UNDERSTAND AVIATION & FLIGHT SIM TERMS
by Nels Anderson
3DAGS: Amtex's ATP Companion: 3-D Advanced Graphics System
A/FD: Airport/Facility Directory, a book updated very 54 days with detailed information about airports within its coverage area
AAF: Mallard's Aircraft and Adventure Factory for FS4
ABEAM: An aircraft is abeam a fix, point or object when that point is approximately 90 degrees to the right or left of the aircraft track
ADF: Automatic Direction Finder, a radio system which senses and indicates the direction to an NDB
ADIZ: Air Defense Identification Zone, an area usually along the coast where identification of aircraft is required in the interest of national security
AGL: Altitude Above Ground Level
AI: "Artificial Intelligence". In the context of flight simulation this usually refers to vehicles that are controlled by the computer rather than by the player
AIM: Aeronautical Information Manual, an FAA publication with information about operating in U.S. airspace
AIRMET: A weather advisory concerning hazardous weather conditions such as icing, turbulence, low ceilings, etc.
AIRWAY: A corridor between radio navaids
APPROACH: An ATC facility that provides control for aircraft arriving and departing an airport
ARC: A curved ground track of an aircraft flying at a constant distance from a navaid
ARSA: An obsolete airspace definition, now known as Class C Airspace
ARTCC: Air Route Traffic Control Center, or just "Center", the enroute air traffic control facility
ASD: Microsoft's Aircraft and Scenery Designer for FS4
ATC: Air Traffic Control, any FAA control facility at airports and other controlled airspace
ATIS: Automatic Terminal Information Service, a recorded message with information about an airports active runways, weather conditions, etc.
ATP: subLOGIC's Flight Assignment: Airline Transport Pilot
BAO: The Bruce Artwick Organization
BASE: The part of the landing traffic pattern where the plane flies at a 90 degree angle to that of the landing runway
BASE MODEL: An original aircraft model from the original designer, generally including all components necessary to use the plane within the flight simulator; the base file necesssary for use with repaints to have a complete working aircraft
BEARING: The horizontal direction to or from any point, usually measured clockwise from north
CEILING: The height above earth of the lowest cloud layer reported as broken, overcast or obscuration
CENTER: Air Route Traffic Control Center, or ARTCC, the enroute air traffic control facility
CLASS-A: Controlled airspace, generally any airspace between 18000' MSL up to and including FL600 (roughly 60000')
CLASS-B: Controlled airspace around the busiest airports, usually including several rings with different altitude limits and extended 20 miles from the center
CLASS-C: Controlled airspace around moderately busy airports, generally in two rings extended out 10 miles and up to 4000 feet
CLASS-D: Controlled airspace around any airport with an active tower, generally extended out 5 miles and up to 2500 feet
CLASS-E: Any controlled airspace that does not all under Class A through D
COURSE: The intended direction of flight along the ground horizontally
CROSSWIND: The part of the traffic pattern when the plane flies at right angles to the landing runway at the takeoff end
CTAF: Common Traffic Advisory Frequency, a radio frequency used at non-controlled airports for pilots to self-announce their position and intentions
DME: Distance Measuring Equipment, radio equipment that allows the pilot to determine the distance to a navaid; usually coupled with a VOR
DOWNWIND: The part of the landing pattern where the plane flies parallel to the runway (usually to the right of the runway) opposite the direction of landing
ETA: Estimated Time of Arrival, the time of day when a flight is expected to be completed
ETE: Expected Time Enroute, the amount of time a flight is expected to take from beginning to end
FAP: Final Approach Point, a specific position on a non-precision instrument approach where the plane is established inbound on the final approach course
FINAL APPROACH SEGMENT: On an instrument approach, the segment from the final approach fix to the runway
FINAL: The part of the landing pattern just before the plane lands, where the plane is lined up with the runway
