Aviation Acronyms
Preflight
Preflight Action (§ 91.103)
N - NOTAMS
W - Weather
K - Known ATC delays
R - Runway lengths
A - Available alternates
F - Fuel requirements
T - Takeoff and landing distances
Preflight Checklist
P - Pilot
A - Aircraft
V - Environment
E - External Pressures
Fitness for Flight
I - Illness
M - Medication
S - Stress
A - Alcohol
F - Fatigue
E - Emotions
VFR Day Equipment (§ 91.205(b))
F - Flare
A - Altimeter
T - Tachometer
O - Oil pressure gauge
M - Manifold pressure gauge
A - Airspeed indicator
T - Temperature gauge (liquid cooled engine)
O - Oil temperature gauge
F - Fuel quantity
L - Landing gear indicating lights
A - Anti-collision lights
M - Magnetic direction indicator
E - ELT
S - Safety belts (shoulder harness)
VFR Night Equipment (§ 91.205(c))
F - Fuses (spare set)
L - Landing light (if for hire)
A - Anti-collision lights
P - Position lights
S - Source of power (battery, alternator)
IFR Equipment (§ 91.205(d))
G - Generator/alternator
R - Radio
A - Altimeter (must be sensitive)
B - Ball (slip/skid indicator)
C - Clock (hours, minutes, seconds)
A - Attitude indicator
R - Rate of turn indicator
D - Directional Gyro
D - DME (above FL240)
| Flight conditions | Required Equipment |
|---|---|
| VFR Day | VFR Day |
| VFR Night | VFR Day + VFR Night |
| IFR Day | VFR Day + IFR |
| IFR Night | VFR Day + VFR Night + IFR |
Required Inspections (§ 91.409)
A - Airworthiness Directives (ADs)
A - Annual inspection
V - VOR (30 days)
I - 100 hours (if for hire)
A - Altimeter (24 months)
T - Transponder (24 months)
E - ELT (121.5; 12 months, 1-hour cumulative use, half-life of the battery)
S - Static system (24 months)
Required Documents
S - Supplements
P - Placards
A - Airworthiness certificate (never expires)
R - Registration (valid for 7 years)
R - Radio operator certificate (international flights)
O - POH/AFM
W - Weight & balance
Weather
Convective SIGMET Requirements (AIM 7-1-6)
E - Embedded t-storms
A - A line of thunderstorms ≥60mi long
T - Thunderstorms w/ heavy precip; ≥40% in area of 3000mi2
S - Surface winds ≥50kts
H - Hail ≥3/4 in diameter
I
T - Tornadoes
Types of Fog
P - Precipitation
U - Upslope
S - Steam
A - Advection
I - Ice
R - Radiation
Airspace
Class E Airspace Types
E - Extensions
A - Airways
T - Transitions
D - Domestic
O - Offshore
G - God
S - Surface
Special Use Airspace (SUA) (PHAK 15-3)
M - Military Operation Area
C - Controlled firing area
P - Prohibited area
R - Restricted area
A - Alert area
W - Warning area
N - National security area
Systems
Oxygen System Checklist (FAA Doc)
P - Pressure
R - Regulator
I - Indicator
C - Connections
E - Emergency
Magnetic Compass Errors
V - Variation
D - Deviation
M - Magnetic Dip
O - Oscillation
N - Northerly turning error
A - Acceleration/Deceleration Errors
Turning Errors
U - Undershoot
N - North
O - Overshoot
S - South
Acceleration/Deceleration Errors
A - Accelerate
N - North
D - Decelerate
S - South
VOR Errors
C - Cone of confusion
A - Area of ambiguity
R - Reverse sensing
R - Range
L - Line-of-sight
VOR Check Logging (§ 91.171(d))
P - Place
A - Amount of error
D - Date
S - Signature (or name)
C172S Essential Bus
P - PFD
E - Engine/airframe unit
C - COM 1
A - ADAHRS
N - NAV 1
S - Standby lights
Miscellaneous
Registration Nullification
30 - Thirty Days After Death
F - Foreign registry
T - Transfer of ownership
D - Destroyed
U - US Citizenship revoked
C - Cancelled
Decision Making (PHAK 2-18)
D - Detect
E - Estimate
C - Choose
I - Identify
D - Do
E - Evaluate
5 C’s of Being Lost
C - Climb
C - Confess
C - Communicate
C - Conserve
C - Comply\
Spin Recovery
P - Power idle
A - Ailerons neutral
R - Rudder opposite
E - Elevator down
Lost Comms - Route (§ 91.185(c)(1))
A - Assigned
V - Vectored
E - Expect
F - Filed
Lost Comms - Altitude (§ 91.185(c)(2))
M - Minimum
E - Expected
A - Assigned