Glossary of Terms
Terms commonly used in the aerospace/aviation industry.
TERM DESCRIPTION
3D 3-Dimensional
501(c)(6) non-profit organization devoted to business purposes
A&P Airframe and Powerplant
ABSAA Airborne Sense and Avoid
AF Air Force
AOCC Air Operation Control Center
ARFF Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting
ARTCC Air Route Traffic Control Center
ATO Air Traffic Organization
ATP Airline Transport Pilot
ATC Air Traffic Control
AUGNet Ad-Hoc Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Ground Networking
AUVSI Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International
AVO Air Vehicle Operator
BLM Bureau of Land Management
BVLOS Beyond Visual Line of Site
C2 Communications and Control
C3 Communications, command, and control
CASA Center for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere
CDOT Colorado Department of Transportation
CDOT-A Colorado Department of Transportation – Aeronautics Division
CFI Certified Flight Instructor
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
CO Colorado
COA Certificate of Authorization
CONOPS Concepts of Operations
COUAS Colorado UAS
DARPA Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
DHS Department of Homeland Security
DIA Denver International Airport
DOC Department of Commerce
DOD Department of Defense
DOI Department of the Interior
EP External Pilot
ERAST Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology
FAA Federal Aviation Administration
FCC Federal Communications Commission
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Administration
FHSS Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum
FL Flight Level
FOD Foreign Objects and Debris
FSDO Flight Standards District Office
GCS Ground Control Station
GHz Gigahertz
GPS Global Positioning System
IFR Instrument Flight Rules
IR Instrument Flight Rules Routes
ITAR International Traffic in Arms Regulations
JPDO Joint Planning and Development Office
LOS Line of Site
MACA Mid-Air Collision Avoidance
MHz Megahertz
MOA Military Operations Area
NAS National Airspace System
NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NETUAS Networked Unmanned Aircraft System
NETUASC3 Networked Unmanned Aircraft System Communication, Command, Control
NEXGEN Next Generation
NEXRAD Next-Generation Radar
NSF National Science Foundation
NTSB National Transportation Safety Board
NTIA National Telecommunications and Information Administration
PIC Pilot in Command
POTUS President of the United States
R&D Research and Development
RAPS Robotic Aircraft for Public Safety
RPV Remotely Piloted Vehicle
SAA Sense and Avoid
SCAA Spaceport Colorado & Aeronautical Authority
SIF Space Infrastructure Foundation
SIR Screening Information Request
SSS Strategic Simulation Solutions
sUAS small Unmanned Aircraft Systems
TS Test Site
UA Unmanned Aircraft
UAS Unmanned Aerial System
U.S. United States of America
USAFA United States Air Force Academy
USGS United States Geological Survey
VHF Very High Frequency
VPOTUS Vice President of the United States
VTOL Vertical Take-Off Landing
WiFi Wireless Fidelity