-There are hundreds of aviation acronyms to get your head round
AA - Anti Aircraft
AA - American Airlines
AAL - Above Aerodrome Level
AB - Auto Brake
ABP - Able Bodied Passengers
A/C - Aircraft
ACARS - Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System
AD - Airworthiness Directive
ADC – Air Data Computer
ADF – Automatic Direction Finder
ADI - Attitude Director Indicator
ADU – Air Data Unit
AFE - Above Field Elevation
AGL - Above Ground Level
AH – Artificial Horizon
AI – Altitude Indication
AIP – Aeronautical Information Publication
ALS – Approach Lighting System
ALT - Altitude
AMSL - Above Mean Sea Level
AoA – Angle of Attack
AOC – Air Operators Certificate
AP – Auto Pilot
APP – Approach
APT - Airport
APU – Auxiliary Power Unit
ANC - Aviate Navigate Communicate
ANP - Actual Navigation Performance
AR – Aspect Ratio
ARP – Aerodrome Reference Point
ASDA – Accelerate Stop Distance Available
ASI – Airspeed Indicator
ASL - Above Sea Level
ASR - Airport Surveillance Radar
AT – Auto Throttle
ATA - Air Transport Association
ATC – Air Traffic Control
ATC – Air Training Corps
ATIS – Automatic Terminal Information Service
ATM – Air Traffic Management
ATP - Airline Transport Pilot
ATS – Air Traffic Service
ATPL – Air Transport Pilots Licence
ATZ – Air Traffic Zone
BA – Breaking Action
BA – British Airways
BAA - British Airport Authority
BACF - British Airways Cityflyer
BALPA – British Airline Pilots Association
BCS - Back Course (ILS)
BPR – By Pass Ratio
BRK - Brookfield
CA - Critical Area (ILS)
CAA – Civil Aviation Authority
CAE - A flight training organisation (OAA)
CAS – Calibrated Air Speed
CAT - Category (ILS)
CAT – Clear Air Turbulence
CAVOK - Ceiling and Visibility OK
CB - Circuit Breaker
CB - Cumulonimbus
CBT – Computer Based Training
CC - Cabin Crew
CC - Company Council
CDA – Continuous Descent Approach
CDFA – Continuous Descent Final Approach
CDI – Course Deviation Indicator
CDU - Control Display Unit
CFI – Chief Flying Instructor
CFIT – Controlled Flight into Terrain
CGI - Chief Ground Instructor
CL – Center Line
CLB – Climb
CMD – Command
CMV - Converted Meteorological Visibility
CoG – Centre of Gravity
CP – Chief Pilot / Cadet Program / Cadet Pilot
CP - Critical Point
CPL – Commercial Pilots Licence
CPT - Captain
CRM – Crew Resource Management
CRZ – Cruise
CSM - Cabin Service Manager
CSS - Cabin Service Supervisor
CTC – Integrated Flight Training Organisation
CTOT – Calculated Take Off Time
CTR – Control Zone
CTZ - Control Zone
CVR – Cockpit Voice Recorder
DA – Decision Altitude
DALR – Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate#
DEC - Direct Entry Captain
DER – Departure End (of the) Runway
DH – Decision Height
DLR – Aptitude Testing Used by Lufthansa
DME – Distance Measuring Equipment
DODAR – Diagnose/Options/Decide/Assign/Review
DOC – Designated Operating Coverage
DOW – Dry Operating Weight
EASA – European Aviation Safety Agency
EET – Estimated Elapsed Time
EFB – Electronic Flight Bag
EFIS – Electronic Flight Information System
EGT – Exhaust Gas Temperature
EHSI - Electronic Horizontal Situation Indicator
ELT – Emergency Locator Transmitter
EMR - Emergency
EPR – Engine Pressure Ratio
ET - Elapsed Time
ETA – Estimated Time of Arrival
ETOPS - Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards
ETP - Emergency Turn Procedure
EZFW – Estimated Zero Fuel Weight
EZY – easyJet (ICAO Code)
FA - Flight Attendant
FATPL – Frozen Air Transport Pilots Licence
FAA – Federal Aviation Administration
FADEC - Full Authority Digital Engine Control
FAF – Final Approach Fix
FAP - Final Approach Point
FAT – Final Approach Track
FBW – Fly By Wire
FCL – Flight Crew Licensing
FCOM – Flight Crew Operations Manual
FD – Flight Director
FDR – Flight Data Recorder
FE – Flight Engineer
FI – Flight Instructor
FIR – Flight Information Region
FIS – Flight Information Service
FO - First Officer
FOD - Foreign Object Damage
