Several readers requested a glossary of the acronyms and abbreviations used throughout Aviation Chicago Timeline. Here is a list of those most often used. It will be included in a future revision of the book.
A
- A&P
- Airframe & Powerplant License
- AAA
- Anti-Aircraft Artillery
- ABA
- American Bar Association
- ACA
- Aero Club of America (later National Aeronautic Association.)
- ACC
- Aeronautique Club of Chicago
- ACI
- Aero Club of Illinois
- AFCA
- Associated Flying Club of America (at Pal-Waukee Airport)
- AIM
- Airmen’s Information Manual
- AIRINC
- Aeronautical Radio Inc.
- ALPA
- Air Line Pilots Association
- AM-
- Air Mail Routes (of 1934)
- AOPA
- Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association
- ARTCC
- Air Route Traffic Control Center
- ATC
- Air Traffic Control
- ATE
- Aviation Training Enterprises
- AVCO
- Aviation Corporation of Delaware
B
- BAT
- Boeing Air Transport
C
- C&S
- Chicago and Southern Air Lines
- CAA
- Civil Aeronautics Authority (pre-June 1940) / Civil Aeronautics Administration (post-June 1940)
- CAB
- Civil Aeronautics Board
- CAM-
- Contract (or Commercial) Air Mail Routes of 1929
- CHA
- Chicago Helicopter Airways
- CPTP
- Civilian Pilot Training Program (after 1942/12/7 – War Training Service)
- CTA
- Chicago Transit Authority
- CWAU
- Curtiss Wright Aeronautical University
D
- DEW
- Distant Early Warning line
- DGA
- Damn Good Airplane (Howard Aircraft)
- DME
- Distance Measuring Equipment
- DST
- Douglas Sleeper Transport
E
- EAA
- Experimental Aircraft Association
- EMAS
- Engineered Materials Arresting System
F
- FAA
- Federal Aviation Agency (1958-1967) / Federal Aviation Administration (post-1967)
- FAI
- Federation Aeronautique Internationale
- FAR
- Federal Aviation Regulations
- FBO
- Fixed Base Operator
G
- GNAS
- Glenview Naval Air Station
- GPS
- Global Positioning System (or Satellites)
H
- HAS
- Helicopter Air Service
I
- IATA
- International Air Traffic Association (before April 1945) / International Air Transport Association (after April 1945)
- ICAO
- International Civil Aviation Organization
- IFR
- Instrument Flight Rules
- ILS
- Instrument Landing System
K
- KVAA
- Kankakee Valley Airport Authority
M
- MAA
- Manufacturers Aircraft Association
- MAA
- Metropolitan Airport Authority (Moline)
- MOG
- Military Order of the Guard
N
- NAA
- National Aeronautic Association (formerly Aero Club of America)
- NAAA
- National Airmen Association of America (formerly Challenger Air Pilots Association)
- NAR
- National Air Races
- NASA
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- NAT
- National Air Transport (until UATC - July 1931)
- NOLF
- Naval Outlying Landing Fields
- NTSB
- National Transportation Safety Board
P
- PAPI
- Precision Approach Position Indicators
- PAT
- Pacific Air Transport
- PATCO
- Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization
- PIREP
- Pilot Reprt
S
- SAGE
- Semi-Automatic Ground Environment
T
- TAT
- Transcontinental Air Transport (until TWA Oct 1930)
- TCA
- Terminal Control Area
- TRACON
- Terminal Radar Approach Control
- TSA
- Transportation Security Administration
- TWA
- Transcontinental and Western Airways (Oct 1930 - May 1950) / Trans World Airlines (after May 1950)
U
- UAL
- United Air Line
- UATC
- United Air Transport Corp.
V
- VFR
- Visual Flight Rules
- VOR
- Very high frequency Omnidirectional Radio range
W
- WACO
- Weaver Aircraft Co.
- WASP
- Women Airforce Service Pilots
- WHF
- Warbird Heritage Foundation
- WMF
- World Meteorological Organization
- WPA
- Works Progress Administration