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Aviation Acronyms, Communication and Coordinating Transports

Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 12:29 am
by robertam
We[Joanne, Suzy and I-the 3 Advisors for those Requesting Transports] are going to start posting different documents that we hope will make your job of coordinating air transports even easier. When I first started with PilotsNPaws I found that I had to learn a new "language," i.e., aviation speak:) I discovered that there are alot of acronyms!! We thought it might be helpful to you transport requesters and coordiantors if a list of common acronyms was developed. The attached document lists some of the common acronyms and for those of you who are especially inquisitive, two websites are given where you can go to find out about even more aviation related acronyms.

We hope this is helpful!

Roberta

P.S. You won't be tested on them so please don't worry about whether you have to memorize them:)

Re: Aviation Acronyms, Communication and Coordinating Transports

Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 5:14 pm
by Jon
We pilots shouldn't be using acronyms unless unavoidable. Some I know we use frequently when setting up transports are FBO....that's the place on the airport where we refuel and park our planes and that is where the rescues come to drop off or pick up animals. It's a lot easier than saying Fixed Base Operator which is just as baffling as saying FBO. Think of an FBO as a truck stop for planes.

IFR. Thats an acronym that is almost impossible for pilots to avoid using. It is supposed to mean Instrument Flight Rules, which to a non-pilot is as understandible as saying Fixed Base Operator. IFR is most often used to describe weather, and IFR means the weather is not real good. In fact it may mean the weather is lousy. Its counterpart is VFR, or Visual Flight Rules. VFR is often used to describe good weather. The word "rules" in both acronyms actually refers to the regulations or laws or rules pertaining to flight a pilot must observe. A pilot can opt to file a flight plan and fly according to IFR in perfectly fine weather where the skies are clear and the visibility is unrestricted, but he cannot fly under VFR rules in bad weather. Confused? IFR equals bad weather, VFR equals good weather.

There are other things pilots will talk about that may not be acronyms that rescues should at least be aware of. Weight and balance is a phrase pilots use to cover the amount of and distribution of the load. They will ask you the weights of animals for example. A plane has a maximum gross weight and that includes the weight of the plane, its fuel, the pilot and other passengers and in the case of an animal transport the weights of the animals and their crates. That total cannot exceed the allowable gross weight. The distribution of that weight within the plane is also important and a pilot has to make sure the weight is within certain limits in terms of fore and aft. The plane has a specific range for the center of gravity, and that part is referring to the balance. Maybe some one may use W&B. I've not seen it used, but if someone does maybe that is what they mean.

Zulu. That word was missing in the acronym list, and it refers to the time aviation uses for filing flight plans and any references to time. It is Greenwich Mean Time or UTC. We use Zulu as the basis for our clocks because when we fly we cross time zones and it would drive folks nuts trying to figure out stuff if the time keeps jumping ahead or behind by an our.

Don't allow pilots to talk in code. Or use acronyms, or aviation terms except those that have to be used. But for you rescues, don't confuse us pilots with terms we don't understand. Parvo????? If we need to know something just talk slow and use small words like the dogs are not sick, or the dogs are sick, but they are OK to transport, or they are not, etc. We have a hard enough time remembering acronyms so we can impress and confuse non pilots.

Re: Aviation Acronyms, Communication and Coordinating Transports

Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2020 8:24 pm
by smt6
Good list