Definitions

AboutAirport or Autopilot.

AboutAir to Ground Missile

AboutArea of Intense Aerial Activity, usually military

AboutAir Intercept Missile

AboutAir attack against the enemy's Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence nodes, key production facilities, and transportation infrastructure - in other words, against his homeland, national interests, resources and war-making capacity. The objectives of an Air Strike campaign can range from sustained attacks to destroy the war potential of an enemy nation, to a single strike as an expression of political will.

AboutAir to Air. Can refer to ordnance or mission type.

AboutAir to Ground. Can refer to ordnance or mission type.

AboutAircraft operating in the air or on an airport surface.

AboutPart of the a/c surface which is extended during flight to create extra drag and therefore reduce airspeed.

AboutThe Aircraft Captain is to be responsible for the safety of the aircraft and occupants over land and water. In any aircraft in which instruction is being, the flying instructor is the aircraft captain. Responsibilities of Aircraft Captains: Before flight the a/c captain is to file a flight plan for the a/c and to sign for responsibility for the a/c frame and components. After flight the a/c captain is to record any defect or unserviceability he has noticed in flight and report this to the officer in charge. (From Australian Army Flight manual)

AboutTAS = True Air Speed, IAS = Indicated Air Speed

AboutAngle of Attack or AOA

AboutAbbreviation for Altitude in feet.The device which displays altitude to the pilot is called the Altimeter.

AboutAerodrome specified on a flight plan to which an aircraft chooses to divert if a landing at its intended destination is not possible (for reasons of poor weather for example).

AboutBarometric Altimeter | It displays your attitude above sea level (ASL).That is why is is particularly important to make a note of the runway altitude before takeoff. Radar Altimeter / AGL (Above ground Level) lndicator.

AboutChill out to relaxing footage I've taken of the world in Microsoft Flight Simulator

AboutAdvanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile. A fire-and-forget weapon. Once the missile has been released you are free to manoeuvre.

AboutElectronic system in which quantities are represented by variations in electrical signals (i.e by electrical analogues)

AboutAltitude expressed as 1,000's of feet. e.g. Angels 3 = 3,000 ft

AboutAlso known as alpha.The angular difference between the wing and the direction of the airflow.Represented on the HUD by the difference between the FDI and the FPI. Most important to monitor during landing and any low speed flight.

AboutDownward angle of wing or tailplane. e.g. Look at the tailerons on the F-4G Phantom.

AboutArmoured Personnel Carrier. e.g. M-113 Often seen in base security detachments at US Air Force and Marine bases.

AboutAirSpeed Indicator, a flight instrument which measures the speed of an aircraft through the air.

AboutAbove Sea Level

AboutAir to Surface Missile

AboutRatio of the wingspan to the wing area, expressed as span squared divided by wing area.

AboutAir-Sea Rescue. (see SAR) This role is usually fulfilled by helicopters, e.g. SH-60

AboutAdvanced Short Range Air to Air Missile, replacement for the AIM-9 series, underdevelopment.

AboutAir Traffic Control. These guys will give you clearance to take-off and land.

AboutEvery flight is to be authorised by the commanding officer of the unit concerned.

AboutSystem which takes control of an aircraft, relieving pilot workload. There are many different types of a/p. The Most basic will hold altitude and heading. If linked to an INS, the a/p can fly the a/c via preprogrammed altitude, air'speeds and headings to a predetermined point in space.

AboutRefers to unpowered flight in a helicopter, usually in a downward direction!

AboutAll Up Weight.The total loaded weight of an aircraft. Note that the LOAD ORDNANCE screen will not let tou take off if your AUW exceeds the allowed figure.

Aboutthe rotor (on the tail boom ) of a helicopter which counteracts the tendency of the main (lifting ) rotor to yaw the a/c.

AboutAirborne Warning and Control System. Also see HVAA and LDHD.

AboutFlying Badges and Military Symbols

AboutBearing or direction in the horizontal plane.

AboutThis device controls the alt readouts on your HUD.It shows altitude above sea level.

AboutA very tight 180 degree turn (as executed by the Batmobile or F-16).

AboutBattle of Britain. A 6 week period of intense British versus German air activity during World War 2, at the conclusion of which Hitler's plans for invasion of Britain were deferred.

AboutClose Air Support - Suppress, delay or interrupt the activities of enemy ground forces.

AboutFuel State at which Return To Base (RTB) must be initiated..

