Acronyms and Abbreviations



AC	FAA Advisory Circular
ACARS	Aircraft Communications, Addressing and Reporting System. Air-ground alphanumeric data link.
AIRMET	Airmen's Meteorological Information. In-flight weather advisory issued only to amend the area forecast. Concerns weather of less severity than SIGMETs.
AOA	ACARS Over AVLC
APDU	Application Protocol Data Unit
ASE	Application Service Element
ASN.1	Abstract Syntax Notation, version one
ATC	Air Traffic Control
ATIS	Airport Terminal Information Service
AVLC	Aviation VHF Link Control
AWW	Severe Weather Forecast Alert
BMS	Bit Map Section
CDM	Collaborative Decision Making
CONUS	Continental United States
CRLF	Carriage Return Line Feed
CSC	Common Signaling Channel
CSMA	Carrier Sense Multiple Access
D-ATIS	Digital Airport Terminal Information Service
DLS	Data Link Services
FCS	Frame Check Sequence
FIS	Flight Information Services
FIS-B	Flight Information Services - Broadcast
FISDL	Flight Information Service Data Link
GDS	Grid Description Section
GIF	Graphics Interchange Format
GPS	Global Positioning System
GRIB	GRIdded Binary
GSIF	Ground Station Identification Frame
GWS	Graphical Weather Service
HDLC	High-level Data Link Control
HFDL	High Frequency Data Link
ICAO	International Civil Aviation Organization
IEC	International Electrotechnical Commission
IFR	Instrument Flight Rules
IPI	Initial Protocol Identifier
ISO	International Standards Organization
JPEG	Joint Photographic Experts Group
LIFR	Low Instrument Flight Rules
LME	Link Management Entity
MASPS	Minimum Aviation System Performance Standards
METAR	Aviation Routine Weather Report. An international weather-reporting format.
MFD	Multi-Function Display
MNG	Multiple-image Network Graphics
MOPS	Minimum Operational Performance Standards
MVFR	Marginal Visual Flight Rules
NCEP	National Centers for Environmental Prediction
NEXRAD	Next Generation Weather Radar
NLDN	National Lightning Detection Network
NOAA	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NOTAM	Notice to Airmen
NSME	Network System Management Entity
NWS	National Weather Service
OSI	Open Systems Interconnection
PDS	Product Definition Section
PER	Packed Encoding Rules (ASN.1)
PIREPs	Pilot Weather Reports
PNG	Portable Network Graphics format
RF	Radio Frequency
RFC	Request For Comment
RUC	Rapid Update Cycle
RVR	Runway Visual Range. Visibility values measured by transmissometers mounted on towers along the runway.
SARPs	Standards and Recommended Practices (ICAO).
SATCOM	Satellite Communications
SATCOM DL	SATCOM data link
SIGMET	Significant Meteorological Advisory. Weather advisory issued concerning weather significant to the safety of all aircraft such as severe and extreme turbulence or severe icing.
SNAcP	SubNetwork Access Protocol
SPECI	Special Surface Observation
SPI	Subsequent Protocol Identifier
SUA	Special Use Airspace, including restricted and prohibited airspace and military operations areas (MOAs)
TAF	Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts
TIFF	Tagged Image File Format
UAT	Universal Access Transceiver
UI	Unnumbered Information
UTC	Coordinated Universal Time
VDL	VHF Digital Link
VDLM2	VHF Digital Link Mode 2
VDR	VHF Digital Radio
VFR	Visual Flight Rules
VHF	Very High Frequency (30-300 MHz)
VIP	Video Integrated Processor
VME	VDL Management Entity
W3C	World Wide Web Consortium
WH	Weather-Huffman
WMO	World Meteorological Organization
WSR	Weather Surveillance Radar