## Glossary 

## A 

14 CFR. See Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations. 

100-hour inspection. An inspection identical in scope to an annual inspection. Conducted every 100 hours of flight on aircraft of under 12,500 pounds that are used to carry passengers for hire. 

Absolute accuracy. The ability to determine present position in space independently, and is most often used by pilots. 

Absolute altitude.  The actual distance between an aircraft and the terrain over which it is flying. 

Absolute pressure.  Pressure measured from the reference of zero pressure, or a vacuum. 

A.C.  Alternating current. 

Acceleration. Force involved in overcoming inertia, and which may be defined as a change in velocity per unit of time. 

Acceleration error.  A magnetic compass error apparent when the aircraft accelerates while flying on an easterly or westerly heading, causing the compass card to rotate toward North. 

Accelerate-go distance. The distance required to accelerate to V$_{1}$ with all engines at takeoff power, experience an engine failure at V$_{1}$, and continue the takeoff on the remaining engine(s). The runway required includes the distance required to climb to 35 feet by which time V$_{2}$ speed must be attained. 

Accelerate-stop distance. The distance required to accelerate to V$_{1}$ with all engines at takeoff power, experience an engine failure at V$_{1}$, and abort the takeoff and bring the airplane to a stop using braking action only (use of thrust reversing is not considered). 

Accelerometer.  A part of an inertial navigation system (INS) that accurately measures the force of acceleration in one direction. 

ADC. See air data computer. 

ADF.  See automatic direction finder. 

ADI.  See attitude director indicator. 

Adiabatic cooling. A process of cooling the air through expansion. For example, as air moves up slope it expands with the reduction of atmospheric pressure and cools as it expands. 

Adiabatic heating. A process of heating dry air through compression. For example, as air moves down a slope it is compressed, which results in an increase in temperature. 

Adjustable-pitch propeller. A propeller with blades whose pitch can be adjusted on the ground with the engine not running, but which cannot be adjusted in flight. Also referred to as a ground adjustable propeller. Sometimes also used to refer to constant-speed propellers that are adjustable in flight. 

Adjustable stabilizer. A stabilizer that can be adjusted in flight to trim the airplane, thereby allowing the airplane to fly hands-off at any given airspeed. 

ADM.  See aeronautical decision-making. 

ADS-B. See automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast. 

Advection fog. Fog resulting from the movement of warm, humid air over a cold surface. 

Adverse yaw. A condition of flight in which the nose of an airplane tends to yaw toward the outside of the turn. This is caused by the higher induced drag on the outside wing, which is also producing more lift. Induced drag is a by-product of the lift associated with the outside wing. 

Aerodynamics. The science of the action of air on an object, and with the motion of air on other gases. Aerodynamics deals with the production of lift by the aircraft, the relative wind, and the atmosphere. 