AboutCollision with a feathered friend..

AboutBuilt in Test, self testing systems fitted to most modem avionics..

AboutEnemy a/c.

AboutBearing, range, altitude of enemy a/c.

AboutTouch and go carrier deck landing, usually executed because of a bad approach or missing the arrestor wires.

AboutThin layer of slower moving air which tends to cling to the skin of an aircraft.

AboutBull Shxt, opposite of Sierra Hotel.

AboutBearing, the horizontal direction to or from any point expressed in degrees of the compass..

AboutDepart the area.

AboutBeyond Visual Range.Weapons such as AMRAAM and PHOENIX are BVR missiles..

AboutRatio of total volume of air passing through the engine to that passing through the core section.

AboutCommand, Control and Communications. Disrupting the enemy's C3 network degrades his capacity to wage war. Typical targets include Command bunkers, radar and communication installations.

AboutNitrogen narcosis - "the bends".

AboutA smaller, forward wing. As seen on the Eurofighter, Rafale, Saab JAS-39

AboutThe clear acrylic cockpit covering through which the pilot views the world.For the pilot driving a Per-sonal Computer, this translates to your monitor screen.Keep it clean and keep those greasy fingertips off! Make sure to use a soft cloth dampened with a suitable glass cleaning product. A clean canopy can be a life or death matter to any pilot, especially in combat. A MiG-21 coming head-on at 3 miles will be the size of a raindrop on your canopy. A missile is even smaller. Moral of the story, don't dogfight in the rain and keer) the canopy clean!.

AboutCombat Air Patrol. Subspecies are: TARCAP, BARCAP, RESCAP.

AboutNorth, South, East and West. see Compass Headings.

AboutCarrier Qualifications.

AboutClose Air Support.

AboutCalibrated Airspeed -- indicated air-speed corrected for air density and compressibility..

AboutCatapult launching system as found on the Eisenhower and Clemencau class carriers..

AboutCluster Bomb Unit, Dispenses hundreds of submunitions. Effective against soft-skinned targets such as trucks, personnel. Largely ineffective against armour..

AboutCarrier Control Approach.

AboutCompass Heading.

AboutExpected time over ramp.

AboutVisual check of the a/c rear quadrant, specifically for enemy a/c.

AboutPattern around which aircraft fly when arriving at an airfield, usual rectangular and left handed.

AboutAuthorization from air traffic control to proceed as requested or instructed.Used for ground and air manoeuvring, thus "cleared for take-off", "cleared flight-planned route", "cleared to descend" etc.

AboutAn analog with a sweep second hand is preferred. The INS provides a countdown function to the next waypoint on the HUD..

AboutCommunication - Navigation - Identification.

AboutCommanding Officer

AboutCommunication(s).

AboutNorth = 360 or 000, South = 180, East = 090, West = 270

AboutCathode Ray Tube cathode ray (television) tube. Used in flight deck displays of new-generation airliners, business aircraft and military jets instead of conventional instruments..

AboutAircraft Carrier.

AboutDissimilar Air Combat Training.

AboutThe minimum height at which an overshoot must be initiated if a landing is not assured..

AboutOil refineries, supply depots, command and communication entres, munition factories, military bases. These missions usually follow a high-low-high profile: 1. High altitude - to conserve fuel, possible air- refuelling. 2. Low attitude - to avoid detection and interception. 3. High altitude - egress.

AboutThe point at which an a/c goes out of control (Departure from controlled flight).

AboutThis readout shows your altitude above sea level in feet. see HUD..

AboutDistance Measuring Equipment.

AboutRadar mode using Doppler Shift to determine range information.

AboutDoppler effect (or shift) is the change in frequency of light, radio or sound waves when source and receiver are in relative motion..

AboutDead (deduced) Reckoning.Plotting position by calculating the effect of speed, cour'se, time and wind against last known position..

AboutThe captain of an a/c is to arrange before takeoff a clear and easily understood drill for handing over control of the a/c.."

AboutEstimated Approach Time, see Charlie Time.

AboutElectronic Counter-Counter-Measuses.

AboutElectronic Counter-Measures.

AboutEngine Failure After Take-Off refer to FLAME OUT checklist.

AboutF-15 pilots.

AboutF16 Falcon aka "lawn dart"

AboutEmission Control Refers to a flight during which the a/c emits no radiation. e.g. VHF or UHF transmissions, Radar, ECM.

AboutEstimated Time of Arrival.

