Remote Pilot – Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Study Guide (Vocabulary Flashcards)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the Remote Pilot – Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Study Guide.

14 CFR Part 107

FAA regulation governing the certification and privileges of the Remote Pilot Certificate with an sUAS rating.

NOTAM

Notice to Airmen; time-critical aeronautical information not published on charts, disseminated for safety.

TFR

Temporary Flight Restriction; NOTAM designating a temporary flight area where operation is restricted.

METAR

Routine weather report of current surface conditions at an airport, formatted in international standard.

SPECI

Special METAR; unscheduled weather observation issued between routine METARs.

TAF

Terminal Aerodrome Forecast; forecast for a specific airport for the next 24 or 30 hours.

Winds Aloft Forecast (FB)

Forecast of winds and temperatures at various altitudes above an airport.

SIGMET

Significant Meteorological Information; urgent weather advisory for severe weather hazards.

AIRMET

Airman’s Meteorological Information; weather advisories for potentially hazardous conditions to small aircraft.

Density altitude

Altitude corresponding to a given air density in the International Standard Atmosphere; higher density altitude means thinner air and reduced performance.

Air density

Mass of air per unit volume; decreases with altitude and higher temperatures, increases with higher pressure.

ISA (International Standard Atmosphere)

Standard atmospheric model: sea level pressure 29.92 inHg and temperature 15°C.

mb (millibar)

Unit of atmospheric pressure used in weather reports; 1013.25 mb ≈ 29.92 inHg.

inHg (inches of Mercury)

Unit of atmospheric pressure used in weather reports; commonly paired with mb in aviation weather.

Relative humidity

Amount of water vapor in the air expressed as a percent of the maximum moisture the air can hold at that temperature.

Wind shear

Rapid change in wind speed and/or direction over a short distance, hazardous to aircraft.

Microburst

A small, powerful downdraft with strong gusts at the surface; can cause severe wind shear.

Inversion

Layer where temperature increases with altitude, acting as a lid and trapping pollutants and moisture.

Cumulonimbus (CB)

Thunderstorm cloud; produces severe weather, strong updrafts and downdrafts.

Thunderstorm life cycle

Stages: cumulus (updrafts), mature (strong updrafts/downdrafts), dissipating (downdrafts).

Ceiling

Lowest layer of clouds reported as broken or overcast, or obscuration vertical visibility.

Visibility

Greatest horizontal distance at which prominent objects can be seen with the naked eye.

CG (Center of Gravity)

Point where the aircraft’s weight is considered to be concentrated; crucial for stability.

CP (Center of Pressure)

Point where aerodynamic lift acts; its position relative to CG affects pitching moments.

Lift

Upward force on the wing opposing weight, produced by the airflow.

Weight

Gravitational force acting downward on the aircraft; opposed by lift.

Load factor

Ratio of total lift to weight, expressed in Gs; higher load factors raise stall speed.

Stalling speed

Minimum speed at which an aircraft can maintain level flight; increases with load factor.

ADM (Aeronautical Decision-Making)

Systematic approach to risk assessment and decision-making in aviation to improve safety.

RM (Risk Management)

Process of identifying hazards and mitigating risk; six-step framework in ADM.

CRM (Crew Resource Management)

Use of all available resources (people, hardware, information) to enhance safety and ADM.

SRM (Single-Pilot Resource Management)

Applying CRM/ADM principles to single-pilot operations.

ISSAFE

Mnemonic for self-check: Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, Emotion.

PAVE

Preflight hazard checklist: Pilot, Aircraft, Environment, External pressures.

CARE

Risk-processing checklist: Consequences, Alternatives, Reality, External factors.

TEAM

Risk-management options: Transfer, Eliminate, Accept, or Mitigate.

Hazardous attitudes

Five attitudes that impair safety: anti-authority, impulsivity, invulnerability, macho, resignation.

Antidotes

Strategies to counter hazardous attitudes in ADM.

CTAF

Common Traffic Advisory Frequency; frequency for airport advisory at non-towered airports.

UNICOM

Non-governmental communications station providing airport information at some non-towered airports.

MULTICOM

Shared non-towered frequency (commonly 122.9) for airports without UNICOM or FSS.

FSS (Flight Service Station)

Facility that provides weather briefings and other pilot information.

N-number

U.S. aircraft registration number beginning with N; pronounced using the phonetic alphabet.

Aircraft call signs

Radio identifiers used for aircraft; can be manufacturer/model or company/flight-number style.

Sectional chart

VFR aeronautical chart showing airspace, airports, and topography at 1:500,000 scale.

Chart Supplement U.S.

Directory (formerly AFD) with airport, heliport, and facility data; contains NOTAMs and services.

Latitude and Longitude

Geographic coordinates used to locate points on Earth.

Variation

Angle between true north and magnetic north; shown as isogonic lines on charts.

Isogonic lines

Lines of equal magnetic variation on aeronautical charts.

Agonic line

Line of zero magnetic variation.

ATC (Air Traffic Control)

Agency and service to separate and manage aircraft traffic in the NAS.

Airspace classes (B, C, D, E, G)

Regulatory classifications with differing ATC services and operating requirements.

Special Use Airspace (SAO)

Airspace designated for restricted activities (e.g., Prohibited, Restricted, MOA, etc.).

Prohibited Areas (P)

Airspace where flight is prohibited for security or welfare reasons.

Restricted Areas (R)

Airspace with hazardous activities; non-participating aircraft may require clearance.

Warning Areas (W)

Hazardous airspace over international waters; subject to hazardous activities.

MOA (Military Operations Area)

Airspace to separate military training from IFR traffic.

CTR/Alert Areas/CFAs

Other SAOs: Alert areas indicate high training activity; CFAs permit certain activities if monitored.

LAA (Local Airport Advisory)

Advisory service at or near airports to provide local information.

MTR (Military Training Route)

Routes used by military aircraft; defined IFR/VR segments, usually below 10,000 ft.

TRSA (Terminal Radar Service Area)

Radar-based services around busy airports to enhance separation for IFR and participating VFR.

NSA (National Security Area)

Airspace where security and safety of ground facilities require heightened awareness.

ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone)

Airspace where aircraft must identify themselves to defense authorities.

FRZ (Flight Restriction Zone)

Airspace near sensitive locations (e.g., Capitol/White House) with flight restrictions.

Radar and weather sources (ATIS/ASOS/AWOS)

Automated weather/airport information services used in planning and operations.

Minimum safe altitudes

Minimum altitudes prescribed for different flight operations and airspace areas.

Lost communication procedures

Procedures to use in case of lost communications with ATC.

Night flying

Techniques and considerations for flying at night.

Low visibility operations

Operating an aircraft in conditions where visibility is restricted by fog, clouds, or other factors.

Hazardous weather conditions

Adverse weather conditions that can significantly impact flight safety, such as icing, turbulence, and thunderstorms.

Aviation weather services

How weather information is disseminated and interpreted for flight planning and decision-making.

Hypoxia

Physiological effects on the pilot and strategies to mitigate these effects.