Aviation Acronyms and Mnemonics

For student pilots or those getting ready for BFRs or practical tests, and for general review


Day VFR required equipment:
GOOSE A CAT
or A FAST MOOSE
or TOMATO FLAMES
or ATOMS x 2
Gas gauge
Oil temperature
Oil pressure
Seat belts
ELT
Altimeter
Compass
Airspeed indicator
Tachometer
Airspeed indicator
Fuel guages
Altimeter
Seat belt/shoulder harness
Tachometer
Magnetic compass
Oil pressure guage
Oil temp.guage
Safety gear
ELT
Tachometer
Oil pressure
Manifold pressure
Altimeter
Temperature sensor (liquid-cooled)
Oil temperature (air cooled)
Fuel gauge
Landing gear position
Airspeed indicator
Magnetic compass
ELT
Seat belts
Altimeter
Tachometer
Oil pressure
Magnetic compass
Seat belts
Airspeed indicator
Temperature sensor (liquid-cooled)
Oil temperature (air cooled)
Manifold pressure
Strobe light (if plane certified after 3/96)

Night VFR: FLAPS or APES
Fuses (spares) or circuit breakers
Landing light (if for hire)
Anticollision lights
Position lights
Source of electricity
Anticollision lights
Position lights
Electric source
Spare fuses or circuit breakers

IFR required equipment: GRAB CARD
or DECARAT

Generator
Radios
Attitude indicator
Ball
Clock
Adjustable altimeter
Rate of turn indicator
Directional gyro
Directional gyro
Electric source
Clock
Attitude indicator
Radios
Adjustable altimeter
Turn and slip coordinator

Preflight information required for flights away: RAW FAT
Runway lengths
Alternates
Weather
Fuel requirements
ATC delays
Takeoff/landing distance data


Engine-out emergency: PL(ease!) START
or ABCDE
Pitch for best glide
Landing site
Seat belts
Troubleshoot
Approach
Radios
Turn off
Airspeed
Best place to land
Checklist
Declare
Execute

Partial-panel compass turns: UNOS
Undershoot
North
Overshoot
South

Compass dip: ANDS
Accelerate
North
Decelerate
South

IFR mandatory reports: FAME Performance
Fixes: arriving or leaving
Altitude changes
Missed approach
Equipment: loss or problems
Performance: poor climb/descend, TAS change

Airport sign types: MIDDLR
Mandatory instruction
Information
Destination
Direction
Location
Runway distance remaining

Flight Clearance: CRAFTS
Clearance
Routing
Altitude
Frequency
Transponder
Special

Weather briefing: SACrED WiNd
Synopsis
Adverse conditions
Current weather
Enroute forecast
Destination terminal forecast
Winds aloft
Notams

Weather charts: CoPS WARS
Constant pressure
Prognostic
Surface analysis
Weather depiction
Area forecast (FA)
Radar summary (SD)
Severe weather outlook (AC)

Special use airspace: MCPRAWN (the Scottish shrimp!)
Military Operations
Controlled Firing
Prohibited
Restricted
Alert
Warning
National Security

Aircraft certification categories: TURN PALE
Transport
Utility
Restricted
Normal
Provisional
Acrobatic
Limited
Experimental

NTSB Notification: P-FACTION
Property damage more than $25,000
Fire, in flight
Accident
Collision, in flight
Turbine failure
Illness of crew member
Overdue aircraft
No control: control failure of any sort

 

Mnemonics

Flight Clearance: CRAFTS
Clearance, Routing, Altitude, Frequency, Transponder, Special
Or, more correctly:
In Clear Deep Rivers And Hot Springs, Fish Swim.
ID, Cleared to, departure, routing, altitudes, hold instructions, special, frequency, squawk

IFR position report: IPTAFNNR
I Play The Accordion For Nothing, No Reason
or
I place time above type: next time, next remark.
ID, Position, Time (minutes past the hour), Altitude, Flight type, Next report's place and time, Next next report, Remarks
Example: "Cessna 7126Q, Manchester VOR, 22, 4000, IFR, Lebanon, 54, Burlington next, In clear between layers."