Aircraft Bluebook The Premier Resource
for Aircraft Values
Your Aircraft
Sales Report

Glossary

Abbreviation / Acronym Translation
A/N alpha/numeric
A/P airborne device that controls aircraft's movement: 1 axis (ailerons) = roll; 2 axis (ailerons & elevator) = roll & pitch; 3 axis (ailerons, elevator & rudder) = roll, pitch & yaw
A/P Autopilot
AA Average Avionics
AAA Above Average Avionics
ACT altitude compensated tilt
ACU antenna coupler unit
AD amendment to regulation published by FAA requiring specific inspection, modification or maintenance on aircraft
ADF airborne radio receiver showing bearing of radio station from aircraft
ADV advisory
AFIS airborne flight info sys
AFTT Airframe total time (hours)
AHRS attitude & heading refer. sys
AOA angle of attack
APU auxiliary power unit
APU Auxiliary Power Unit
ARINC aeronautical radio inc
ASCB avionics std. comm. buss.
ATI air traffic indicator
AVG I Average Interior
AVG P Average Paint
AVG P&I Average Paint & Interior
Annual yearly mandatory inspection of aircraft and engine
BAA Below Average Avionics
BAD I Bad Interior
BAD P Bad Paint
BAD P&I Bad Paint & Interior
BC bearing control
BFO beat frequency oscillator
BITE built-in test equipment
BMR Bearingless Main Rotor system
Boots Boots
C-spd prop automatically changes pitch to maintain a given rpm setting
C/R counter-rotating propellers
CC CorporateCare by Rolls Royce
CDI course deviation indicator
CVR airborne device that tapes and stores cockpit and radio communications
CWS control wheel steering
Com airborne radio that transmits and/or receives voice communications
Comp engine cylinder compression, ideally 85% of new or above
D/R dead reckoning
DA drift angle
DCP data control panel
DG directional gyroscope
DG flight instrument providing directional reference
DH indicating aircraft has sustained damage in a mishap or wreck
DME airborne instrument that measures distance of aircraft from a radio facility
DP drum pointer
DTK desired track
DVOR digital VOR readout
E/R enroute
EADI electronic attitude dir. ind.
ECDI electronic course dev. ind.
ECU Environmental Contol Unit
EFIS electronically depicted instrument(s) as opposed to providing a mechanical depiction
EFIS Electronic Flight Inst. System
EICAS eng indicating & crew advisory
ERO electronic readout
ESP P & W Eagle Service Plan
EXC I Excellent Interior
EXC P Excellent Paint
EXC P&I Excellent Paint & Interior
Encoding airborne instrument used in conjunction with transponder to advise controller of aircraft's altitude
F/S frequency storage
FAC flight advisory computer
FADEC full authority digital eng ctl
FD flight director
FD airborne automated flight and navigation system utilizing autopilot coupled to command bars that direct pilot to operate the control surfaces
FDSU flight data storage unit
FMS flight management system
Fuel inj type engine as opposed to carburetor
Full de-ice anti-ice equipment installed on wings, tail, propellers and windshield
Full panel full complement of gyro-driven attitude instruments for instrument flight
G/S glideslope
GCR ground clutter reduction
GMT Greenwich mean time
GPS a navigation system in which a land- or aircraft-based receiver decodes L-band radio signals transmitted from orbitting satellites to compute its latitude, longitude and & altitude (3-dimensional).
GPS GPS
GPWS ground proximity warning sys.
GPWS airborne device that warns flight crew of proximity to terrain
HSI horizontal situation indicator
HSI major periodic inspection of turbine engine at intervals recommended by the manufacturer
HSI aircraft instrument providing course direction data, normally operating with slaved directional gyro
HUD head-up display
IAS indicated airspeed
IFR instruments allowing flight by instrument reference rather than outside visibility
ILS instrument landing system
ILS airborne equipment enabling pilot to descend aircraft for landing without visual reference to ground until just prior to touchdown
IRS inertial reference system
ISS inertial sensor system
IVSI indicated vertical speed ind.
JSSI Jet Support Service Inc
LCD liquid crystal display
LRU line replacement unit
Loran long-range navigation
MDA minimum descent altitude
MDH past/repaired aircraft damage normally listed in FAA records and aircraft logbooks
MFD multi-function display
MLI See Hot section inspection
MLS microwave landing system
MPI Major Periodic Inspection
MSL mean sea level
MSP Maint Service Plan
MSP Garrett's program of progressive engine maintenance, including coverage for both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance
NDB nondirectional radio beacon
NMS navigation management system
NPU navigation processor unit
Nav normally VOR
Nav-com navigation and communications radio receiver
