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Abbreviations / Definitions

A

AAA : Anti-Aircraft-Artillery.
AAM : Air-To-Air Missile.
AAW : Air-To-Air Warfare.
AB : After Burner.
ABS : Autobrake system.
ACARS : Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System.
ACC : Area Control Centre.
ACM : Moving map display.
ADC : Air Data Computer : Computer correcting aerodynamic datas like speed and altitude.
ADS-B : Automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast is a surveillance technology in which an aircraft determines its position via satellite navigation and periodically broadcasts it, enabling it to be tracked. The information can be received by air traffic control ground stations as a replacement for secondary radar. It can also be received by other aircraft to provide situational awareness and allow self separation.
AEW : Airborne Early Warning.
AGM : Air-To-Ground Missile.
ALS : Approach Light System guiding to the runway.
AMRAAM : Medium range air to air missile.
AOA : Angle Of Attack.
AOG : Aircraft On Ground. An part delivered to a place where an aircraft needs repair.
ARINC : Aeronautical Radio Incorporated system (USA).
ASM : Air-To-Surface Missile.
ASR : Airport Surveillance Radar.
ASSY : Assembly : Abbreviation often used for aircraft parts.
AsuW : Anti-Surface-Warfare.
ASW : Anti-Submarine-Warfare.
ATA : Air Transport Association of America.
ATC : Air Traffic Control. Civilian air traffic control system..
ATIS : Automatic Terminal Information Service. Radio broadcast of weather and operational conditions at an airport.
ATZ : Aerodrome Traffic Zone.
Avionics : Aviation Electronics.
AWAC : Airborne Warning And Control.

B

B/B : Back Beam : Used for horizontal guidance to a front ILS equipped runway.
BDA : Battle Damage Assessment.
Bingo : "Bingo Fuel" Expression used by pilots returning from a mission with minimum fuel.
BITE : Built-in Test Equipment.
Bogie : Unknown airborne target.
Breaker : Automatic fuse.

C

CAA : Civil Aviation Authority.
CAT I : an approach and precision instrument landing with a decision height not lower than 200 feet (61 m) above the touchdown zone elevation and with either a visibility of at least 800 meters (2625 feet) or runway visual range (RVR) of 550 meters (1804 feet).
CAT II : an approach and precision instrument landing with a decision height lower than 200 feet (61 m) above the touchdown zone elevation but not less than 100 feet (30 m), and a runway visual range of at least 300 meters (984 feet) for aircraft category A, B, C, and not less than 350 meters (1,148 feet) for aircraft of category D.
CAT III A : A precision instrument approach with a decision height lower than 100 feet (30 m) above the touchdown zone elevation, or with no decision height and a runway visual range of at least 200 meters (656 feet).
CAT III B : A precision instrument approach with a decision height lower than 50 feet (15 m) above the zone elevation touchdown, or no decision height and a runway visual range below 200 meters (656 feet), at least equal to 75 meters (246 feet).
CAT III C : an approach and a precision instrument landing with no decision height and no limitation in the RVR. A Category III C approach has to use the automatic pilot to do the approach as well as tracking along the runway.
Chaff : Thin metal sheets dropped by an aircraft to fool radar guided missiles.
CAP : Combat Air Patrol.
Clearway : Zone sans obstacles à la fin d'une piste d'envol.
CRT : Cathode Ray Tube.
CTR : Control Zone. Zone controlled by a tower.

D

DFDR : Digital Flight Data Recorder : Data flight recorders used on modern civil aircrafts.
DGAC : Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile. French civil aviation administration.
DME : Distance Measuring Equipment.
Durandal : Runway bombing missile.
Doppler : A Doppler radar is a specialized radar that uses the Doppler effect to produce velocity data about objects at a distance. It does this by bouncing a microwave signal off a desired target and analyzing how the object's motion has altered the frequency of the returned signal. This variation gives direct and highly accurate measurements of the radial component of a target's velocity relative to the radar. Doppler radars are used in aviation, sounding satellites, meteorology, police speed guns, radiology and bistatic radar (surface-to-air missile).

E

ECAM : Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitoring. Displays technical informations in the cockpit using CRT's.
ECCM : Electronic Counter-Counter-Measures : Interfering techniques over enemy ECM's.
ECM : Electronic Counter Measures : Techniques used to jam enemy localisation devices.
EFIS : Electronic Flight Instrument System : CRT or LCD based pilot information display.
EICAS : An engine-indicating and crew-alerting system is an integrated system used in modern aircraft to provide aircraft crew with aircraft engines and other systems instrumentation and crew annunciations. On EICAS equipped aircraft the "recommended remedial action" is called a checklist.
ELINT (Electronic signals intelligence) refers to intelligence-gathering by use of electronic sensors. Its primary focus lies on non-communications signals intelligence. Signal identification is performed by analyzing the collected parameters of a specific signal, and either matching it to known criteria, or recording it as a possible new emitter. ELINT data are usually highly classified, and are protected as such.
ELT : Emergency Locator.
EPR : Engine Pressure Ratio. Ratio between exhaust and inlet pressures in a jet engine. Displayed on pilot's instruments by certain engine manufacturers.
ESM : Electronic Signal Measures : Techniques used to get informations on enemy EW.
ETA : Estimated Time of Arrival.
ETD : Estimated Time of Departure.
ETE : Estimated Time En Route.
ETO : Estimated Time Over (a waypoint).
ETOPS : Extended range Twin engined aircraft Operations. Rules of operations for twin engined aircrafts at long distances of diversion airports.
EW : Electronic Warfare : Includes ESM, ECM and ECCM.
EMCON : Emissions Control : Techniques used to reduce electronic emissions EW.

