Jargon Explanation Table - updated 03/05/09

Moderator Location : UK Spotter Watch Member : No

Term, abbreviation or phrase	Meaning	Info and thanks to
AAR	Air To Air Refuelling	workman 01
AARA	Air To Air Refuelling Area	workman 01
ASP	Aircraft Servicing Platform, or ramp or pan. Occasionally called waterfront.	multiple
ATIS	Automated Terminal Information Service	GOOSE
ATZ	Air Traffic Zone	multiple
AUS	Airspace Utilisation Service	multiple
Blackhole approach	A Blackhole approach is an instrument approach made in daylight to simulate night time conditions. This is usually accomplished by wearing a contraption attached to the helmet that cuts out the pilots peripheral vision and only allows a view of the aircrafts instruments.	PeteT and Flipper 44
BRA	Bearing, Range, Altitude	lowlevel and TEEJ
BRAA	Bearing, Range, Altitude, Aspect	lowlevel and TEEJ
CAS Ex	Close Air Support Exercise - an Army exercise involving air support of some sort, usually fast jet (Harrier) but can be helicopters. Will more often the not be co-ordinated by an FAC	Darkstar and GOOSE
CB	CB is a Cumulonimbus cell, a cloud feared by aviators due to the violent winds within.	gonk, Rich C and GOOSE
Deadhead crew	Crewmembers that are on board the aircraft but not operating (i.e. they are positioning from one airfield to another, "hitching a lift" if you like) The RAF term would be non-operating or supernumary crew.	sschofield
FAC	Forward Air Controller - usually Army (on the ground) or RAF (airborne), these guys are trained to co-ordinate air assets for the commander on the ground. Normally operate behind enemy lines.	Darkstar and GOOSE

Moderator Location : UK Spotter Watch Member : No

Feet wet / dry	Crossing from land to sea - you go feet wet, from sea to land - feet dry.	Webmonkey UK and GOOSE
Fence	Jargon for the boundary / border of hostile airspace	Razor61
Fence - In	Jargon for entering hostile airspace	Razor61
Fence - On	Cockpit set for entering area	dervish
Fence - Out	Jargon for exiting hostile airspace	Razor61
FIS	Flight Information Service	workman 01
GAT	General Air Traffic	workman 01
GCA	Ground Control Approach	workman 01
GH	General Handling - what the pilot does with his aeroplane - aerobatics would be a good example, or perhaps carrying out mock attack against a "target" on the ground (a geographical feature maybe)	Darkstar
HF	High Frequency	workman 01
ICF	Initial Contact Frequency	SAREX
ICF	Initial Contact Frequency	workman 01
IDENT	Identify to controller	workman 01
ILS	Instrument Landing System	workman 01

Moderator Location : UK Spotter Watch Member : No

IMC	Instrument Meteorological Conditions	workman 01
JOKER	Pre-briefed fuel state, above BINGO at which separation / engagement end / bugout should begin	workman 01 and Blackcat1
JTIDS	Joint Tactical Information Distributions System	dervish
LARS	Lower Airspace Radar Service	workman 01
LATCC	London Area and Terminal Control Centre	workman 01
LFA	Low Flying Area. For info on the UK LFAs and their use see: http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/B79115F1-888A-45C8-BCE8-D6473D13A8F8/0/annexa_pomlf0607.pdf	dervish
LJAO	London Joint Area Organisation	workman 01
MATO	Military Air Traffice Operations	workman 01
MDA	Military Danger Area	workman 01
METAR	METeorological Aviation routine Reports	GOOSE
MTA	Military Training Area - there are several of these dotted around the UK, in this instance it's the North Wales MTA, which basically covers the airspace over North and Mid Wales.	Darkstar
Music	Jamming	Razor61 and dervish
OAT	Operational Air Traffic	workman 01
OTA	Operational Training Area	workman 01

Moderator Location : UK Spotter Watch Member : No

OTT	Over The Top....as in overhead or overflight....usually used on here to tell you about something that has transited UK airspace.	PRICEY 797 and Darkstar
PIO	Pilot induced oscillation	TONKS
POB	Persons on Board	workman 01
QDM	Magnetic bearing to facility for example a heading towards an airfield. A QDM or QDR is a bearing, it will only be the same as a heading in a NIL wind situation.	Craig and JESTER 97
QDR	Magnetic bearing from a facility for example a heading away from an airfield. A QDM or QDR is a bearing, it will only be the same as a heading in a NIL wind situation.	Craig and JESTER 97
QFE	Height above airport elevation or runway threshold (good way to remember: Field elevation "FE") Tends to be used for circuits and will be in height not altitude.	Craig
QFF	Atmospheric Pressure converted to mean sea level	Craig
QGH	Controlled descent through cloud	Craig
QNE	Indicated height on landing with altimiter subscale set at 1013.2 millibars	Craig
QNH	Altitude above sea leavel based on local station atmospheric pressure (good way to remember: Natural height "NH")	Craig
QTE	True Bearing	workman 01
Radar Approach	Radar directed approach to an airfield when visual approach is not permitted or advisable.	GOOSE
RAS	Radar Advisory Service	workman 01
RC	Radar Corridor	workman 01

Moderator Location : UK Spotter Watch Member : No

RCS	Radar Control Service	workman 01
REACH	a USAF callsign used by US Air Force transport aircraft.....C-5 Galaxy's, C-17 Globemaster's, sometimes KC-135s, that sort of thing.....	PRICEY 797 and Darkstar
RIS	Radar Information Service	workman 01
RPS	Regional Pressure Setting	workman 01
RVR	Runway Visual Range	workman 01
RVSM	Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum	Blackcat 1 and Workman 01
ScOACC	Scottish and Oceanic Area Control Centre	workman 01
Strangle Timber	Stop transmitting JTIDS information	Dervish
STOL	Short Take-off and Landing	workman 01
Strumble	Is the waypoint afyer DIKAS on AIRWAY UL 9.	glasfryn and Blackcat 1
Sweet / Sour	System working / not working	dervish and workman 01
TACAN	Tactical Air Navigation	workman 01
TAF	Terminal Area (Airfield) Forecasts	GOOSE
TRA	Temporary Restricted Area	workman 01

Moderator Location : UK Spotter Watch Member : No

UHF	Ultra High Frequency	workman 01
VHF	Very High Frequency	workman 01
VMC	Visual Meteorological Conditions	workman 01
VSTOL	Vertical / Short Take-off and Landing	GOOSE

Subject: Re: Jargon Explanation Table - updated 03/05/09