OAT instrument showing air temperature outside cockpit
OHC overhaul and certified
OMEGA form of VLF navigation
ONS OMEGA navigation sys
P&I seat upholstery, headliner, side panels
P-dial pointer dial
PBH Rolls-Royce's program of progressive engine maintenance, including coverage for both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance
PC a single-axis (roll) autopilot on Mooney aircraft
PET Piper's electrically operated elevator trim device
PFD primary function displays
PMS performance mgnt. computer
Primary Panel basic flight instruments with no gyro-driven attitude instruments
Prop jet aircraft with turbine engines incorporating a propeller; see Turboprop
REACT Rain Echo Attenuation Comp
RHO distance measuring symbol
RMI radio magnetic indicator
RMI aircraft navigational instrument that, when coupled to compass, shows direction of and bearing to selected navigation aid
RMU radio management units
RNAV airborne navigation and guidance system that uses VOR bearing and DME ranging to compute course and distance to a waypoint
RPU receiver processor unit
RSU radio switching unit
Radar Radar
SB manufacturer's notification of mandatory modification or maintenance of its product
SCORE since core inspection
SDS status display system
SL manufacturer's notice of its service policies and/or procedures
SMOH number of hours since major overhaul of engine(s)
SN aircraft's identification number assigned by manufacturer
STC document issued after aircraft has been altered from original type certificate specifications
Strobe Lights high-intensity flashing lights on aircraft
TBO number of hours recommended by engine manufacturers as a maximum before the first overhaul and between major overhauls
TCAD traffic/collison avoid. device
TCAS traffic alert & collison sys
TKE actual track
TSO techinical standard order
TT total time
TTW time to waypoint
Theta bearing symbol
Transponder See xpdr
Tri-gear landing gear in tricycle configuration; nose wheel rather than tail wheel
Turboprop turbine engine that drives a propeller
UHF ultra high frequency
UNAV unavailable
VLF very low frequency
VOR airborne device that receives signal from VOR ground station and indicates deviation from course to or from that station
VSI vertical speed indicator
WPT waypoint
XTK cross track
Xpdr airborne device that allows Air Traffic Control radar to identify aircraft's location and follow its flight path; with encoder, aircraft's altitude is displayed on radar
altim altimeter
ampx amplifier
aux auxiliary
avail available
bld blade
brg bearing
bts de-ice equipment on aircraft's wings & tail
cert certified
chnl channel
clr color
cnx connection
com communication transceiver
conv landing gear comprised of 2 main wheels & a tailwheel
conv conversion
convr converter
cycles on turbine engines, a cycle extends from start to full throttle to shutdown
dbase database
dig digital
elec electric
enc encoding
equip equipped
ext external, extended, extra
flt flight
g/s airborne component of instrument landing system that indicates correct angle of descent to runway on an instrument approach
g/w gross weight
hdg heading
horiz horizontal
incl includes
indc indicator
inst instrument
int'l international
intr internal, interior
kts knots
l/r long range
ldg lt aircraft light(s) that illuminate runways & taxiways
loc ILS component providing lateral guidance to runway centerline
loc localizer
lrn airborne long-range radio navigation system that can provide data on distance, bearing and time enroute to destination
mech mechanical
mfgd manufactured
mkr marker beacon
mkr bcn airborne component of ILS that locates transmitting equipment at fixed points along glideslope as position reference
mont monitor
o/h overhaul
optl optional
oxy system providing oxygen for passengers & crew at higher altitudes
pax passenger(s)
pneu pneumatic
pnl panel
ptt push to talk
pwr power
rcvr aircraft's voice radio receiver
recvr receiver
refurb refurbished
rem remote
retr gear wheels that retract into aircraft wings or fuselage
roc rate of climb
rts routes
sq squelch
std standard
sys system
t/o takeoff
t/r thrust reversers
tacan tactical air navigation
turbochg engine turbocharger(s) boosting manifold pressure
unl unlimited
vert vertical
w/s windshield
wind wind (w/d)direction (w/s)speed
xmtr transmitter
xpdr transponder
xtal crystal

In order to deliver a personalized, responsive service and to improve the site, we remember and store information about how you use it. This is done using simple text files called cookies which sit on your computer. By continuing to use this site and access its features, you are consenting to our use of cookies. To find out more about the way Informa uses cookies please go to our Cookie Policy page.