AboutForward Air Control.

AboutFamiliarisation (as in FAM Flight).

AboutGoing all-out for aerial victory.

AboutFly-By-Wire (Computer flight control system).

AboutForward Edge of the Battle Area.

AboutFinal approach.That part of the Landing procedure in which the aircraft has made its final turn and is inbound to the active runway.system..

AboutControl surface doubling as flap and aileron.

AboutBefore flight the a/c captain is to file a flight plan for the a/c and to sign for responsibility for the a/c frame and components. After flight the a/c captain is to record any defect or unserviceability he has noticed in flight and report this to the officer in charge..

AboutForward Looking lnfra Red.

AboutFrequency Modulated.

AboutForeign Object Damage to turbine blades through iingestion of runway debris etc..

AboutOnline discussion area set up to focus on a particular topic. In the 20th century newsgroups fulfilled this function.

AboutPilot call on launching a Radar Guided AIM.

AboutPilot call on launching a Phoenix AIM.

AboutPilot call on launching an lnfra Red Guided AIM.

AboutFeet per minute, a measure of an aircraft's ROC rate of climb or ROD rate of descent.

AboutA multi a/c engagement.

AboutGravity - the acceleration force due togravity.Use as a measure of the accelerative vectors a pilot can experience during manoeuvering an a/c. We may define three main areas of g-force :. 0 - 3 G | G experienced by pilots during standard turns in most combat jets. NEGATIVE 3G will induce a "red-out" due to bursting capillaries in the eyeballs. 4 G | Experienced during break turns, e.g. on a fast jet circuit pattern. An average pilot will lose consciousness (Black-out) after 10 seconds at 4 g. The onset of blackout can be delayed by 'hunching', bracing the stomach muscles and grunting.This is known as the L-1 Manoeuver. 5 - 9 G | For emergency use only, e.g. during ACM. More than a few seconds will induce g-locG loadings of 5 - 9 g should be reserved for emergency manoeuvers such as break turns.

Aboutg-induced loss of consciousness. Pilot blackout caused by excessive g or by too-rapid onset of g-forces.

AboutMaximum Power.

AboutGround Controlled Approach.

AboutGround Controlled Intercept.

AboutApparent movement of the radar Centre of a target.

AboutA lucky hit in air to air gunnery.

AboutRolling the a/c to check for attacks from the belly side.

AboutHigh-Speed-Anti-Radiation-Missile.

AboutMock dogfight.

AboutThe pilot's brain.

AboutA racetrack-shaped manoeuvre which keeps aircraft within a specified airspace while awaiting further clearance from air traffic control..

AboutHands On Throttle and Stick. A concept of allowing the pilot to control most of the a/c systems without having to take his hands off the throttle and stick.First saw major development in the F-15 Eagle.

AboutHead-Up-Display. Information relevant to the pilot which is projected onto a glass lens in the pilot's field of view.

AboutControl for adjusting the brightness of the HUD.This is particularly useful when flying at night or in bad weather.

AboutA text abbreviation on the HUD displaying status of a particular aircraft system.Examples are WEAPON DISCRETES, TARGETING DISCRETES..

AboutHurricane, classic World War 2 British fighter plane.

About"High Value Airborne Assets or "High Value Assets" refers to any important bird that must be protected. AWACS is the the number one guy there because without it, a lot of the airwar is blinded. But HVAA can refer to a lot of birds such as tankers. Also see - LDHD - (MiGMan thanks Spike Morley, USAF.)

AboutOxygen-deprivation, usually occurs at over 10,000 ft altitude.

AboutIndicated Air Speed.

AboutIdentification Friend or Foe.

AboutIFR actually means "Instrument Flight Rules", but it is a traditional joke amongst pilots to refer to two valid VFR techniques of navigation: "I Follow Rivers" and "I Follow Roads".

AboutInstrument Landing System.

AboutInertial Navigation System. An onboard system which uses gyroscopes, (either mechanical or laser) to sense acceleration and deceleration and compute current position.The system needs a known starting point to be entered prior to flight.

AboutInitial Point. The location chosen to set up an attack run on a ground target.

Aboutlnfra Red.

AboutJet Petroleum.

About"Have radar contact and am taking over intercept".

AboutAn intense aerial engagement.

AboutOne nautical mile per hour hour, the standard unit of aviation speed measurement.One knot equals 1. 1 515 mph; one nautical mile equals 6,080 feet..

AboutKnots (Nautical mile).