FIX: A specific geographic position, determined visually or relative to radio navaids
FL: Flight Level, an altitude based on standard instead of actual air pressure; used for high altitude flight (above 18,000'); flight levels correspond to 100 foot increments in altitude
FS4: Microsoft's Flight Simulator version 4
FS5: Microsoft's Flight Simulator version 5
FS6: Microsoft's Flight Simulator for Windows 95
FS98: Microsoft's Flight Simulator 98
FSFS: BAO's Flight Simulator Flight Shop (distributed by Apollo)
FSFW95: Microsoft's Flight Simulator for Windows 95
FSS: Flight Service Station, a facility that provide pilot briefings, enroute communication, NOTAMS, weather and other information
FSX: Microsoft's Flight Simulator X
GPS: Global Positioning System, a system of navigation using a large group of satellites to determine position
HAT: Height Above Touchdown, the height of the DH (Decision Height) or MDA (Minimum Descent Altitude) above the highest runway elevation in the TDZ (Touchdown Zone)
HEAVY: An aircraft capable of takeoff weight of 300,000 pounds or more
HF: High Frequency, the radio frequency band between 3 and 30 MHz--- B ---
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 Example of a standard holding pattern, with right hand turns using a VOR as a fix |
IAP: Instrument Approach Plates, a book of charts defining instrument landing approaches
IAP: Instrument Approch Procedure, a series of predefined maneuvers that transfer a plane on an instrument flight to the point where a landing can be made visually
IDENT: A request from ATC for a pilot to activate this function on his transponder
IF: Intermediate Fix, the fix that starts the intermediate approach segment of an instrument approach procedure
IFR: Instrument Flight Rules, the set of rules governing flight solely through the use of instruments; often used to mean weather conditions that require instrument flight
ILS: Instrument Landing System, a two part radio navigation system consisting of a localizer for left/right guidance and a glide slope for vertical guidance
IM: Inner Marker, a radio beacon used during an ILS landing approach located near the end of the runway
IMC: Instrument Meteorological Conditions, weather conditions that are such that instrument (IFR) flight is required
INITIAL APPROACH SEGMENT: On an instrument approach, the segment between the IAF (initial approach fix) and the intermediate fix
INTERMEDIATE APPROACH SEGMENT: On an instrument approach, the segment between the intermediate fix and the final approach fix
INTERSECTION: A defined geographic point (defined via navaids) used as a reference point during instrument flight
INTERSECTION: At an airport, the point where two runways, a runway and taxiway or two taxiways cross
LDA: Localizer Type Directional Aid, an instrument landing aid similar to a localizer but not aligned with the runway
LOCALIZER: An instrument landing aid, used to provide horizontal alignment with the runway; similar to a VOR but with only a single radial and more accurate
LORAN: Longe Range Navigation, a system of ground based radio stations that can be used to determine an exact geographic location
LOW APPROACH: An approach at a low altitude over a runway, without the airplane actually touching down
MAP: Missed Approach Point, a point along an instrument approach at which a missed approach must be started if the required visual reference has not been seen
MARKER: A navaid beacon transmitting straight up, allowing a plane with the proper equipment to determine when a specific point on an instrument approach has been passed
MCA: Minimum Crossing Altitude, the lowest altitude at which a plane on an instrument flight can cross a specific fix
MDA: Minimum Descent Altitude, the lowest altitude (MSL) to which an instrument landing approach may go before visually acquiring the airport or beginning a missed approach
MEA: Minimum Enroute Altitude, for instrument flight the lowest altitude between navaids which assures acceptable navaid signals and safe obstacle clearance
MESH: Terrain mesh scenery became available starting with FS2000. The "mesh" is the ground altitude coordinates which are derived from real world data allowing for more accurate elevations that previously.
