available at airfields with no control tower UNICOM ASOS Automated Surface Observation System, measures and broadcasts surface wheather info automatically RVR Runway Visibility Range, TACAN Tactical Air Navigation, military VORTAC VHF Omni-Directional Range/Tactical Air Navigation, military MLS Microwave Landing System 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. 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) SAT Static Air Temperature, same as OAT OAT Outside Air Temperature, the temperature of undisturbed air, derived by correcting TAT for compressibility errors PF Pilot Flying, the person that currently controls the airplane, can be either Captain or F/O PNF Pilot Non-Flying, the person who's not the PF
