Aviation Acronyms and Mnemonics
For student pilots or those getting ready for BFRs or practical tests, and for
general review
Day VFR required equipment:
GOOSE A CAT
or A FAST MOOSE
or TOMATO FLAMES
or ATOMS x 2
Tachometer Altimeter
Airspeed indicator Oil pressure Tachometer
Gas gauge Manifold pressure Oil pressure
Fuel guages
Oil temperature Altimeter Magnetic compass
Altimeter
Oil pressure
Seat belt/shoulder harness Temperature sensor (liquid- Seat belts
Seat belts cooled) Airspeed indicator
Tachometer
ELT Oil temperature (air cooled) Temperature sensor
Magnetic compass
Altimeter Fuel gauge (liquid-cooled)
Oil pressure guage
Compass Landing gear position Oil temperature (air
Oil temp.guage
Airspeed indicator Airspeed indicator cooled)
Safety gear
Tachometer Magnetic compass Manifold pressure
ELT
ELT Strobe light (if plane
Seat belts certified after 3/96)
Night VFR: FLAPS or APES
Fuses (spares) or circuit breakers
Anticollision lights
Landing light (if for hire)
Position lights
Anticollision lights
Electric source
Position lights
Spare fuses or circuit breakers
Source of electricity
IFR required equipment: GRAB CARD
or DECARAT
Generator Directional gyro
Radios Electric source
Attitude indicator Clock
Ball Attitude indicator
Clock Radios
Adjustable altimeter Adjustable altimeter
Rate of turn indicator Turn and slip coordinator
Directional gyro
Preflight information required for flights away: RAW FAT
Runway lengths
Alternates
Weather
Fuel requirements
ATC delays
Takeoff/landing distance data
Engine-out emergency: PL(ease!) START
or ABCDE
Pitch for best glide
Landing site Airspeed
Seat belts Best place to land
Troubleshoot Checklist
Approach Declare
Radios Execute
Turn off
Partial-panel compass turns: UNOS
Undershoot
North
Overshoot
South
Compass dip: ANDS
Accelerate
North
Decelerate
South
IFR mandatory reports: FAME Performance
Fixes: arriving or leaving
Altitude changes
Missed approach
Equipment: loss or problems
Performance: poor climb/descend, TAS change
Airport sign types: MIDDLR
Mandatory instruction
Information
Destination
Direction
Location
Runway distance remaining
Flight Clearance: CRAFTS
Clearance
Routing
Altitude
Frequency
Transponder
Special
Weather briefing: SACrED WiNd
Synopsis
Adverse conditions
Current weather
Enroute forecast
Destination terminal forecast
Winds aloft
Notams
Weather charts: CoPS WARS
Constant pressure
Prognostic
Surface analysis
Weather depiction
Area forecast (FA)
Radar summary (SD)
Severe weather outlook (AC)
Special use airspace: MCPRAWN (the Scottish shrimp!)
Military Operations
Controlled Firing
Prohibited
Restricted
Alert
Warning
National Security
Aircraft certification categories: TURN PALE
Transport
Utility
Restricted
Normal
Provisional
Acrobatic
Limited
Experimental
NTSB Notification: P-FACTION
Property damage more than $25,000
Fire, in flight
Accident
Collision, in flight
Turbine failure
Illness of crew member
Overdue aircraft
No control: control failure of any sort
Mnemonics
Flight Clearance: CRAFTS
Clearance, Routing, Altitude, Frequency, Transponder, Special
Or, more correctly:
In Clear Deep Rivers And Hot Springs, Fish Swim.
ID, Cleared to, departure, routing, altitudes, hold instructions, special, frequency, squawk
IFR position report: IPTAFNNR
I Play The Accordion For Nothing, No Reason
or
I place time above type: next time, next remark.
ID, Position, Time (minutes past the hour), Altitude, Flight type, Next report's place and
time, Next next report, Remarks
Example: "Cessna 7126Q, Manchester VOR, 22, 4000, IFR, Lebanon, 54, Burlington
next, In clear between layers."
