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Judgment

GLOSSARY

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.
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The mental process of recognizing and analyzing all pertinent information in a particular situation, a rational evaluation of alternative actions in response to it, and a timely decision on which action to take.
Knots indicated airspeed
A barometric scale window of a sensitive altimeter used to adjust the altitude for the altimeter setting.
See low or medium frequency.
See local area augmentation system.
The delay that occurs before an instrument needle attains a stable indication.
Land without delay at the nearest suitable area, such as an open field, at which a safe approach and landing is assured.
The landing site and duration of flight are at the discretion of the pilot. Extended flight beyond the nearest approved landing area is not recommended.
A coastal breeze flowing from land to sea caused by temperature differences when the sea surface is warmer than the adjacent land. The land breeze usually occurs at night and alternates with the sea breeze that blows in the opposite direction by day.
The urgency of the landing is paramount. The primary consideration is to ensure the survival of the occupants. Landing in trees, water, or other unsafe areas should be considered only as a last resort.
An imaginary line passing through the center of gravity of an airplane and extending across the airplane from wingtip to wingtip.
The stability about the longitudinal axis of an aircraft. Rolling stability or the ability of an airplane to return to level flight due to a disturbance that causes one of the wings to drop.
Measurement north or south of the equator in degrees, minutes, and seconds. Lines of latitude are also referred to as parallels.
The part of an airfoil that meets the airflow first.
High lift devices which are found on the leading edge of the airfoil. The most common types are fixed slots, movable slats, and leading edge flaps.
A portion of the leading edge of an airplane wing that folds downward to increase the camber, lift, and drag of the wing. The leading-edge flaps are extended for takeoffs and landings to increase the amount of aerodynamic lift that is produced at any given airspeed.
A physical sensation caused by an abrupt correction of a banked attitude entered too slowly to stimulate the motion sensing system in the inner ear. The abrupt correction can create the illusion of banking in the opposite direction.
The empty weight that consists of the airframe, engine(s), unusable fuel, and undrainable oil plus standard and optional equipment as specified in the equipment list. Some manufacturers used this term prior to GAMA standardization.
A component of the total aerodynamic force on an airfoil and acts perpendicular to the relative wind.
Amount of stress, or load factor, that an aircraft can withstand before structural damage or failure occurs.
Invisible lines of magnetic force passing between the poles of a magnet.
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.
A type of ammeter installed between the generator output and the main bus in an aircraft electrical system.
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.
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.
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.
Stability about the lateral axis. A desirable characteristic of an airplane whereby it tends to return to its trimmed angle of attack after displacement.
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.
The reference line used in a magnetic compass or heading indicator.
See mean aerodynamic chord
The instrument that displays the ratio of the speed of sound to the true airspeed an aircraft is flying.
The ratio of the true airspeed of the aircraft to the speed of sound in the same atmospheric conditions, named in honor of Ernst Mach, late 19th century physicist.
The direction to or from a radio transmitting station measured relative to magnetic north.
A device for determining direction measured from magnetic north.
A vertical attraction between a compass needle and the magnetic poles. The closer the aircraft is to a pole, the more severe the effect.
A self-contained, engine-driven unit that supplies electrical current to the spark plugs; completely independent of the airplane’s electrical system. Normally there are two magnetos per engine.
Lifting force produced when a rotating cylinder produces a pressure differential. This is the same effect that makes a baseball curve or a golf ball slice.
Ability of an aircraft to change directions along a flightpath and withstand the stresses imposed upon it.
The maximum speed at which full, abrupt control movement can be used without overstressing the airframe.
The absolute pressure of the fuel/air mixture within the intake manifold, usually indicated in inches of mercury.
The amount of matter in a body.
The total weight of a loaded aircraft, including all fuel. It is greater than the takeoff weight due to the fuel that will be burned during the taxi and runup operations. Ramp weight may also be referred to as taxi weight.
The maximum authorized weight of the aircraft and all of its equipment as specified in the Type Certificate Data Sheets (TCDS) for the aircraft.
See magnetic bearing.
The average height of the surface of the sea at a particular location for all stages of the tide over a 19-year period.
See minimum equipment list.
A layer of the atmosphere directly above the stratosphere.
See Aviation Routine Weather Report.
See multi-function display.
See magnetic heading.
Megahertz.
A strong downdraft which normally occurs over horizontal distances of 1 NM or less and vertical distances of less than 1,000 feet. In spite of its small horizontal scale, an intense microburst could induce windspeeds greater than 100 knots and downdrafts as strong as 6,000 feet per minute.
Airspace of defined vertical and lateral dimensions established for the conduct of military training at airspeeds in excess of 250 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS).
The point on the total drag curve where the lift-to-drag ratio is the greatest. At this speed, total drag is minimized.
A list developed for larger aircraft that outlines equipment that can be inoperative for various types of flight including IFR and icing conditions. This list is based on the master minimum equipment list (MMEL) developed by the FAA and must be approved by the FAA for use. It is specific to an individual aircraft make and model.
A mixture of clear ice and rime ice.
See military operations area.
Altitude reporting transponder mode.
The product of the weight of an item multiplied by its arm. Moments are expressed in pound-inches (lb-in). Total moment is the weight of the airplane multiplied by the distance between the datum and the CG.
The distance from a datum to the applied force.
A moment divided by a constant such as 100, 1,000, or 10,000. The purpose of using a moment index is to simplify weight and balance computations of airplanes where heavy items and long arms result in large, unmanageable numbers.
A shell-like fuselage design in which the stressed outer skin is used to support the majority of imposed stresses. Monocoque fuselage design may include bulkheads but not stringers.
Airplanes with a single set of wings.
A movable auxiliary airfoil on the leading edge of a wing. It is closed in normal flight but extends at high angles of attack. This allows air to continue flowing over the top of the wing and delays airflow separation.
See mean sea level
See military training route.
Small screen (CRT or LCD) in an aircraft that can be used to display information to the pilot in numerous configurable ways. Often an MFD will be used in concert with a primary flight display.
A streamlined enclosure on an aircraft in which an engine is mounted. On multiengine propeller-driven airplanes, the nacelle is normally mounted on the leading edge of the wing.
See National Aeronautical Charting Group.
See National Airspace System.
The common network of United States airspace—air navigation facilities, equipment and services, airports or landing areas; aeronautical charts, information and services; rules, regulations and procedures, technical information; and manpower and material.
A set of rules and procedures designed to increase the flexibility of user flight planning within published guidelines.
Areas consisting of airspace of defined vertical and lateral dimensions established at locations where there is a requirement for increased security and safety of ground facilities. Pilots are requested to voluntarily avoid flying through the depicted NSA. When it is necessary to provide a greater level of security and safety, flight in NSAs may be temporarily prohibited. Regulatory prohibitions are disseminated via NOTAMs.
A United States Government independent organization responsible for investigations of accidents involving aviation, highways, waterways, pipelines, and railroads in the United States. NTSB is charged by congress to investigate every civil aviation accident in the United States.
Navigation and communication radio.
See nondirectional radio beacon.
The initial tendency of an aircraft to continue away from the original state of equilibrium after being disturbed.
The initial tendency of an aircraft to remain in a new condition after its equilibrium has been disturbed.
Nautical mile.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
See Notice to Airmen.
A notice filed with an aviation authority to alert aircraft pilots of any hazards en route or at a specific location. The authority in turn provides means of disseminating relevant NOTAMs to pilots.
See National Route Program.
See National Security Area.
See National Transportation Safety Board.
National Weather Service.
Lights that can be found both on and off an airport to identify obstructions.
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.
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.