GLOSSARY A-M

 
Aircraft and Aviation Terms Definitions (Not in any particular order)
A  

AAIB

Air Accident Investigation Branch: British equivalent of NTSB

ACARS

Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System

ACAS

Aircraft Collision Avoidance System

ADF

Automatic Direction Finder: a navigation receiver

ADS-B

Automatic Dependent Surveillance: Broadcast

Altitude Indicator Indicates aircraft altitude or height from sea level. Must be calibrated for local atmospheric pressure.
Attidtude Indicator (Artificial Horizon) Shows if aircraft is in level flight. Usually indicated by wings on a horizontal line.

APU

Auxiliary Power Unit

ATC

Air Traffic Control
ATIS Automated Terminal Information Service
   
C  
CTAF Common Traffic Advisory Frequency
   
D  
DME Distance Measuring Equipment
   
E  
EPIRB Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon
   
F  
Flight Plan Aircraft will follow this route. Can contain multiple legs. Sumbmitted before flight.
Flight Planned Route Aircraft follows the FLIGHT PLAN there may be minor deviations but aircraft eventually resumes the FLIGHT PLANNED ROUTE.

FLIR

Forward Looking Infra-Red (radar)

FMC

Flight Management Computer

   
G  

GNSS

Global Navigation Satellite System

GPS Global Positioning System.

GPWS

Ground Proximity Warning System

GS Ground Speed. Calculated from speed indicator adjustment.
   
H  
HF High Frequency (Radio) 3mHz to 30mHz
   
I  
IAS Indicated Air Speed. Usually diminishes with altitude. (See Ground Speed).

ICAO

International Civil Aviation Organization: agency of the UN

ILS Instrument Landing System

IMC

Instrument Meteorological Conditions (see IFR)

Inmarsat

International Maritime Satellite Organization

INS

Inertial Navigation System

   
K  

KT

Knots: nautical miles/hour

   
L  

LOC

Localizer: part of Instrument Landing System

   
M  
M

Mach number: speed of a/c expressed in relation to speed of sound

 

 

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