Appendix E, Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Initialisms E-1
Appendix E Abbreviations, Acronyms,
and Initialisms
14 CFR Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations
3D Three Dimensional
A Arctic
AAG Alaska Aviation Guidance
AAWU Alaska Aviation Weather Unit
AC Advisory Circular
AC Convective Outlook
ACARS Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System
ACFJ Australia, Canada, France, and Japan
ACSL Altocumulus Standing Lenticular
ADS-B Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast
AFD Aviation Forecast Discussion
AFIS Automatic Flight Information Service
AGL Above Ground Level
AIM Aeronautical Information Manual
AIREP Aircraft Report
AIRMET Airmen’s Meteorological Information
ALP Airport Location Point
AMDAR Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay
AP Anomalous Propagation
app Application
ARTCC Air Route Traffic Control Center
ASI-AD Aviation Safety Inspector—Aircraft Dispatch
ASOS Automated Surface Observing System
ATC Air Traffic Control
ATCSCC Air Traffic Control Systems Command Center
Appendix E, Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Initialisms E-2
ATCT Airport Traffic Control Tower
ATIS Automatic Terminal Information Service
AWC Aviation Weather Center
AWIPS Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System
AWOS Automated Weather Observing System
AWRP Aviation Weather Research Program
AWW Airport Weather Warning
Note: AWW formerly stood for the Alert Severe Weather Watch Bulletin as
well as the Severe Weather Forecast Alert.
°C or C degrees Celsius or Celsius
c Continental
cA Continental Arctic
CAPE Convective Available Potential Energy
CAT Clear-Air Turbulence
Cb Cumulonimbus
CCSL Cirrocumulus Standing Lenticular
CERAP Central Radar Approach
CH Certificate Holder
CIP Current Icing Product
CIT Convectively Induced Turbulence
CIWS Corridor Integrated Weather System
cm centimeter
C-MAN Coastal-Marine Automated Network
CME Coronal Mass Ejection
CMO Certificate Management Office
CONUS Contiguous United States
CoSPA Consolidated Storm Prediction for Aviation
cP Continental Polar
CPHC Central Pacific Hurricane Center
CRC China-Russian Federation Consortium
Appendix E, Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Initialisms E-3
cT Continental Tropical
CWA Center Weather Advisory
CWSU Center Weather Service Unit
dBZ decibels of Z
DH Decision Height
DO Director of Operations
DOC Department of Commerce
DOD Department of Defense
DOT Department of Transportation
E East
ECFP Extended Convective Forecast Product
EDR Eddy Dissipation Rate
EF Enhanced Fujita
EFB Electronic Flight Bag
ENE East-Northeast
ESE East-Southeast
ETA Estimated Time of Arrival
EUV Extreme Ultraviolet
EWINS Enhanced Weather Information System
°F or F degrees Fahrenheit or Fahrenheit
FA Area Forecast
FAA Federal Aviation Administration
FACA Area Forecast for Caribbean
FAGX Area Forecast for Gulf of America
FB Wind and Temperature Aloft Forecast
FIP Forecast Icing Product
FIR Flight Information Region
FIS Flight Information Services
FIS-B Flight Information Service-Broadcast
FL Flight Level
Appendix E, Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Initialisms E-4
FOC Flight Operations Center
fpm feet per minute
FSS Flight Service Station
ft foot
g gram
GA General Aviation
GCR Galactic Cosmic Rays
GFA Graphical Forecasts for Aviation
GFS Global Forecast System
GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System
GOES Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites
GPS Global Positioning System
GTG Graphical Turbulence Guidance
GTG-N Graphical Turbulence Guidance Nowcast
HEMS Helicopter Emergency Medical Services
HF High Frequency
HF COM High Frequency Communications
Hg Mercury
HIWC High Ice Water Content
hPa hectopascal
hr hour
HRRR High Resolution Rapid Refresh
IAP Instrument Approach Procedure
IATA International Air Transport Association
ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization
IFR Instrument Flight Rules
IMC Instrument Meteorological Conditions
in inch
inHg inches of mercury
IR Infrared
Appendix E, Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Initialisms E-5
ITCZ Intertropical Convergence Zone
ITWS Integrated Terminal Weather System
J joule
J/g joules per gram
J g-1 K-1 joules per gram Kelvin
J/kg joules per kilogram
K Kelvin
kg kilogram
kg/m kilogram per meter
kg/m3 kilogram per cubic meter
K-H Kelvin-Helmholtz
km kilometer
km/h kilometers per hour
kt knot
kW kilowatt
LAA Local Airport Advisory
LAMP Localized Aviation MOS Program
lb pound
LCL Lifted Condensation Level
LFC Level of Free Convection
LI Lifted Index
LIFR Low Instrument Flight Rules
LLWAS Low-Level Wind Shear Alert System
LLWS Low-Level Wind Shear
LRNS Long-Range Navigation System
m Maritime
m meter
m3 cubic meter
mA Maritime Arctic
mb or mbar millibar