Glossary
A&AEE Aircraft (Aerospace) and Armament Experimental Establishment
ACR-7 Talk-down approach with step-down glidepath
AFC Air Force Cross
AFM Air Force Medal
AFS Advanced Flying School
AFU Advanced Flying Unit
ASI Airspeed indicator
AvP70 Aviation Publication 70
BAe British Aerospace
Balbo Large formation of aircraft (after Italian Marshal Balbo)
BBC British Broadcasting Corporation
BFTS British Flying Training School
Blighty UK (slang)
BSc Bachelor of Science
Bundoo Uninhabited featureless scrub country (desert, jungle etc)
Bunt Negative-g flying manœuvre (eg inverted loop)
BW1 Bluie West 1 (airfield)
CA Controller, Aircraft
CFE Central Fighter Establishment
CFS Central Flying School
C-in-C Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief
Chiefy Flight Sergeant (RAF slang)
Chota Small
CO Commanding Officer
c/s Callsign
cwt Hundredweight (Avoirdupois measure)
D/F Direction Finding
DFC Distinguished Flying Cross
DFM Distinguished Flying Medal
DI Direction Indicator
DSO Distinguished Service Order
Duff Unserviceable (slang)
E East
ENSA Entertainments National Service Association
Erk Aircraftsman (RAF slang)
ETA Estimated Time of Arrival
FC Football Club
FP Former Pupil
ft Foot/feet
g Acceleration due to gravity
Gen Information (RAF slang)
GCA Ground Controlled Approach
GCI Ground Controlled Interception
Half-incher Pincher (thief, cockney rhyming slang)
HMS His/Her Majesty's Ship
hp Horsepower
HQ Headquarters
HRH His/Her Royal Highness
ID Identity (Card)
IFS Inspector(ate) of Flight Safety
IN(S) Inertial Navigation (System)
ITW Initial Training Wing
JSTU Joint Services Trials Unit
Limey British National
LLB Bachelor of Laws
LMS London, Midland & Scottish (Railway)
LNER London & North Eastern Railway
Loran Long Range Aid to Navigation
Continued
Mag Magneto Mayday International distress codeword
Met Meteorological information
Mile Statute mile (usually); see also 'nm'
MO Medical Officer
MoD Ministry of Defence
MoS Ministry of Supply
MT Motor transport
N North
NCO Non-Commissioned Officer
Notam Notice to Airmen
nm Nautical mile
OATS Officers Advanced Training School
OC Officer Commanding
OCU Operational Conversion unit
OCTU Officer Cadet Training Unit
ORP Operational Readiness Platform
OTU Operational Training Unit
PA Personal Assistant
PAI Pilot Attack Instructor
pfc Passed Flying College
POW Prisoner of War
Prang Crash (RAF slang)
PSI President of the Services Institute (cash fund)
PTI Physical Training Instructor
PX American Post Exchange (Base Department Store)
QFI Qualified Flying Instructor
QGH Q-Code term of instrument let-down using D/F radio
RAAF Royal Australian Air Force
Radar Radio Direction and Ranging
RAE Royal Aircraft Establishment
RAF Royal Air Force
RASC Royal Army Service Corps
RCAF Royal Canadian Air Force
Recce Reconnaissance
RN Royal Navy
RPM Revolutions per minute
R/T Radio Telegraphy
SASO Senior Air Staff Officer
SBAC Society of British Aerospace Companies (Society of British Aircraft Constructors)
SEAATC South East Army Air Training Centre
SSE South-South East
Stats Statistics
Stick Joy stick, control column
T True
Tea-leaf Thief (Cockney rhyming slang)
USA United States of America
USAAC United States Army Air Corps
USAF United States Air Force
VHF Very High Frequency
W West
Wee Frees Nickname for Scottish Free Church excluded minority
WO Warrant Officer
WOP/AG Wireless Operator/Air Gunner
WRAF Women's Royal Air Force
WRD Weapon Research & Development
W/T Wireless Telegraphy
List of Figures
Figure
1 Circuit & Landing Stages and Target Lines
2 Two-Ship Formation
3 Vic, Echelon and Line-Astern Formations
4 Atlantic Crossing Formations
5 Atlantic Nav Card & Chart - Leg One,
Stornoway to Keflavik
6 Atlantic Nav Card & Chart - Leg Two,
Keflavik to Bluie West 1
7 Atlantic Nav Card & Chart - Leg Three,
Bluie West 1 to Goose Bay
8 Air Show Display Lines
9 Air-to-Air Gunnery Tow-Line Pattern and Forced Landing Glide
10 Rocketing Sight Picture
11 Vulcan Landing Drag/Speed Curve