AD for Anno Domini - Latin for in the year of the Lord.
Other kinds of abbreviations are ones that we make for ourselves ore use a just with people that we know. They can be a kind of slang like brill for brilliant or telly for television.
An acronym is a kind of abbreviation. It is a word formed from the initial or first letters of a group of other words.
LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation)
RADAR (RAdio Detection And Ranging)
SCUBA (Self - Contained Underwater Breathing)
UNO(United Nations Organization)
The Latin word “Midday” is meridies, from which comes our word meridian. So,A.M. is the abbreviation for ante meridian, or before midday. And P.M. is the abbreviation for post meridian, or after midday.
B and B- Bed and Breakfast
BBC- British Broadcast Corporation (radio and television)
EH - English Heritage
G and T - gin and tonic
MP - Member of Parliament
NHS- National Health Service
P - pence
RSPCA - Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
UK- United Kingdom, which includes England, Walls, Scotland and, since 1992,Northern Ireland.
VAT - Value Added Tax (sales tax)
WC- water closet (international term for “toilet”)
AA - Alcoholics Anonymous
ABC - American Broadcasting Company - one of the major commercial TV networks
ASAP - as soon as possible
FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation-Investigates federal crimes
GOP - Grand Old Party-the Republicans
HQ - headquarters
IBM - International Business Machine-known for computers and office machine
MADD- Mothers Against Drunk Driving
mph- miles per hour (rate of vehicle speed)
NASA- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NOW - National Organization of Women
Commonly Used Abbreviations in Aviation
The abbreviations listed below are normally spoken using the constituent letters, rather than the spelling alphabet, except that those indicated by normally spoken as complete words.
ACC
Area control centre or area control
ADF
Automatic direction-finding equipment
ADR
Advisory route
AFIS
Aerodrome flight information service
AGL
Above ground level
AIP
Aeronautical information publication
ARIAC*
Aeronautical information regulation and control
AIS
Aeronautical information services
AMSL
Above mean sea level
ASTERICS
All purpose structured EUROCONTROL radar information exchange
ATC
Air traffic control (in general)
ATD
Actual time of departure
ATIS*
Automatic terminal information service
ATS
Air traffic services
ATZ
Aerodrome traffic zone
CAVOK*
Visibility, cloud and present weather better than prescribed values or conditions
CTR
Control zone
DA
Decision altitude
DH
Decision height
DME
Distance measuring equipment
EET
Estimated elapsed time
ETA
Estimated time of arrival or estimating arrival
ETD
Estimated time of departure or estimating departure
FAF
Final approach fix
FIC
Flight information sentre
FIR
Flight information region
FIS
Flight information service
GCA
Ground controlled approach system or ground controlled approach
HF
High frequency (3 to 30 MHz)
H24
Continuous day and night service
IAF
Initial approach fix
IAS
Indicated air speed
IF
Intermediate fix
IFR
Instrument flight rules
ILS
Instrument landing system
IMC
Instrument meteorological conditions
INFO*
Information
INS
Inertial navigation system
LoA
Letter of agreement
LORAN*
LORAN (long-range air navigation system)
MET*
Meteorological or meteorology
MLS
Microwave landing system
MNPS
Minimum navigation performance specifications
MSAW
Minimum safe altitude warning function
NDB
Non-directional radio beacon
NIL*
None or I have nothing to send you
NOTAM*
A notice containing information concerning the establishment, condition or change in any aeronautical facility, service, procedure or hazard, the timely knowledge of which is essential to personnel concerned with flight operations
NTZ
No transgression zone
OLDI
On-line data interchange
QFE
Atmospheric pressure at aerodrome elevation (or at runway threshold)
QNH
Altimeter sub-scale setting to obtain elevation when on the ground
RCC
Rescue co-ordination centre
RNAV*
Area navigation
RVR
Runway visual range
RVSM
Reduce Vertical Separation Minima
SELCAL*
A system which permits the selective calling of individual aircraft over radiotelephone channels linking a ground station with the aircraft
SID*
Standard instrument
SIGMET*
Information concerning en-route weather phenomena which may affect the safety of aircraft operations
SMR
Surface movement radar
SNOWTAM*
A special series NOTAM notiflying the presence or removal of hazardous conditions due to snow, ice, slush or standing water associated with snow, slush and ice on the movement area, by means of a specific format
SPECIAL*
Special meteorological report (in abbreviated plane language)
SSR
Secondary surveillance radar
SST
Supersonic transport
STAR*
Standard (instrument) arrival
STCA
Short term conflict alert
TACAN*
UHF tactical air navigation aid
TAF*
Aerodrome forecast
TMA
Terminal control area
UHF
Ultra-high frequency (300 to 3000 MHz)
UIR
Upper flight information region
UTA
Upper control area
UTC
Co-ordinated universal time
VASIS*
Visual approach slope indicator system
VDF
Very high frequency direction-finding station
VFR
Visual flight rules
VHF
Very high frequency (30 to 300 MHz)
VIP
Very important person
VMC
Visual meteorological conditions
VOLMET*
Meteorological information for aircraft in flight
VOR
VHF omnidirectional radio range
VORTAC
VOR and TACAN combination
Questions:
What is an abbreviation? Give some examples.
How often do we use abbreviations? Are they used by everyone?
Are all the abbreviations from English origin?
What is an acronym? Give some examples.
Why are abbreviations used in aviation?
What aviation abbreviations do you know?
Is it necessary to know and to learn abbreviations in aviation?
