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AF Acronyms


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Guest Rottenberg

I'm not an active duty pilot, or really any kind of pilot. But I'm enthusiast who happened upon this site. I was wondering if there's some kind of FAQ that explains what all those acronyms are - like "E" or "AD".

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  • 4 months later...
Guest Metalhead

"use for IFR" Don't know what you mean, don't know what PAINCALL stands for either. Give us a little more.

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Oh, sorry. I'm talking about acronyms that are used when flying IFR to set up approaches and stuff.

P- positional awareness (30 mile NNE)

A- ATIS (get the info)

I- Instruments (DG to mag compass, altimeter)

N- Navs (tune in nav frequencies and set OBS,HSI RMI, etc.)

C- Comms (tune in all your frequencies for com)

A- Approach brief (MICEATM)

L- Landing checklist

L- Landing light or land the plane

Approach Brief

M- magnetic Compass/H.I.

I- identify (navs, mkr bcns)

C- course inbound

E- entry

A- altitude

T- time

M- missed approach

[ 21. July 2004, 17:30: Message edited by: c17wannabe ]

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Guest uptSTUDXL

At Laughlin...one for the ILS is...

DLIDS

Dme hold

Localizer course freq

Inbound course

Direction of turn

Speed

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Don't forget the 2 most popular:

WHOLDS

Weather

Holding

Obtain Clearance

Letdown plate/lost comm review

Descent Check

Speed

MAILMAN (a.k.a. NAILMOM, etc)

Minimums

Accomplish checks

Inbound course/initial rate of descent

Letdown plate/lost comm

Missed Approach

Altimeter

Next Approach

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Guest AV8NSP

Here are couple more:

DRWHOS (A version of WHOLDS)

Descent check

Review approach

Wx

Holding

Obtain Clearance

Speed

And a nifty,expanded LIDS check that I have learned in T-1s:

LIIDDS

Localizer (freq set)

Inbound course set

Ident

DSP setup (T-1 avionics display)

DME (DME of IAF and a double check of DME source for DSP,i.e. VOR/LOC versus TAC/LOC)

Speed

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Guest AV8NSP

Here are couple more:

DRWHOS (A version of WHOLDS)

Descent check

Review approach

Wx

Holding

Obtain Clearance

Speed

And a nifty,expanded LIDS check that I have learned in T-1s:

LIIDDS

Localizer (freq set)

Inbound course set

Ident

DSP setup (T-1 avionics display)

DME (DME of IAF and a double check of DME source for DSP,i.e. VOR/LOC versus TAC/LOC)

Speed

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Guest lovelacm

TLAR - A very popular holding technique in which the pilot looks at the heading of the aircraft, compares it to the inbound course on the approach plate, enroute chart, etc. and determines which way he/she should turn the aircraft to enter holding at the fix... also known as "That Looks About Right."

Of course there're a few others heard outside the aircraft - BOHICA, BIOYA, WMFUALS. Feel free to decipher those on your own :cool:

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Don't forget your 6 T's:

Time, Turn, Throttles, Twist, Track, Talk

(used any time you pass a IAF, FAF, or any other point you want)

Anyone remember the version the Navy taught? Something like time, turn, time, tune . . . except 1/2 the time you didn't use part of it.

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Back in my nav school days, after getting fed up with being forced to use acronyms rather than just remembering what you needed to do, we invented the BULLSHIT check:

B - weather

U - Holding

L - Obtain clearance

L - Letdown plate review

S - Descent check

HIT it - let's go

We thought it was funny, at least. 96-09 baby!

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  • 4 months later...

Hello,

I see a fair amount of questions regarding the acronyms of the military aviation / USAF. I thought it might be worthwhile to conglomerate such acronyms in one concise section (a glossary, if you will...) Us old heads tend to talk like an alphabet soup, but I think the newbies can get lost in the mix... I know there are other glossaries out there, but this one could be aviation specific (unique).

i.e. JSUPT, MAJCOM, AETC, SIE, HOOK, IP, EP

Do you think this would be of use to the new guys, etc.? If not, let me know as well.

