ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS

Occasionally you may see an abbreviation or two on this or other aviation related sites.

If you're not a pilot, you may find the following helpful.

AGL above ground level
ALS approach light system
ASR airport surveillance radar
ATC air traffic control
CAS calibrated airspeed
CAT II Category II
CONSOL a kind of low or medium frequency long range navigation aid
DH decision height
DME distance mesuring equipment compatable with TACAN
EAS equivalent airspeed
FAA Federal Aviation Administration
FM fan marker
GS glide slope
HIRL high intensity runway light system
ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization
IFR instrument flight rules
ILS instrument landing system
IM ILS inner marker
INT intersection
LDA localizer-type directional aid
LFR low-frequency radio range
LMM compass locator at middle marker
LOC ILS localizer
LOM compass locator at outer marker
M mach number
MAA maximum authorized IFR altitude
MALS medium intensity approach light system
MALSR medium intensity approach light system with runway alignment indicator lights
MCA minimum crossing altitude
MDA minimum decent altitude
MEA minimum enroute IFR altitude
MM middle marker
MOCO minimum obstruction clearance altitude
MSL mean sea level
NDB (ADF) nondirectional beacon (automatic direction finder)
NOPT no proceedure turn required
OEI one engine inoperative
OM ILS outer marker
PAR precision approach radar
RAIL runway alignment indicator light system
RBN radio beacon
RCLM runway centerline marking
REIL runway end identification lights
RR low or medium frequency radio range station
RVR runway visibility range as measured in the touchdown zone area
SALS short approach light system
SSALS simplified short approach light system
SSALSR simplified short approach light system with runway alignment indicator lights
TACAN ultra-high frequency tactical air navigation aid
TAS true airspeed
TCAS traffic alert and collision avoidance system
TDZL touchdown zone lights
TVOR very high frequency terminal omnirange station
VA design maneuvering speed
VB design speed for maximum gust intensity
VC design cruising speed
VD design diving speed
VDF/MDF demonstrated flight diving speed
VF design flap speed
VFC/MFC maximum speed for stability characteristics
VFE maximum flap extended speed
VH maximum speed in level flight with maximum continous power
VLE maximum landing gear extended speed
VLO maximum landing gear operating speed
VLOF lift-off speed
VMC minimum control speed with critical engine inoperative
VMO/MMO maximum operating limit speed
VMU minimum unstick speed
VNE never-exceed speed
VNO maximum structural cruising speed
VR rotation speed
VS stall speed or the minimum steady flight speed at which the airplane is controllable
VS0 stall speed or the minimum steady flight speed in the landing configuration
VS1 stall speed or the minimum steady flight speed obtained in a specified configuration
VTOSS takeoff safety speed for Category A rotorcraft
VX speed for best angle of climb
VY speed for best rate of climb
V1 takeoff decision speed
V2 takeoff safety speed
V2 min minimum takeoff safety speed
VFR visual flight rules
VHF very high frequency
VOR very high frequency omnirange station
VORTAC collocated VOR and TACAN

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