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