If so, please start adding to this thread with the acronyms / slang that you would like to see included - and I will add them as soon as I get some time (include the term as well as the definition). Please stick to USAF / military aviation terms and avoid the spam. Thanks in advance!

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First and foremost.

STS= So to speak: Used when statements may be mis-interpreted, or interpreted correctly and just trying to stay PC(Politically Correct).

Ex. It was so cold last night, my hose froze up. STS

Ohh, and I definitely think this will be helpful.

[ 13. December 2004, 21:06: Message edited by: c17wannabe ]

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HOOK/TACO- Getting an unsatisfactory (U) grade on a flight, test, etc. Often shown as a visual hand signal, with one holding their hand as if cradling an imaginary taco.

Synonyms - BUST/TUBE/BONE/SHIT THE BED/SCREW THE POOCH

It's like a dictionary and a thesaurus all in one!

[ 13. December 2004, 21:12: Message edited by: PAB ]

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NKAWTG - Nobody Kicks Ass Without Tanker Gas - A popular acronym used by crewmembers of the Mighty KC-135 Stratotanker and the almost as mighty KC-10 Extender.

Herk drivers say they kick ass without tanker gas, but I wonder how the gas gets into theater before it's put into bladders and sent forward... Hmmm.... :confused:

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DASH-1 - The "owners manual" for the aircraft. This technical order or T.O. is divided into sections that list systems description and operation, checklists and normal procedures, emergency procedures, crew duties, operating limits, adverse weather procedures, etc. Your checklist is derived from this T.O., as is performance data charts, cargo loading data, etc. These books have hundreds of pages, but you will become very familiar with the important stuff and the trivial as time goes on.

It's called the Dash-1 because it is listed as T.O. 1T-1A-1 or 1T-37B-1. They end in -1

[ 13. December 2004, 21:22: Message edited by: PAB ]

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TDY- Temporary Duty

PCS- Permanent Change of Station

FTU- Formal Training Unit or Field Training Unit

ENNJPT- Euro Nato Joint Jet Pilot Training

IFT- Introductory Flight Training

UPT- Undergraduate Pilot Training

SUPT- Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training

JSUPT- Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training

PPQ or PNQ- Potentially Pilot or Navigator Qualified

AFOQT- Air Force Officer Qualifying Test

BAT- Basic Attributes Test

EWO- Electronic Wafare Officer

WSO- Weapons Systems Officer

AWACS-Airborne Warning and Control System

JSTARS-Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System

RNLTD- Report No Later Than Date

These are mostly for really newbies.

[ 13. December 2004, 21:42: Message edited by: c17wannabe ]

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Guest dumaisj

IIRC = If I Recall Correctly

I've seen this quite a few times, so even though it's non-related, I thought I might save some people a trip to an acronym page.

[ 13. December 2004, 21:32: Message edited by: dumaisj ]

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Guest skipplet

Off the top of my head:

JPATS - Joint Primary Air Training System

JPPT - Joint Primary Pilot Training

AFAIK - As far as I know

LOR - Letter of Reprimand or Letter of Recommendation

MWS - Major Weapons System i.e. an F15, C17, etc.

Then all the majcoms but someone else can take those

Oh, and a supplement to FTU I've seen Flying Training Unit and RTU - Replacement Training Unit

[ 13. December 2004, 21:55: Message edited by: Karl ]

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Fine, here goes.

AETC- Air Education and Training Command Randolph AFB, TX

AMC- Air Mobility Command Scott AFB, IL

ACC- Air Combat Command Langley AFB, VA

AFMC- Air Force Material Command Wright-Patt AFB, OH

PACAF- Pacific Air Forces Hickam AFB, HI

AFSPC- Air Force Space Command Peterson AFB, CO

USAFE- US Air Forces in Europe Ramstein AB, Germany

AFSOC- Air Force Special operations Command Hurlburt Field, Fl

AFRC- Air Force Reserve Command Robins AFB, GA

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Guest C-21 Pilot

M2 - MajorMadMax

BOHICA - Bend Over, Here It Comes Again (commonly used in USAFE)

SWA - SouthWest Asia, or "The Box" as in Sandbox

Fred - C-5

Barney - C-17

Herk - C-130

The best freakin' plane in the inventory - C-21

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