AboutTensing the body and grunting to counter G- force.

About" While HVAA is not not an out of date term, it's been largely replaced by the term Low Density High Demand (LDHD). This refers to the fact that there aren't a lot of them to go around, but they are in great demand for whatever situations develop. It's a good reminder to those putting the battle together to plan wisely. When it was first developed during the Cold War, the E-3 was not very advanced, and was thusly sent out to warn and control fighters in on Soviets coming over the North Pole. As the jet evolved, it has now taken on the role of managing the air battlefield, where Command would actually be a better term. Nevertheless, the Control part of the word will remain with the title." MiGMan thanks Spike Morley, USAF.

AboutImaginary cone-shaped area centered on the a/c exhaust, from which most IR missile and gun attacks are launched.

AboutLeading Edge Extension of the wing root.

AboutLaser Guided Bomb.

AboutRadar concentrating on target in the attack mode..

AboutLanding Signals Officer

AboutSpeed of sound, or abbreviation of Mach Number.

AboutSpeed stated as a function of the local speed of sound.

AboutInternational radio distress call (from the French, m'aidez -- help me).

AboutMirror Landing system as seen from glidesiope.

AboutMultiple Ejection Rack.

AboutThe point where two radar blips merge.

AboutMeteorology, weather.

AboutMulti Function Display.

AboutExtended mixes of my videos taken during Activities and at Locations featured in MiGMan’s World Tour for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Sit back, grab a cuppa and enjoy!

AboutMy MiG-Ratings explained.

AboutFull military power.

AboutMeals Ready to Eat (or Meals Rejected by Everybody).

AboutMean Time Between Failures.

AboutAir-to-surface attack specialists.

AboutNaval Air Station.

AboutNorth Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

AboutNavigation Mode. A setting which displays navigation information to the pilot..

Aboutnautical mile.

AboutNap of earth. Low flying, usually by the military, using contour-flying techniques and terrain-masking to avoid being seen.

AboutNotices To Airmen. These are notices issued by the authorities. Pilots should check the NOTAM board before EACH flight. The NOTAMs will cover: Information relative to maps and charts. Information on restricted and prohibited areas. Information of general value to aircrew and ATC officer's. Format of NOTAMS: A) Location, NOTAM number, subject area (AD= aerodromes, PRD= prohibited, restricted, danger areas, DOC= documents). B) Commencent date/ time. C) Completion date/ time. D) Hour's of Activation. E) Message. F) Lower limit. G) Upper Limit.

AboutEjection.

AboutNATO designation for a type of Soviet IFF aerial system.

AboutSequence of pilot's observational processes: Observation - Orientation - Decision - Action.

AboutThe pilot of an a/c is to declare it u/s as soon as possible after any incident involving overspeed.

AboutClosing speed irrespective of relative headings.

AboutNon- emitting sensors.

AboutAn all-weather laser designating weapons delivery system.

AboutPERIOD OF OPERATION OF AN AIRCRAFT: 1. Stationary 2. Taxi / Hover 3. Take-off 4. In Flight 5. Landing

AboutRupture of capillaries during high-G manoeuver-s, also known as "Fighter Pilot Measles".

AboutThe 4 main forces acting on an a/c in flight are. 1: LIFT | Lift (Bernoulli's Principle) As an aircraft wing moves through the air, the air must flow around the wing. Due to the different shape of the upper and lower surface of the wing, the air above the wing has to travel a further distance than the air below the wing. This results in lower air pressure above the wing. Nature moves quickly to equalise the pressures, with the result being an upward vector of force. If the total lift generated by the aircraft wings is greater than the total a/c weight, then the a/c will climb. 2: DRAG - 2 types - Parasitic and Induced. 3: THRUST - Action = Reaction. 4: WEIGHT - All mass exerts an attractive force to all other mass. Since the earth has a great mass, it draws smaller masses, such as aircraft, towards it. We call this attraction of Gravity. The measure of that we call Weight. From the pilot's perspective it means Gravity is pulling his aircraft in downwards direction.If the Lift is Greater than the Weight, the aircraft will stay aloft.

AboutPilot-induced Oscillation. An undulating flight pathbrought about by over-controlling.

AboutNavigation system failure.

AboutVertical movement or angle of a/c longitudinal a)Cis.

About20 miles and 5,000 ft alt from Landing on carrier.

AboutPulse Repetition Frequency.

AboutPart Task Trainer.