FPL – Filed Flight Plan
FPM - Feet Per Minute
FPP - Future Flyer Programme
FR – Ryanair (IATA Code)
FREQ - Frequency
FTE – Flight Training Europe, Jerez
FTO – Flight Training Organisation
GA – General Aviation
GA – Go Around
GAPAN – The Guild of Air Pilots & Air Navigators
GC - Great Circle
GE – General Electric
GH – General Handling
GND – Ground
GNSS - Global Navigation Satellite System
GP - Glide Path
GPS – Global Positioning System
GPWS – Ground Proximity Warning System
GS – Ground Speed
GS – Glide Slope
HDG – Heading
HEA - High Energy Approach
HF – Human Factors
HF – High Frequency
HIALS - High Intensity Approach Lighting System
HIL – Hold Item List
HoT – Head of Training
HOT – Hold Over Time (Anti-icing)
HP – Horse Power
HP – High Pressure
HPT – High Pressure Turbine
HSI – Horizontal Situation Indicator
HST – Hypersonic Transport
HUD – Head Up Display
HWC – Head Wing Component
HYD - Hydraulics
IAF – Initial Approach Fix
IALPA – Irish Airline Pilots Association
IAP - Instrument Approach Procedure
IAS – Indicated Air Speed
IATA – International Air Transport Association
ICAO – International Civil Aviation Organisation
IFR – Instrument Flight Rules
ILS – Instrument Landing System
IMC – Instrument Meteorological Conditions
INS – Inertial Navigation System
IR – Instrument Rating
IRS – Inertial Reference System
IRST – Instrument Rating Skills Test
ISA - International Standard Atmosphere
ITCZ – Intertropical Convergence Zone
JAA - Joint Aviation Authorities
JAR - Joint Aviation Requirements
JFO - Junior First Officer
KM - Kilometres
KPH - Kilometres per hour
KTS - Knots
LCC – Low Cost Carrier/s
LCK - Line Check
LD - Landing Distance
LDA – Landing Distance Available
LG – Landing Gear
LLZ - Localiser
LOC – Localiser
LOFT - Line Oriented Flight Training
LORAN - Long Range Navigation
LNAV – Lateral Navigation
LP – Low Pressure
LPC – Line Proficiency Check
LTC – Line Training Captain
LVL - Level
LVP – Low Visibility Procedures
MAA - Military Aviation Authority
MAA - Missed Approach Altitude
MAP – Missed Approach Point
MATZ - Military Air Traffic Zone
MCC – Multi Crew Cooperation Course
MCP – Mode Control Panel
MCT – Maximum Continuous Thrust
MDA – Minimum Decent Altitude
MDH – Minimum Decent Height
ME – Multi Engine
MEL - Minimum Equipment List
MEP – Multi Engine Piston
MET - Meteorological
METAR – Meteorological Aerodrome Report
MFRA – Minimum Flap Retraction Altitude
MLS – Microwave Landing System
MLW – Maximum Landing Weight
MM – Middle Marker
MOC - Minimum Obstacle Clearance
MORA – Minimum En-route Altitude
MPA – Multi Pilot Aircraft
MPL – Multi-Crew Pilots Licence
MSA – Minimum Sector/Safe Altitude
MSL - Mean Sea Level
MTOW – Maximum Take Off Weight
N1 – Low Pressure Compressor Speed
N2 – High Pressure Compressor Speed
NADP - Noise Abatement Departure Procedure
NATS – National Air Traffic Service
NAV – Navigation
ND – Navigation Display
NDB – Non Directional Beacon
NG - Next Generation
Nigel - A British Airways Pilot
NM - Nautical Mile
NOTAM – Notices to Airmen
NPA – Non Precision Approach
NPPL - National Private Pilots Licence
NSC - No Significant Cloud
NTS – Non Technical Skills
NTSB – National Transportation Safety Board
OAA – Oxford Aviation Academy
OAT – Outside Air Temperature
OB – Off/On Blocks
OBS – Omni Bearing Selector
OCA – Obstacle Clearance Altitude
OCC - Operators Conversion Course
OCH – Obstacle Clearance Height
OEI – One Engine Inoperative
OFP – Operational Flight Plan
OM – Operations Manual
OM – Outer Marker
OPC – Operator Proficiency Check
OTP - On Time Performance
QTY - Quantity
OXY - Oxygen
PA - Public/Passenger Announcement
PANS-OPS – Procedures for Air Navigation Services
PAPI – Precision Approach Path Indicator
PAR - Precision Approach Radar
PAX - Passenger/s
PCN - Pavement Classification Number
PET – Point Of Equal Time
PF – Pilot Flying
PFD – Primary Flight Display
PFL – Practice Forced Landing
PIC – Pilot in Command
