Abbreviations and acronyms

Acronym Meaning
AAL above aerodrome level
ACD airways clearance delivery
ADF automatic direction finder
AESIS automatic en route information service
AF audio frequency
AFRU aerodrome frequency response unit
AGL above ground level
AI attitude indicator
AIC Aeronautical Information Circular
AIP Aeronautical Information Publication
AIREP air report
AIS aeronautical information service
ALA aircraft landing area
ALT altitude
AM amplitude modulation
AMSL above mean sea level
APP approach control
ARFOR area forecast
ASI airspeed indicator
ATIS automatic terminal information service
ATPL air transport pilot licence
ATS air traffic services
AVGAS aviation gasoline
AWIB aerodrome weather information broadcast
AWS automatic weather station
CAO Civil Aviation Order
CAR Civil Aviation Regulation
CASA Civil Aviation Safety Authority
CASR Civil Aviation Safety Regulation
CAVOK ceiling and visibility OK
CENSAR centralised SARTIME
CERT certified aerodrome
CFI chief flying instructor
CG centre of gravity
CIR command instrument rating
CLR clearance or clear
COM communications
CPL commercial pilot licence
cps cycles per second
CST central standard time
CSuT central summer time
CTA control area/controlled airspace
CTAF common traffic advisory frequency
CTR control zone
CW carrier wave
DA density altitude
DG directional gyro
DI direction indicator
DME distance measuring equipment
ELB emergency locator beacon
ELT emergency locator transmitter
EMERG emergency
ENR en route (e.g AIP ENR)
ERC En Route Chart
ERSA En Route Supplement Australia
EST Eastern Standard Time
ESuT Eastern Summer Time
ETA estimated time of arrival
FAC facility
FIA flight information area
FIR flight information region
FIS flight information service
FL flight level
FM frequency modulation
FPM feet per minute
FROL flight radiotelephone operator licence
FS flight service
FT feet
GA general aviation
GEN general (e.g. AIP GEN)
GFPT General Flying Progress Test
GNSS global navigation satellite system
GPS global positioning system
GS groundspeed
HDG heading
HF high frequency
Hz hertz
IAS indicated airspeed
ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization
IFF identification friend/foe
IFR instrument flight rules
ILS instrument landing system
IMC instrument meteorological conditions
ISA International Standard Atmosphere
kHz kilohertz
KIAS knots, indicated airspeed
km kilometre
kt knot
KTAS knots, true airspeed
L/D lift drag ratio
LAME licensed aircraft maintenance engineer
LF low frequency
LL lower limits
LMT local mean time
LSALT lowest safe altitude
LST local standard time
MAP manifold absolute pressure
MET meteorology
METAR aviation routine weather report
MF medium frequency
MHz megahertz
MIL military aerodrome (could be CTAF after hours)
MLJ military low jet (route)
MP manifold pressure
MULTICOM chatter frequency
NAV navigation
NAVAID navigation aid
NDB non directional beacon
NOTAM notice to airmen
PAX passengers
PCA Planning Chart Australia
PIC pilot in command
POB persons on board
POH pilot’s operating handbook
PPL private pilot licence
PRD prohibited, restricted and danger areas
PTT press to talk (or transmit)
PVT private category flight
QNH altimeter pressure datum to show vertical distance above local mean sea level (AMSL)
R/T radio telephony
RA recreational aviation
RBI relative bearing indicator
RCC rescue coordination centre
REG registered aerodrome
RF radio frequency
RMI radio magnetic indicator
ROC rate of climb
ROD rate of descent
RPM revolutions per minute
RPT regular public transport
RQMNTS requirements
RTF radio telephone
RWY runway
SAR search and rescue
SARTIME a nominated time by which search action will be initiated
SARWATCH a generic term covering SAR alerting, based on position reporting, scheduled reporting times (SKEDS), or a nominated SARTIME
SBY standby
SIGMET significant weather warning
SIS surveillance information service
SMC surface movement control
SSR secondary surveillance radar
SUBJ subject to
TAC terminal area chart
TAF terminal area forecast
TAS true airspeed
TR track over the ground
TST test
TWR aerodrome control tower
UHF ultra high frequency
UNCR unregistered (uncertified) aerodrome
UNICOM universal communications (frequency)
USG US gallon
UTC coordinated universal time
UV ultraviolet
VFR visual flight rules
VHF very high frequency
VLF very low frequency
VMC visual meteorological conditions
VNC visual navigation chart (1,500,000)
VOR VHF omni-directional radio range
VSI vertical speed indicator
VTC Visual Terminal Chart (1,250,000)
W/V wind velocity
WAC World Aeronautical Chart (1,1,000,000)
WST Western Standard Time
WX weather
XW or X-wind crosswind

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