Abbreviations

Abbreviations and acronyms are used to simplify the complex regulation and technical nature of the aviation industry. The following is a list of many of these abbreviations and acronyms for your reference.

A & P	Airframe and Powerplant
A/FD	Airport/Facility Directory
AC	Advisory Circular
ACAR	Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System
ACAS	Airborne Collision Avoidance System
ADCUS	Advise Customs
ADF	Automatic Direction Finder
ADIZ	Air Defense Identification Zone
AFSS	Automated Flight Service Station
ALD	Available Landing Distance
APA	Allied Pilots Association
ARFFIC	Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Incident Commander
ARINC	Aeronautical Radio Incorporated
ARSA	Airport Radar Service Area
ARSR	Air Route Surveillance Radar
ARTS	Automated Radar Terminal System
ASOS	Automated Surface Observing System
ASR	Airport Surveillance Radar
ATCRBS	Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System
ATCSCC	Air Traffic Control System Command Center
ATD	Along Track (Straight-line) Distance
ATT	Attitude Retention System
AWOS	Automated Weather Observing System
BBS	Bulletin Board System
CAB	Civil Aeronautics Board
CASS	Continuing Analysis and Surveillance Systems
CD	Controller Display
CDI	Course Deviation Indicator
CERAP	Combined Center/RAPCON
CFA	Controlled Firing Area
CFIT	Controlled Flight Into Terrain
CFR	Code of Federal Regulations
CTAF	Common Traffic Advisory Frequency
CVFP	Charted Visual Flight Procedure
CVR	Cockpit Voice Recorder
CVRS	Computerized Voice Reservation System
CWA	Center Weather Advisory
DA	Decision Altitude
DCP	Data Collection Package
DF	Direction Finder
DH	Decision Height
DME	Distance Measuring Equipment
DME/N	Standard DME
DME/P	Precision DME
DOD	Department of Defense
DOT	Department of Transportation
DP	Instrument Departure Procedure
DPU	Data Processor Unit
DUATS	Direct User Access Terminal System
DVA	Diverse Vector Area
DVFR	Defense Visual Flight Rules
EFAS	En Route Flight Advisory Service
EASA	European Aviation Safety Agency
ESV	Expanded Service Volume
ETA	Estimated Time of Arrival
ETD	Estimated Time of Departure
ETE	Estimated Time En Route
ETOPS	Extended Twin-Engine Operations
FAA	Federal Aviation Administration
FAR	Federal Aviation Regulation
FBO	Fixed Base Operator
FCC	Federal Communications Commission
FD	Flight Director System
FDC	Flight Data Center
FDR	Flight Data Recorder
FISDL	Flight Information Services Data Link
FMSP	Flight Management System Procedure
FSDO	Flight Standards District Office
GBAS	Ground Based Augmentation System
GLS	GNSS Landing System
GPWS	Ground Proximity Warning System
GSD	Geographical Situation Display
GUS	Ground Uplink Station
HAT	Height Above Touchdown
HDTA	High Density Traffic Airports
HIWAS	Hazardous Inflight Weather Advisory Service
IAP	Instrument Approach Procedure
IAS	Indicated Air Speed
IF	Intermediate Fix
ILS	Instrument Landing System
IMC	Instrument Meteorological Conditions
ITWS	Integrated Terminal Weather System
LAA	Local Airport Advisory
LAHSO	Land and Hold Short Operations
LAWRS	Limited Aviation Weather Reporting Station
LDA	Localizer Type Directional Aid
LLWAS	Low Level Wind Shear Alert System
MAHWP	Missed Approach Holding Waypoint
MALS	Medium Intensity Approach Light System
MAP	Missed Approach Point
MATA	Minnesota Aviation Trades Association
MAWP	Missed Approach Waypoint
MDA	Minimum Descent Altitude
MEA	Minimum En Route Altitude
MIRL	Medium Intensity Runway Lights
MLS	Microwave Landing System
MM	Middle Marker
MOCA	Minimum Obstruction Clearance Altitude
MSA	Minimum Safe Altitude
MSAW	Minimum Safe Altitude Warning
MTI	Moving Target Indicator
MVA	Minimum Vectoring Altitude
NASA	National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NAVAID	Navigational Aid
NDB	Non-directional Radio Beacon
NFDC	National Flight Data Center
NIDS	National Institute for Discovery Sciences
NIMA	National Imagery and Mapping Agency
NMAC	Near Midair Collision
NOAA	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NoPT	No Procedure Turn Required
NTSB	National Transportation Safety Board
OAT	Outside Air Temperature
PAPI	Precision Approach Path Indicator
PAR	Precision Approach Radar
PAR	Preferred Arrival Route
PFD	Personal Flotation Device
POB	Persons on Board
POH	Pilots Operating Handbook
PT	Procedure Turn
RA	Resolution Advisory
RADAR	Radio Detection and Ranging
RBDT	Ribbon Display Terminals
RCAG	Remote Center Air/Ground
RCC	Rescue Coordination Center
REIL	Runway End Identifier Lights
RMI	Radio Magnetic Indicator
RNP	Required Navigation Performance
RVSM	Reduced Vertical Separation Minima
SAR	Search and Rescue
SCAT-1 DGPS	Special Category I Differential GPS
SDF	Simplified Directional Facility
SFL	Sequenced Flashing Lights
SIAP	Standard Instrument Approach Procedure
SID	Standard Instrument Departure
SMGCS	Surface Movement Guidance Control System
SPS	Standard Positioning Service
STAR	Standard Terminal Arrival
STOL	Short Take-Off and Landing
SWAP	Severe Weather Avoidance Procedure
TA	Traffic Advisory
TAF	Aerodrome Forecast
TAS	True Air Speed
TAWS	Terrain Avoidance and Warning System
TCAS	Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System
TCH	Threshold Crossing Height
TD	Time Difference
TDWR	Terminal Doppler Weather Radar
TDZL	Touchdown Zone Lights
TLS	Transponder Landing System
TPP	Terminal Procedures Publications
TRACON	Terminal Radar Approach Control
TRSA	Terminal Radar Service Area
TSA	Transportation Security Administration
TSO	Technical Standard Order
TWEB	Transcribed Weather Broadcast
U.S.	United States
UFO	Unidentified Flying Object
USCG	United States Coast Guard
UTC	Coordinated Universal Time
VASI	Visual Approach Slope Indicator
VDA	Vertical Descent Angle
VDP	Visual Descent Point
VGSI	Visual Glide Slope Indicator
VIP	Video Integrator Processor
VMC	Visual Meteorological Conditions
Vmini	Minimum speed - IFR
Vnei	Never exceed speed - IFR
VOR	Very High Frequency Omni-directional Range
VORTAC	VHF Omni-directional Range/Tactical Air Navigation
VTOL	Vertical Take-Off and Landing
Vx	Best Angle of Climb speed
Vy	Best Rate of Climb speed
WAAS	Wide Area Augmentation System
WAC	World Aeronautical Chart
WATA	Wisconsin Aviation Trades Association
WGS-84	World Geodetic System of 1984
WMO	World Meteorological Organization
WMS	Wide-Area Master Station
WRS	Wide-Area Ground Reference Station

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