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.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

L

Lift.

A component of the total aerodynamic force on an airfoil and acts perpendicular to the relative wind.

Limit load factor

Amount of stress, or load factor, that an aircraft can withstand before structural damage or failure occurs.

Lines of flux

Invisible lines of magnetic force passing between the poles of a magnet.

Load factor

The ratio of a specified load to the total weight of the aircraft. The specified load is expressed in terms of any of the following: aerodynamic forces, inertial forces, or ground or water reactions.

Loadmeter

A type of ammeter installed between the generator output and the main bus in an aircraft electrical system.

Local area augmentation system (LAAS)

A differential global positioning system (DGPS) that improves the accuracy of the system by determining position error from the GPS satellites, then transmitting the error, or corrective factors, to the airborne GPS receiver.

Longitude

Measurement east or west of the Prime Meridian in degrees, minutes, and seconds. The Prime Meridian is 0° longitude and runs through Greenwich, England. Lines of longitude are also referred to as meridians.

Longitudinal axis

An imaginary line through an aircraft from nose to tail, passing through its center of gravity. The longitudinal axis is also called the roll axis of the aircraft. Movement of the ailerons rotates an airplane about its longitudinal axis.

Longitudinal stability (pitching)

Stability about the lateral axis. A desirable characteristic of an airplane whereby it tends to return to its trimmed angle of attack after displacement.

Low or medium frequency

A frequency range between 190 and 535 kHz with the medium frequency above 300 kHz. Generally associated with nondirectional beacons transmitting a continuous carrier with either a 400 or 1,020 Hz modulation.

Lubber line

The reference line used in a magnetic compass or heading indicator.