There are hundreds of aviation abbreviations used by people in the aviation industry. Most are used by pilots in the cockpit. This list includes a few of them.
Commonly-used Aviation Abbreviations
Direction or Time
- A - At or Above
- AOA - Angle of Attack
- B - At or Below
- DES - Descent
- DEST - Destination
- DIS or DIST - Distance
- ETA - Estimated Time of Arrival
- FA - Final Approach
- FT - Feet
- GA - Go Around
- G/S - Glideslope
- HDG - Heading
- LAT - Latitude
- LNAV - Lateral Navigation
- LONG - Longitude
- PSR - Point of Safe Return
- TOC - Top of Climb
- TOD - Top of Descent
- UTC - Universal Coordinated Time
- WOFW - Weight-off-Wheels (indicates aircraft is off ground since lift off)
- WONW - Weight-on-Wheels (indicates aircraft is on ground since touch down
- Z - Zulu Time (Greenwich Mean Time)
Equipment & Systems
- AC or A/C - Aircraft
- ACAS - Airborne Collision Avoidance System
- ACARS - Aircraft Communication and Addressing Reporting System
- ACMS - Aircraft Condition Monitoring System
- AP or A/P - Auto Pilot
- ASI - Airspeed Indicator
- CP - Control Panel
- CVR - Cockpit Voice Recorder
- ELT - Emergency Locator Transmitter
- FBO - Fixed Base Operator
- FDR - Flight Data Recorder
- GCA - Ground-controlled Approach
- GPWS - Ground Proximity Warning System
- INS - Inertial Navigation System
- NDB - Non-Directional (Radio) Beacon
- PAPI - Precision Approach Path Indicator
- VASI - Visual Approach Slope Indicator
Facilities
- AOA - Airport Operations Area
- DER - Departure End of Runway
- FD - Flight Director
- MOC - Minimum Obstacle Clearance
- RW or RWY - Runway
- STAR - Standard Terminal Arrival Route
- TWR - Tower
Communication
- ACK - Acknowledge
- FL - Flight Level
- FLT - Flight
- ACT - Active
- ALT - Altitude
- ALT HOLD - Altitude Hold Mode
- ARR - Arrival
- ATA - Actual Time of Arrival
- DEP - Departure
- GS - Ground Speed
- HP - Holding Pattern
- R/C - Rate of Climb
- TO - Take Off
- TURB - Turbulence
- VA - Heading to an Altitude
For more aviation abbreviations check out the Glossary of Airport Acronyms on the Federal Aviation Administration website.
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There are hundreds of aviation abbreviations used by people in the aviation industry. Most are used by pilots in the cockpit. This list includes a few of them.