PICUS – Pilot in Command Under Supervision
PoB – Passengers on Board
PoF – Principles of Flight
PM – Pilot Monitoring
PNF – Pilot Not Flying
PNR – Point of No Return
PPL – Private Pilots Licence
PPR - Prior Permission Required
PSI - Pressure per square inch
PSR - Point of safe return
PT – Progress Test
PUT - Pilot Under Training
QDM – Magnetic heading to a station
QDR – Magnetic Bearing from a station
QFE – Field Elevation (Pressure Setting)
QNH – Regional Pressure Setting
QRA – Quick Reaction Alert
QRH – Quick Reference Handbook
RA – Radio Altimeter
RA – Resolution Advisory
RADAR - Radio Detection and Ranging
RAF – Royal Air Force
RAT – Ram Air Turbine
RET - Rapid Exit Taxiway
RMI – Radio Magnetic Indicator
RNAV - Area Navigation
RNP - Required Navigation Performance
RPL – Repetitive Flight Plan
RT - Radio Telephony
RTO – Rejected Take Off
RYR – Ryanair (ICAO Code)
RVR – Runway Visual Range
RVSM - Reduced Vertical Separation Minima
RW - Runway
RWY – Runway
SADLR – Saturated Adiabatic Lapse Rate
SAR – Search and Rescue
SAT – Saturated Air Temperature
SE – Single Engine
SEP – Single Engine Piston
SEP – Safety and Emergency Procedures
SFI – Synthetic Flight Instructor
SFO – Senior First Officer
SHF – Super High Frequency
SIC – Second In Command
SID – Standard Instrument Departure
SIGMET - Significant meteorological advisory
SLF - Self Loading Freight (Passengers)
SLP – Speed Limit Point
SM - Statute Mile
SMR - Surface Movement Radar
S/O – Second Officer
SOP's - Standard Operating Procedures
SOS - Save our Souls (Distress call)
SPIC – Student Pilot In Command
SR - Sunrise
SRA – Surveillance Radar Approach
SS - Sunset
SSR – Secondary Surveillance Radar
SST – Supersonic Transport
STA - Scheduled Time of Arrival
STAR – Standard Terminal Arrival Route
STD - Scheduled Time of Departure
STD – Standard (Pressure Setting 1013mb)
TA – Transition Altitude
TA – Traffic Advisory
TAA - Terminal Arrival Area
TACAN - Tactical Air Navigation
TAF – Terminal Area Forecast
TAF – Aerodrome Forecast
TAS – True Airspeed
TAT – Total Air Temperature
TCAS – Traffic Collision Avoidance System
TCH - Threshold Crossing Height
TDZ - Touch Down Zone
TEM – Threat and Error Management
THOB – Total Heads On Board
THR – Threshold
TL – Transition Level
TMA - Terminal Manoeuvring Area
T/O - Take Off
TO/GA – Take Off Go Around
TOC - Take Off Configuration
TOC – Top Of Climb
TOD – Top Of Descent
TODA – Take Off Distance Available
TORA – Take Off Run Available
TOW – Take Off Weight
TP – Turbo Prop
TR – Type Rating
TRE - Type Rating Examiner
TRI - Type Rating Instructor
TRTO – Type Rating Training Organisation
TS - Thunder Storm
TT – Total Time
TWC – Tail Wind Component
TWR – Tower
TWY - Taxiway
UA - Unusual Attitude
UAS – University Air Squadron
UAV – Unmanned Air Vehicles
UFO - Unidentified Flying Object
UHF – Ultra High Frequency
UIR - Upper Information Region
U/S – Unserviceable
USAF - United States Air Force
UTC – Universal Co-ordinated Time (Zulu)
VAAC – Volcanic Ash Advisory Center
VAC – Volcanic Approach Chart
VASI - Vertical Approach Slope Indicator
VFE – Flap Extension Speed
VFR – Visual Flight Rules
VHF – Very High Frequency
VIMD – Maximum Drag Speed
VLE – Maximum Landing Gear Extended Speed
VMC – Visual Meteorological Conditions
VMCA – Minimum Control Speed Airborne
VMCG – Minimum Control Speed Ground
VNAV – Vertical Navigation
VNE – Never Exceed Speed
VNO – Normal Operating Speed
VOR – VHF Omni Directional Radio Range
VRB – Variable
VS - Vertical Speed
VSI – Vertical Speed Indicator
VTOL – Vertical Take Off and Landing
VIP - Very Important Person
VVIP - Very Very Important Person
VX – Best Angle of Climb Speed
VY – Best Rate of Climb Speed
WILCO – Will Comply
WIP – Work In Progress
WOCL – Window of Circadian Low
WPT – Way Point
WX - Weather
XPDR - Transponder
XWC – Cross Wind Component
Z - Zulu Time (Same as UTC and GMT)
ZFW – Zero Fuel Weight
