Abbreviations & Acronyms in Aviation Industry

AC - Advisory Circular
ACARS - Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting
System
ACAS - Aircraft Collision Avoidance System
ACMF - Airplane Condition Monitoring Function
ACO - Aircraft Certification Office
AD - Airworthiness Directive: FAA regulatory notice
ADC - Air Data Computer
ADF - Automatic Direction Finder
ADI - Attitude Director Indicator
ADIRS - Air Data Inertial Reference System
ADS - Air Data System
ADS - Automatic Dependent Surveillance
ADT - Air Data Tester
AFCS - Automatic Flight Control System
AFMS - Advanced Flight Management System
AFS - Auto Flight System
AHRS - Attitude-Heading Reference System
AIM - Airman’s Information Manual
AIMS - Airplane Information Management System
AIP - Aeronautical Information Publication
AMI - Airline Modifiable Information
AMM - Aircraft Maintenance Manual
AMOSS - Airline Maintenance and Operation Support System
AOG - Aircraft-On-Ground
APU - Auxiliary Power Unit
ARINC - Aeronautical Radio, Incorporated: a nonprofit
corporation owned by member airlines to define form, fit and
function of avionics equipment
ARINC 700-series - All-digital equipment specifications for
new-generation transport category aircraft
ASC - Aircraft System Controllers
ASCB - Avionics Standard Communication Bus
ASE - Airline-Selected Equipment: vs. SFE; see also BFE
ASI - Airspeed Indicator
ASRS - Aviation Safety Reporting System
ATE - Automatic Test Equipment
ATLAS - Abbreviated Test Language for Avionics Systems
ATN - Aeronautical Telecommunications Network
AWLU - Aircraft Wireless LAN Unit

B
BFE - Buyer-Furnished Equipment: not supplied as standard
equipment by airframe mfr; selected by customer (see ASE)
BITE - Built-in Test Equipment
BPS - Bits Per Second

CADC - Central Air Data Computer

CAS-SPO - Commercial Aviation Systems-Sensor Products
Operation
CBT - Computer-Based Training
CDI - Course Deviation Indicator
CDS - Common Display System
CDU - Control-Display Unit
CFDS - Centralised Fault Display System
CFIT - Controlled Flight Into Terrain
CMC - Central Maintenance Computer
CMM - Component Maintenance Manual or Common Mode
Monitor
CMU - Communications Management Unit
CNK - Cause Not Known
COTS - Commercial Off-The-Shelf
CRM - Cockpit Resource Management or Crew Resource
Management
CRT - Cathode Ray Tube
CSMU - Cabin System Management Unit
CTO - Central Technical Operations
CVR - Cockpit Voice RecorderD/A - Digital-to-Analogue
Conversion

DADC - Digital Air Data Computer

DDRMI - Digital Distance Radio Magnetic Indicator
DEU - Display Electronics Unit
DER - Designated Engineering Representative
DFDAU - Digital Flight Data Acquisition Unit
DFDR - Digital Flight Data Recorder
DFGC - Digital Flight Guidance Computer
DFGS - Digital Flight Guidance System

EASA - European Aviation Safety Agency, an agency of the

European Union that took over from the JAA (see JAA) in 2003.
Is responsible for airworthiness and environmental protection
ECAM - Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor
ECMP - Electronic Component Management System
EDAC - Error Detection and Correction
EDI - Engine Data Interface
EFIS - Electronic Flight Instrument System
EGT - Exhaust Gas Temperature
EHM - Engine Health Monitoring
EHSI - Electronic Horizontal Situation Indicator
EICAS - Engine Indication and Crew Alerting System
EIS - Electronic Instrument System
ELF/FL - Elevator Load Feel/Flap Limiter
ELS - Electronic Library System
EMI - Electromagnetic Interference
ERP - Enterprise Resource Planning
EPR - Engine Pressure Ratio
EPRT - Engine Pressure Ratio Transmitter
ETOPS - Extended Twin-engine Operations

FAA - Federal Aviation Administration (U.S.)

FADEC - Full Authority Digital Engine (or Electronic) Control
FAMIS - Full Aircraft Management/Inertial System
FAR - Federal Aviation Regulations
FBO - Fixed-Base Operator
FCS - Flight Control System
FDAU - Flight Data Acquisition Unit
FDMU - Flight Data Management Unit: FAMIS component
FDR - Flight Data Recorder
FGS - Flight Guidance System
FMC - Flight Management Computer
FMCDU - Flight Management Control and Display Unit (FMS)
FMCS - Flight Management Computer System
FMGC - Flight Management Guidance Computer
FMGEC - Flight Management Guidance Envelope Computer
FMS - Flight Management System
FOD - Foreign Object Damage
FQIS - Fuel Quantity Indicating System
FSC - Fuel System Controller

GBST - Ground-Based Software Tool

GPU - Ground Power Unit
GPWS - Ground Proximity Warning System
GSE - Ground Support Equipment