F

FAA : Federal Aviation Administration.
FADEC : Full Authority Digital Electronics Control. An electronic computer designed for the management of engine thrust.
FAR : Federal Aviation Regulations.
FCC : Flight Control Computer.
FCOM : Flight Crew Operating Manual.
FIR : Flight Information Region.
FL : Flight Level in hundreds of feet, except for countries like Russia and China that use the metric system.
Flares : In flight dropped devices used to attract heat seeking missiles.
FLIR : Forward Looking InfraRed cameras, typically used on military and civilian aircraft, use a thermographic camera that senses infrared radiation. The sensors installed in forward-looking infrared cameras—as well as those of other thermal imaging cameras—use detection of infrared radiation, typically emitted from a heat source (thermal radiation), to create a "picture" assembled for video output. They can be used to help pilots at night and in fog, or to detect warm objects against a cooler background. The wavelength of infrared that thermal imaging cameras detect differs significantly from that of night vision, which operates in the visible light and near-infrared ranges (0.4 to 1.0 μm).
Fly-By-Wire : Flight controls system using only electrical signals and computers (FCC).
FMGS : Flight Management and Guidance System (computers).
FMS : Flight Management System (Onboard computers).

G

G : Measure of gravity.
Gallon : One US Gallon = 4,4 litres.
GCA : Ground Controlled Approach : A system where a ground radar operator is used to guide pilots in their final approach.
GMT : Greenwich Mean Time.
GNSS : Global Navigation Satellite System. Système de navigation par satellite.
Goblin : Unknown under water contact.
GPU : Ground Power Unit.
GPWS : Ground Proximity Warning System. Uses a radio altimeter and a computer for terrain proximity warning when the aircraft is not in a landing configuration.

H

Hard Kill : Missiles destroyed by other missiles or defence systems.
HARM : Anti-radiation - high speed missile.
HF : High Frequency : Frequencies between 3 and 30 MHz.
HOTAS : "Hands On Throttle-And-Stick", is the name given to the concept of placing buttons and switches on the throttle lever and flight control stick in an aircraft's cockpit, allowing pilots to access vital cockpit functions and fly the aircraft without having to remove their hands from the throttle and flight controls.

I

IADS : Integrated Air Defence System : Combines the detection systems, weapons and structures protecting a country.
ICAO : International Civil Aviation Organisation.
IFF : Identify friend or foe system.
IFR : Instruments Flight Rules.
ILS : Instrument Landing System. Electronic system widely used in civil airports for approach guidance.
INS : Inertial Navigation System.
IR : Infrared.
ISA : International Standard Atmosphere. 15°C at sea level and an atmospheric pressure of 1013.2 millibars (29.92 in hg).

J

JAR : Joint Aviation Requirements. New rules in civil aviation.

K

KIAS : Knots Indicated Airspeed.
KRUEGER (Flaps) : A folding out Slat placed at the root of the wing.

L

LANTIRN : "Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night". A combined navigation and targeting pod system for use on the USAF's premier fighter aircraft. LANTIRN significantly increases the combat effectiveness at low altitudes, at night and under-the-weather to attack ground targets with a variety of precision-guided weapons.
LCD : Liquid Crystal Display.
LF : Low Frequency : Frequencies between 30 and 300 kHz.
LORAN : Long Range Aid to Air Navigation. Navigation system used from the fifties.
LORCAP : Long-Range Air Combat Patrol.
Look Down/ Shoot Down : System able to detect and destroy cruise missiles or aircrafts flying at low altitude.

M

MALS : Medium Intensity Approach Light system.
MAP : Manifold Air Pressure (Piston engines).
MAYDAY : The international distress signal. Used three times. See also "Pan".
MEA : Minimum Enroute IFR Altitude.
MLS : Microwave Landing System.
MMO : Maximum Operating Mach.
MORA : Minimum Off Route Altitude : Altitude minimale en dehors de la route.

N

NDB : Non Directional Beacon. A simple transmitter used for direction finding.
nm : Nautical Mile. 1 nm = 1.852 km.

O

OACI : Organisation de l'aviation civile internationale
OEM : Original Equipment Manufacturer

P

PAN : The international urgency signal. Used three times. See also "Mayday".
PCL : Pilot Controlled Lightning. Radio controlled lighting of certain US airports activated by keying the aircraft's microphone.
PSI : Pound per Square Inch. 1000 PSI = 68,95 Bars = 70,31 kgf/cm2.

Q

QFE : Code Q : Height above airport elevation based on local station pressure.
QNH : Code Q : Altitude above mean sea level based on local station pressure.

R

Racket : Unknown ESM Contact.
RAT : Ram Air Turbine.
Rookie : Pilot with no experience.

S

SELCAL : Selective radio Calling system.
SFC : Specific Fuel Consumption of an engine. It is the quantity of fuel needed for the
production of a determined quantity of energy.
Skunk : Unknown surface contact.
Soids : Flares floating over water.
STOL : Short Take-Off and Landing aircraft.
Stopway : Emergency stopping zone at the end of a runway that is not used for normal take-off roll.
SAM : Surface-To-Air Missile.
SSM : Surface-To-Surface Missile.
SSR : Secondary Surveillance Radar. Uses airborne transponders for positive identification of a radar echo.

T

TACAN : Tactical Air Navigation system. UHF military navigation aid.
TCAS : Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System.
TODA : Take Off Distance Available. Includes the length of the runway plus eventual clearway.

U

UHF : Ultra High frequency.

V

Variation : Difference between true north and magnetic north for a specific location and period.
VASI : Visual Slope Indicator.
VHF : Very High Frequency : Frequencies between 30 and 300 MHz.
VLF : Very Low Frequency : Frequencies between 3 and 30 kHz.
VOLMET Broadcast : Routine broadcast of meteorological information for aircrafts in flight.
VTOL : vertical Take-Off and Landing.

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