A to C
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| AGL | Above ground level |
| AIP | Aeronautical Information Publication: a country's official book of procedures, charts and data |
| AIRAC | The 28-day cycle on which aeronautical data changes. See AIRAC cycles |
| ALT | Altitude |
| AMSL | Above mean sea level |
| ATC | Air traffic control |
| ATIS | Automatic terminal information service: a recorded weather and runway broadcast |
| Base leg | The part of a circuit or approach flown at right angles to the runway before final |
| CAVOK | Ceiling and visibility OK. See METAR and TAF |
| Ceiling | The lowest broken or overcast cloud layer |
| Clearance | Permission from ATC to proceed under stated conditions |
| CTAF | Common traffic advisory frequency, used at airports without an active tower |
| CTR | Control zone; on the radio, also short for a centre (area) controller |
D to I
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| DA / DH | Decision altitude or height: where you decide to land or go around on a precision approach |
| DME | Distance measuring equipment |
| EFC | Expect further clearance: the time you expect to leave a hold |
| ETA / ETD / ETE | Estimated time of arrival, departure, en route |
| FAF | Final approach fix |
| FL | Flight level: pressure altitude in hundreds of feet, for example FL350 |
| FMC / FMS | Flight management computer or system |
| GA | Go-around; also general aviation |
| GS | Groundspeed; also glide slope |
| Hold short | Stop before a runway or holding point |
| IAF | Initial approach fix |
| IFR | Instrument flight rules |
| ILS | Instrument landing system. See navaids and approaches |
| IMC | Instrument meteorological conditions |
L to Q
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| LOC | Localizer: the lateral part of an ILS |
| MDA | Minimum descent altitude, on a non-precision approach |
| METAR | A routine weather observation at an airport |
| MSA | Minimum sector altitude: the lowest safe altitude within 25 NM of a navaid or fix |
| NDB | Non-directional beacon |
| NOTAM | Notice to air missions: a temporary change or hazard |
| OAT | Outside air temperature |
| Pushback | Being pushed backwards from the stand by a tug |
| QFE | Altimeter setting that reads zero on the runway |
| QNH | Altimeter setting that reads elevation above sea level. See altimetry |
R to Z
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| RNAV | Area navigation: flying between waypoints rather than navaids |
| RNP | Required navigation performance |
| RVR | Runway visual range: how far a pilot can see along the runway |
| RVSM | Reduced vertical separation minima: 1,000 ft between FL290 and FL410 |
| SID | Standard instrument departure |
| Squawk | Transponder code. See squawk codes |
| STAR | Standard terminal arrival route |
| TA / TL | Transition altitude and transition level |
| TAF | Terminal aerodrome forecast |
| TAS | True airspeed |
| TOD | Top of descent |
| UTC / Zulu | Coordinated Universal Time, used for all times in aviation |
| Vectors | Headings given by a radar controller |
| VFR | Visual flight rules |
| VMC | Visual meteorological conditions |
| VOR | VHF omnidirectional range |
| Wilco | "I will comply" |
For flight simulation and training only. Real-world procedures vary by country and operator; always follow the published charts and your local rules.