AboutAnxiety increase.

AboutEject.

AboutQualified Flying Instructor.

AboutQuick Reaction Alert.

AboutRoyal Australian Air Force.

AboutRadar Detection and Ranging.

AboutRoyal Air Force.

AboutA turn of 3 degrees per second. The a/c will therefore turn 1 80 degrees in 60 seconds and 90 degrees in 30 seconds.This is the standard rate of turn. Standard Turn 3 degrees per second = 180 deg in 60 secs. 90 deg in 30 secs. 360 deg in 120 sees. Use a stopwatch or the sweep hand on a wrist watch to time your turns.

AboutRadio.

AboutTactical exercises held at Nellis AFB, near Las Vegas.

AboutRescue Air Patrol.

AboutRadio Frequency.

AboutRadar Intercept Officer.

AboutRemark(s).

AboutArea navigation. A system of radio navigation which permits direct point-to-point off- airways navigation by means of an on-boar'd computer creating phantom VOR/DME transmitter's termed waypoints.

AboutRemotely Piloted Vehicle.

AboutRead the Fxxxxxg Manual

AboutA strike mission with the objective of reducing enemy air activities. A/c are usually dispersed in hardened shelters, neccesitating multiple attacks to destroy.Even the most severe runway cratering can usually be fixed within hours.Add to this the fact that anti-air defenses are at their most dense around airbases. As British Tornado pilots found during the Gulf War, airfield attacks are at best a risky business!

AboutRadar Warning Receiver.

AboutRunway.

AboutReceiver.

AboutStrategic Air Command.

AboutSurface to Air Missile.

AboutSearch and Rescue.

AboutSemi-Active Radar Homing.

AboutSAR satellite.

AboutStandard Instrument Departure. A standard IFR departure route enabling air traffic controllers to issue abbreviated clearances and thus speed the flow of traffic.

AboutShxt Hot, a laudatory apellation.

AboutAn airport closed to air traffic by bad weather..

AboutStandard Operating Procedure.

AboutAll- moving one piece tailplane.

About10 degree climb. Technique : Momentarily pull the stick about 1/3 to indicate 2 1/2 degrees AOA and then relax pressure on the stick until the FDI and the FPI settle on the 1 0 degrees PITCH BAR.

AboutShort Take-Off and Landing. Also VTOL, vertical take-off and landing; V/STOL, verbcal/short take-off and landing.

AboutShort Take-Off, Vertical Landing.

AboutSingle Target Track (air combat radar mode).

AboutThe capability of sustaining supersonic flight without the use of afterburner.

AboutModem mechanised armies are very dependent on POL Petroleum, Oil, Lubricants) supplies. Most common supply routes are Railways, Roads, Shipping and Air transport. "Choke Points" should be targeted.

AboutTactical Air Navigation.

AboutTailplanes with differential movement to provide roll control.

AboutTrue Air Speed.

AboutAir Combat is not an end in itself. The role of Air Power is to support surface forces in their military objectives and prevent the enemy from disrupting friendly operations. This sometimes requires engaging enemy air forces but these encounter's should be seen in context and not regarded as an end in themself.

AboutTemporary Duty.

AboutTriple Ejection Rack.

AboutTactical Fighter Squadron.

AboutTactical Fighter Wing.

AboutTake-off.

AboutTube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire-guided. An anti-tank missile used by helicopter and ground forces..

AboutArrested Landing.

AboutUnserviceable ( not working).

AboutUp- Front Controller.

AboutUltra High Frequency.

AboutUnited States Air Force.

AboutDecision speed, at which it must be decided whether or not to continue the takeoff.

AboutVisual Display Unit.

AboutLoss of balance.

AboutVisual Flight Rules. Defined as five miles visibility or more and 1,000 feet vertical and one nautical mile horizontal clearance from cloud.

AboutVery High Frequency.

AboutVisual Identification, also called a VIZ.

AboutVisual Identification.

AboutVertical Take-Off and Landing.

AboutDisturbed air left behind a moving a/c.

AboutThe LSO wants you to abort the landing attempt due to a bad approach or fouled deck.

AboutNavigation point - A predefined navigation point entered into the a/c nav computer

AboutA derogatory appellation, opposite of "Shxt Hot"

AboutWayPoint

AboutWeapons System Operator

AboutTransmit

AboutMovement of the fuselage in the horizontal plane

AboutFormerly Greenwich Mean Time, now Coordinated Universal Time