HMCDU - Hybrid Multifunction Control-Display Unit

HP - High Pressure
HSI - Hot Section Inspection
HUD - Head-up Display

ICAO - International Civil Aviation Organization: agency of the

UN
IFE - In-flight Entertainment
IMA - Integrated Modular Avionics
INS - Inertial Navigation System
IR – Infrared
IRS - Inertial Reference System
ISDU - Inertial System Display Unit
ISO - International Standards Organisation

JAA - (European) Joint Aviation Authorities – formerly the Joint

Airworthiness Authority, founded in 1970 to develop unified
European approach to aviation safety; now to be superceded by
the EASA (see EASA)JAR - Joint Airworthiness Requirement –
issued by JAA

KIAS - Indicated Airspeed in Knots

KPI - Key Performance Indicator
KT - Knots: nautical miles/hour

LAN - Local Area Network

LCD - Liquid Crystal Display
LED - Light-Emitting Diode
LP - Low Pressure
LRM - Line-Replaceable Module
LRU - Line-Replaceable Unit
LSAS - Longitudinal Stability Augmentation System
LSS - Lightning Sensor System

MASI - Mach Airspeed Indicator

MAPPER - Maintaining, Preparing & Producing Executive
Reports
MAU - Modular Avionics Unit
MCDU - Multifunction Control and Display Unit: part of FMS
MCP - Mode Control Panel
MCU - Modular Concept Unit or Minimum Configuration Unit
or Modular Component Unit
MDAU - Maintenance Data Acquisition Unit
MDC - Maintenance Diagnostic Computer
MDT - Maintenance Display Terminal
MEL - Minimum Equipment List
MFD - Multi-Function Display or Malfunction Display
MFM - Maintenance Fault Memory
MMR - Multi-Mode receiver
MOPS - Minimum Operation and Performance
Standards/Minimum Operational Performance Standards
MOU - Memorandum of Understanding
MRP - Manpower and Resources Planning
MSU - Mode Select Unit
MTBF - Mean Time Between Failure: a performance figure
calculated by dividing the total unit flying hours (airborne)
accrued in a period of time by the number of unit failures that
occurred during the same time
MTBR - Mean Time Between Removal or Mean Time Between
Repairs
MTBUR - Mean Time Between Unscheduled Removal or Mean
Time Between Unit Replacements
MTC - Maintenance Terminal Cabinet
MTOW - Maximum Take-Off Weight

N1 - Engine low pressure rotor speed

NAVAID - Navigational Aid
NM - Nautical Mile: 1.15 statute miles or or 6,076.1 feet; 60 nm
= 1 degree of Earth’s circumference
NMS - Navigation Management System
NOTAM - Notice to Airmen
NPRM - Notice of Proposed Rule-Making (FAA)
NTSB - National Transportation Safety Board (U.S.)

OEM - Original Equipment Manufacturer

Off-Block Time - The time that the aircraft leaves the gate;
On-Block Time is the gate arrival time
OMS - On-Board Maintenance System

PCU - Power Control UnitPDU - Power Drive Unit

PFC - Primary Flight Computer
PFD - Primary Flight Display
PIREP - Pilot Report
PMA - Parts Manufacturing Approval
PMAT - Portable Maintenance Access Terminal
PMO - Programme Management Organization
PMS - Performance Management System
PSPL - Preferred Standard Parts List

QA - Quality Assurance
QAR - Quick Access Recorder
QC - Quality ControlRAI - Radio Altimeter Indicator

RDI - Radio Direction Indicator

RF - Radio Frequency: a general term for the range of
frequencies above 150kHzRFI - Request For Information
RFP - Request For Proposal
RFQ - Request For Quotation
RFU - Radio Frequency Unit
RMI - Radio Magnetic Indicator
RMP - Remote Maintenance Panel
RPK - Revenue Passenger-Kilometres: number of revenue
passengers carried times distance in kms, i.e. one paying
passenger flown 1km
RPM - Revenue Passenger-Miles (see RPK)

SAE - Society of Automotive Engineers

SAIFIR - Systems Aid for Integration and Fault Reporting
SARPS - Standard and Recommended Practices
SATCOM - Satellite Communications
SB - Service Bulletin
SFE - Seller-Furnished Equipment: i.e., selected by airframe
manufacturer as standard for that aircraft type
SGML - Standard Generalised Markup Language
SITA - Société Internationale de Télécommunications
Aéronautiques: cooperative, not-for-profit organisation dedicated
to the air transport industry. Operates world’s largest specialised
data telecommunications network
SMART - Standard Modular Avionics Repair and Test
SRU - Shop Replaceable Unit
STC - Supplemental Type Certificate: FAA certification
document

T T

TAT - Turn Around Time

TBO - Time Between Overhaul
TBD - To Be Determined
TCAS - Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System
TOW - Time On Wing
TSN - Time Since New
TSO - Time Since Overhaul; or Technical Standard Order:
performance specification and production compliance document
issued by FAA

VFE - Maximum Flap Extended speed

VIA - Versatile Integrated Avionics
VNE - Never-exceed speed
VNO - Maximum structural cruising speed
VPN - Vendor Part Number
VR - Rotation speed
VSI - Vertical Speed Indicator