GLOSSARY
| AC | Aircraft Commander (Army term) |
| ADF | Automatic Direction Finder |
| AFB | Air Force Base |
| AFTP | Authorized Flight training Period |
| AGL | Above Ground Level, i.e altitude above the surface of the Earth |
| AH-1 | Bell Cobra or Sea Cobra, Army and Marine Corps Attack Helicopter |
| AHRS | Attitude Heading Reference System |
| AIM | Airman’s Information Manual |
| AMTRAK | Amphibious Assault Vehicle used by the Marine Corps |
| APC | Armored Personnel Carrier |
| APU | Auxiliary Power Unit |
| ARVN | Army of the Republic of Vietnam |
| ASHB | Assault Support Helicopter Battalion |
| ASE | Automatic Stability equipment |
| ATC | Air Traffic Control |
| AWS | Amphibious Warfare School |
| Blackhawk | Sikorsky-built US Army Utility Helicopter, UH-60 |
| BOQ | Bachelor Officer’s Quarters |
| BRC | Base Recover Course |
| C&C | Command and Control |
| CCA | Carrier-Controlled Approach |
| CG | Commanding General |
| CH-46 | Boeing-built Sea Knight, Marine Corps Medium Lift Helicopter |
| CH-47 | Boeing Chinook Army medium Lift Helicopter |
| CH-53 | Sikorsky-built SeaStallion Series Helicopter |
| Chalk | Army term for aircraft position in a multi-aircraft flight, i.e. the second aircraft is “Chalk 2,” the third “Chalk 3,” etc. |
| Chinook | Boeing CH-47 Series Helicopter |
| CO | Commanding Officer |
| CQ | Carrier Qualification |
| CWO | Chief Warrant Officer, Grades 2–4 |
| DA | Density Altitude |
| Dash 1, 2, etc. | Marine Corps term for aircraft position in a multi-aircraft flight, i.e. the second aircraft is “Dash 2,” the third “Dash 3,” etc. |
| DMZ | Demilitarized Zone |
| DSSN | Director of Safe, Standardization, and NATOPS |
| E&E | Escape and Evasion |
| ELVA | Emergency Low Visibility Approach |
| EMCON | Emissions Control |
| FAR | Federal Aviation Regulation |
| FBO | Fixed Base Operator |
| FFAR | Folding Fin Aerial Rockets |
| Fox Mike | FM radio |
| Frog | Boeing CH-46, used interchangeably with Sea Knight and Phrog |
| FSB | Fire Support Base also called Firebase |
| GCA | Ground-Controlled Approach |
| GED | General Educational Development—high school completion certificate |
| H&I | Harassment and Interdiction (a type of artillery mission) |
| HAC | Helicopter Aircraft Commander (Marine Corps term) |
| H2P | Helicopter Second Pilot (Marine Corps term) |
| MHH | Helicopter, Marine, Medium—designation of tactical CH-46 squadrons |
| HMT | Helicopter, Marine, Training—designation of initial training squadrons |
| Huey | Bell UH-1Series helicopters |
| ICAO | International Civil Aviation Organization |
| ICS | Internal Communication System |
| IFR | Instrument Flight Rules |
| ILS | Instrument Landing System |
| IP | Instructor Pilot |
| KIAS | Knots Indicated Airspeed |
| KIA | Killed in Action |
| IMC | Instrument Meteorological Conditions |
| LPH | Landing Platform Helicopter, a US Navy Helicopter Carrier |
| LPD | Landing Platform Dock, A class of US and British Navy Amphibious Ships |
| LSD | Landing Ship Dock, A class of US Amphibious Ships |
| LF6F | Landing Force, 6th Fleet |
| LOACH | Light Observation Helicopter Hughes-built OH-6 Cayuse Series Helicopters |
| LSE | Landing Signal enlisted, a “Yellow Shirt” |
| LZ | Landing Zone |
| MCAS | Marine Corps Air Station |
| MEW | Marine Expeditionary Unit |
| MEW (SOC) | Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) |
| MRE | Meal, Ready to eat |
| NATOPS | Naval Air training and Operating Procedures Standardization |
| NAVAIR | Naval Air Systems Command |
| NCO | Non-Commissioned Officer |
| NCOIC | Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge |
| NDB | Non-Directional Beacon, a homing radio that allows the pilot to fly to a navigation beacon or a commercial Am radio station |
| NEO | Nationals Evacuation Operation |
| NOE | Nap-of-the-Earth |
| NVA | North Vietnamese Army |
| NVG | Night Vision Goggles |
| OAT | Outside Air Temperature |
| OCS | Officer Candidate School |
| OD | Olive Drab |
| ODO | Operations Duty Officer |
| OH-6 | Hughes Cayuse Observation Helicopter, a LOACH |
| OH-13 | Bell Sioux Army Observation Helicopter |
| OH-23 | Hiller Raven Army Observation Helicopter |
| OH-58 | Bell Army Observation Helicopter |
| Ops O | Operations Officer |
| PA | Pressure Altitude |
| PAX | Passenger(s) |
| Phrog | CH-46, used interchangeably with Sea Knight and Frog |
| PMC | Portuguese Marine Corps |
| PSP | Pierced Steel Planking |
| PX | Post Exchange |
| PZ | Pickup Zone |
| R&R | Rest and Relaxation |
| RLO | Real Live Officer, i.e. a commissioned officer versus a warrant officer |
| RMI | Radio magnetic Indicator |
| RN | Royal Navy |
| RON | Remain Over Night |
| RPG | Rocket Propelled Grenade |
| RPM | Revolutions per Minute |
| SAS | Stability Augmentation System, a semi-autopilot |
| SDO | Squadron Duty Officer |
| SEA | Southeast Asia |
| Sea King | British version of the Sikorsky H-3, The mark IV Commando |
| Sea Knight | CH-46 |
| Sea Stallion | CH-53 |
| Shitter | CH-53 |
| Snake | AH-1 |
| SOCEX | Special Operations Capable Exercise |
| SOI | Signal Operating Instructions |
| SOP | Standard Operating Procedure |
| SWAT | Special Operations and Tactics |
| TACAN | Tactical Air Navigation System |
| TAD | Temporary Additional Duty |
| TDY | Temporary Duty |
| TERF | Terrain Flying |
| TH-13t | Bell instrument flight trainer version of the Army OH-13 |
| TOC | Tactical Operations Center |
| TRAP | Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel |
| U-6 | de Havilland Canada Beaver, Army Utility Airplane |
| U-8D | Military Version of Beechcraft Twin Bonanza |
| UH-1 | Bell Huey, Army and Marine Corps Utility Helicopter |
| UHF | Ultra High Frequency Radio, used for communications |
| VC | Viet Cong |
| V/STOL | Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing |
| VFR | Visual Flight Rules |
| VH, VK, etc. | Royal Navy 846 Squadron Aircraft Identifiers, e.g. “Victor Hotel” |
| VIP | Very Important Person |
| VMC | Visual Metrological Conditions |
| VNE | Velocity Never exceed |
| WO1 | Warrant Officer, Grade 1 |
| WOC | Warrant Officer Candidate |
| WTI | Weapons Tactics Instructor |
| XO | Executive Officer |