Glossary

This glossary contains information on terms, phrases and abbreviations used by the Aviation industry. While this list does not include all aviation terminology, it is the purpose of this glossary to aid the general viewer in better understanding aviation terms as it pertains to content on this website. A full list of aviation terminology can be found here.
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O

Obstruction lights.

Lights that can be found both on and off an airport to identify obstructions.

Occluded front.

A frontal occlusion occurs when a fast-moving cold front catches up with a slow moving warm front. The difference in temperature within each frontal system is a major factor in determining whether a cold or warm front occlusion occurs.

Omission error.

The failure to anticipate significant instrument indications following attitude changes; for example, concentrating on pitch control while forgetting about heading or roll information, resulting in erratic control of heading and bank.

Optical illusion.

A misleading visual image. For the purpose of this handbook, the term refers to the brain’s misinterpretation of features on the ground associated with landing, which causes a pilot to misread the spatial relationships between the aircraft and the runway.

Orientation.

Awareness of the position of the aircraft and of oneself in relation to a specific reference point.

Otolith organ.

An inner ear organ that detects linear acceleration and gravity orientation.

Outside air temperature (OAT).

The measured or indicated air temperature (IAT) corrected for compression and friction heating. Also referred to as true air temperature.

Overboost.

A condition in which a reciprocating engine has exceeded the maximum manifold pressure allowed by the manufacturer. Can cause damage to engine components.

Overcontrolling.

Using more movement in the control column than is necessary to achieve the desired pitch-and-bank condition.

Overpower.

To use more power than required for the purpose of achieving a faster rate of airspeed change.