MHA: Minimum Holding Altitude, the lowest altitude for a specific holding pattern which assures navaid reception and obstacle clearance
MIA: Minimum IFR Altitudes, minimum altitudes for instrument flight as published on IFR charts
MINIMUMS: weather condition requirements for a particular type of operation
MINIMUMS: Weather conditions that determine whether flight is possible; when below minimums landing and taking off is not allowed
MISSED APPROACH: A predefined maneuver used when an instrument approach fails
MM: Middle Marker, a radio beacon along an ILS landing approach, normally located at or near the decision height
MOA: Military Operations Area, an area identified where non-hazardous military air traffic operates
MOCA: Minimum Obstruction Clearance Altitude, the minimum published altitude with 22 nm of a VOR which meets obstacle clearance requirements
MRA: Minimum Reception Altitude, the lowest altitude at which an intersection can be determined using the navaids that define the intersection
MSA: Minimum Safe Altitude, the minimum altitude that meets legal requirements, typically 1000 feet above obstacles
MSFS: Microsoft Flight Simulator
MSL: Altitude above Mean Sea Level
MTR: Military Training Routes, predefined airspace where military flights may operate at speeds in excess of 250 knots
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 NDB symbol as used on Sectional Charts |
NONPRECISION APPROACH: An instrument approach where no electronic glideslope is provided
 FS5's Cessna OBI dial; note OBS knob at lower left and CDI needle shown about 5 degrees left of center |
OBS: Omni-Bearing Selector (course selector knob), the control used to select the radial on the OBI dial
OM: Outer Marker, a radio beacon along an ILS landing approach typically near the point where the ILS glide slope is intercepted and about 4 to 7 miles from the runway
PIREP: Pilot Weather Report, a report of weather conditions encountered during flight--- P ---
 Example of a standard procedure turn |
REIL: Runway End Identifier Lights, a pair of white flashing strobe lights located at each corner of the end of a runway
REPAINT: A file containing repainted textures of an aircraft for use within a flight simulator; may require a base model in order to have a complete working aircraft
RMI: Radio Magnetic Indicator, an aircraft navigation instrument coupled with a gyro compass that indicates the direction to a navaid plus bearing with respect the aircraft heading
RUNWAY HEADING: the exact magnetic heading of the runway centerline to the nearest degree
RUNWAY NUMBER: determined from the runway magnetic heading rounded to the nearest ten degrees (i.e., a runway with a heading of 274 degrees would be runway 27)--- R ---
 Index of U.S. Sectional Charts |
SEE: Mallard's Scenery Enhancement Editor for FS4 with ASD
SGA: Mallard's Sound and Graphics Upgrade for FS4
SID: Standard Instrument Departure, a specific airport departure route usually used for instrument flights
SIGMET: A weather advisory concerning conditions of significant interest to all aircraft, such as severe turbulence, severe icing, etc.
SQUAWK: Set the aircraft's transponder to a specific four digit code
 What a standard rate turn looks like on the FS5 Cessna turn indicator |
STAR: Standard Terminal Arrival, a specific airport arrival route that begins some distance away and puts the plane into a standard instrument landing approach
STOP AND GO: A procedure where an aircraft will land, make a complete stop on the runway, and then take off again
STRAIGHT IN: An approach and landing where the normal traffic pattern is skipped and the plane intercepts the runways heading and lands straight ahead
TERRAIN MESH: Terrain mesh scenery became available starting with FS2000. The "mesh" is the ground altitude coordinates which are derived from real world data allowing for more accurate elevations that previously.
TCAS: Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System
TCH: Threshold Crossing Height, the height above the runway that an aircraft should cross the runway threshold on an ILS approach
TDZE: Touchdown Zone Elevation, the highest elevation in the first 3000' of the landing runway
TETRAHEDRON: A device normally used at non-tower airports to indicate the active runway; the pointed end indicates the landing direction
THRESHOLD: the beginning of the portion of the runway that is usable for landing
TOUCH AND GO: A practice landing where the plane touchs downs, continues rolling, and takes off again
TOUCHDOWN ZONE: The first 3000' of the runway, beginning at the threshold--- T ---
 Components and traffic flow of a standard left hand traffic pattern |
TRANSPONDER: A device in a plane that responds to ground signals and returns information such as the squawk code, altitude, etc.
TRSA: Terminal Radar Service Area, airspace surrounding certain airports where ATC provides radar vectoring, sequencing and separation
UPWIND: The part of the traffic pattern where the plane flies parallel to the landing runway in the direction of landing
VR: Rotation speed, where the pilot initiates rotation to liftof aircraft attitude and clibm away with the scheduled takeoff performance. VR is greater than V1
V2: Takeoff safety and initial climb speed, the minimum speed at which climb can be continued safely.
VASI: Visual Approach Slope Indicator, a system of lights place adjacent to a runway that allow the pilot to maintain a proper glideslope for landing
VFR ON TOP: ATC authorization for an IFR aircraft to operate in VFR conditions at an appropriate VFR altitude above the clouds
VFR: Visual Flight Rules, the rules that govern flight under visual conditions; also used to indicate that weather conditions are suitable for visual flight
VISUAL APPROACH: An approach conducted on an IFR flight plan which authorizes the pilot to procede visually and clear of clouds to the airport--- U ---
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 VOR symbol as used on Sectional Charts |
VORTAC: VHF Omnidirectional Range/Tactical Air Navigation, a radio navaid providing VOR azimuth, TACAN azimuth and TACAN distance measuring (DME) at one site
WAYPOINT: A geographical position used for route/instrument approach definition or progress reporting
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