Aviation & Drone Abbreviations and Definitions

Here’s a list of aviation abbreviations with their definitions, that you might find useful: 

AMO: Aviation Maintenance Organisation. In Europe, a Part 145 maintenance organisation is one that has been approved by EASA to carry-out aircraft maintenance on aircraft registered in EASA Member States.

AMP: Approved Maintenance Programme. These programmes are aimed at prolonging the life expectancy of an aircraft, by carrying-out preventative maintenance through an aircraft maintenance schedule.

APA: Aircraft Purchase Agreement. This is an agreement between the buyer and seller of an aircraft, which may include certain conditions from both parties.

ATPL: Air Transportation Pilots License. This is the license you need to operate a passenger or cargo plane commercially.

ATS: Air Traffic Service. This refers to the type of service a pilot will get at an airfield, such as a tower service, flight information service or radio service.

ATSU: Air Traffic Services Unit. ATSUs typically work in Airfield Control Towers and are responsible for providing air traffic services to aircraft flying in their airspace.

DLA: Designated Landing Area. This is the point from which it has been deemed safe to land an aircraft (i.e. clear from obstacles on the runway approach).

EASA: European Union Aviation Safety Agency. This is the regulatory body responsible for aviation within the European Union.

FAA: Federal Aviation Administration. This is the regulatory body responsible for aviation within the United States of America.

FISO: Flight Information Service Offer. A FISO provides flight information to aircraft operating within the vicinity of their airfield.

FLPA: Foot Launched Powered Aircraft

FTO: Flight Training Organisation. This covers flying schools and flying clubs that have been certified to conduct flight training.

GPU: Ground Power Unit. GPUs provide electric power to aircraft while on the ground and can be used to preserve the aircraft’s battery, to allow systems such as air conditioning to be kept on while an aircraft is on the ground.

GSE: Ground Support Equipment. This covers any equipment that is used at an airport to service aircraft, such as aircraft tugs, air stairs, GPUs and de-ice trucks.

GST: General Skills Test. This refers to a flying exam to complete a course, such as a PPL or CPL.

ICAO: International Civil Aviation Organization.

IFR: Instrument Flight Rules.

IMC: Instrument Meteorological Conditions. This refers to weather that is below the minima for Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC).

IR: Instrument Rating. This is the qualification that allows pilots to fly in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC).

LAPL: Light Aircraft Pilot License. This license typically qualifies pilots to fly smaller 2 seat aircraft, such as Cessna 152s.

LST: Licensing Skills Test. This refers to the exam you have to pass, to gain a qualification such as a PPL or CPL.

ME Rating: Multi-Engine Rating. This qualifies a pilot to fly an aircraft with more than one engine.

MRO: Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul. This refers to the service of carrying-out scheduled, predictive, non-routine and preventative maintenance on aircraft.

NR: Night Rating. This qualifies a pilot to operate an aircraft at night under VFR.

OOH: Out of Hours. This term is used to describe operations at an airport, beyond their normal operating times. There’s typically a charge for operating OOH at airports.

PIC: Pilot In Command. This refers to the captain of an aircraft.

POF: Principles of Flight. This refers to the subject of learning the physics behind what makes an aircraft fly.

PPL: Private Pilots License. This is the qualification that allows pilots to fly single engine piston aircraft. Once completed, a pilot can then add additional qualifications, such as the qualification to fly multi-engine-piston aircraft and to fly at night.

PPR: Prior Permission Required. This refers to the permission you sometimes have to acquire, in advance of flying to an airport.

RT: Radiotelephony. This term refers either to the radio equipment in an aircraft, or the act of communicating via radio in the aircraft.

TBO: Time Between Overhaul

SEP: Single Engine Piston. A Single Engine Piston Aircraft is one that only has one engine. SEP engines typically run on AvGas, which is a high octane aviation gasoline. Examples of SEPs include the Cessna 152, Cessna 172 and Piper PA28.

US: Unserviceable. This term is used to refer to aircraft that have a technical fault, that is preventing them from being airworthy. Another similar expression is that the “Aircraft has gone tech”.

VMC: Visual Meteorological Conditions. This refers to weather conditions that have a cloud ceiling of at least 1,000 feet and visibility of at least 3 miles.

VFR: Visual Flight Rules. This refers to flying an aircraft under VFR rules, per the VMC minima.

 

Here’s a list of drone abbreviations, that you might find useful: 

ARF: Almost Ready To Fly
BNF: Bind And Fly
FPS: Frames Per Second
GVC: General Visual Line of Sight Certificate
LiDAR: Light Detection and Range
PDRA: Pre Defined Risk Assessment
PNP: Plug And Play
RFT: Ready To Fly
RTH: Return To Home

 

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