AEROSPACE ACRONYM & Abbreviation Guide

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December 2010

Avionics Magazine proudly presents the fifth edition of our biennial Aerospace Acronym & Abbreviation Guide. Updated with the latest terms from the magazine’s pages, this comprehensive guide has grown to more than 3,000 civil and military acronyms.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

  • R-CDL Radar Common Data Link

  • R/W read/write

  • R&D research and development

  • R&M reliability and maintainability

  • R&PWG Requirements and Planning Work Group (FAA)

  • RA radio altitude

  • RA resolution advisory

  • RA routing area

  • RAA Regional Airline Association

  • RAAF Royal Australian Air Force

  • RAAS runway awareness and advisory system

  • RAC-GAT Russian/American Coordinating Group for Air Traffic Control

  • RAC runway analysis chart

  • RAD rapid application development

  • RAE Royal Aircraft Establishment (Farnborough)

  • RAeS Royal Aeronautical Society (U.K.)

  • RAF requirements analysis folder

  • RAF Royal Air Force (U.K.)

  • RAI radio altimeter indicator

  • RAID redundant arrays of independent disks

  • RAIM receiver autonomous integrity monitoring

  • RALA request automatic line adapter

  • RALT radar altimeter

  • RAM-T reliability, availability, maintainability and testability

  • RAM random access memory

  • RAMICS rapid airborne mine clearance system

  • RAMS reliability, availability, maintainability, sustainability

  • RAP required automation performance

  • RAPT regional airspace procedures team

  • RAS route area statistics (IATA)

  • RATMP required air traffic management performance

  • RBT reference business trajectory

  • RC radio controlled

  • RCAG remote control air-to-ground

  • RCAT Reconfigurable Cockpit and Avi­onics Testbed

  • RCD radar cable detection

  • RCE radio control equipment

  • RCF required communications performance

  • RCL radio communications link

  • RCO remote communications outlet

  • RCP radio control panel

  • RCR routing and circuit restoral

  • RCSU remote control and status unit

  • RCU radio control unit

  • RCU remote control unit

  • RC&W rack connectors and wiring

  • RD (taxi) route deviation

  • RD routing domain

  • RDARA regional domestic air route area

  • RDC routing domain confederation

  • RDDMI radio digital distance magnetic indicator

  • RDF RD format

  • RDI radio direction indicator

  • RDI RD identifier

  • RDP radar data processing

  • RDR radar

  • RDSS radio determination satellite system

  • RDT&E research, development, test and evaluation

  • REA radar electronics assembly

  • RE&D research, engineering and development

  • REDAC Research, Engineering and Devel­opment Advisory Committee (FAA)

  • REFT remote unit reference transmitter (FAA)

  • REP required environmental performance

  • REQ request

  • RER residual error rate

  • RERP Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program

  • REVS radar-enhanced vision system

  • RF radio frequency

  • RF radius-to-fix

  • RFA Regulatory Flexibility Act (U.S.)

  • RFC request for comments

  • RFG requirement focus group

  • RFI radio frequency interference

  • RFI request for information

  • RFID radio frequency identification

  • RFM rotorcraft flight manual

  • RFMS rotorcraft flight manual supplement

  • RFO request for offer

  • RFP request for proposal

  • RFQ request for quote

  • RFU radio frequency unit

  • RGB red green blue

  • RGCSP Review of the General Concept of Separation Panel (ICAO)

  • RGL regulatory guidance library

  • RGS relay ground station

  • RH radio handler

  • RHF ridiculously high frequency

  • RHO response on handoff

  • RHSM reduced horizontal separation minima

  • RI runway incursion

  • RIB routing information base

  • RIN Royal Institute of Navigation (U.K.)

  • RIP routing information protocol

  • RISC reduced instruction set computer

  • RLE response on link establishment

  • RLG ring laser gyro

  • RLS reliable link service

  • RM regional manager

  • RM&A reliability, maintainability and availability

  • RMCDE radar message conversion and distribution equipment

  • RMI radio magnetic indicator

  • RMMS remote maintenance monitoring system

  • RMP risk management plan

  • RMS risk management system

  • RMS root mean square

  • RNAV area navigation

  • RNP required navigation performance

  • RNP AR RNP authorization required

  • RNP SAAAR RNP Special Aircrew and Aircraft Authorization Required

  • RNR receive not ready

  • RO radio operator

  • ROA recognized operating agency

  • ROC rate of climb

  • ROC rest of operational capability

  • ROD rate of descent

  • ROI return on investment

  • ROIP radio over Internet protocol

  • ROM read only memory

  • ROM rough order of magnitude

  • RON remain over night

  • ROT runway occupancy time

  • RP routing protocol

  • RPAT RNP Parallel Approach Transmission

  • RPDE rapid preliminary development effort

  • RPG rocket-propelled grenade

  • RPI relative position indicator

  • RPK revenue passenger kilometers

  • RPM revolutions per minute

  • RPOA Recognized Private Operation Agency

  • RR receive ready

  • RRI router reference implementation

  • RSDP reliable sequencing delivery-confirmation protocol

  • RSN regional sub-network

  • RSP required surveillance performance

  • RSSI received signal strength indicator

  • RSTA reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition

  • RT radio telecommunication

  • RTA required time of arrival

  • RTB rocket-towed barrier

  • RTC red time clock

  • RTCA formerly Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics

  • RTCM Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services

  • RTD resistance temperature detector

  • RTK real-time kinematic

  • RTM radio transmission module

  • RTO rejected takeoff

  • RTOS real time operating system

  • RTR remote transmitter receiver site

  • RTS request to send

  • RTSP required total system performance

  • RTTI run-time type identification

  • RTU radio tuning unit

  • RU rack unit (1 inch)

  • RVFP RNAV visual flight procedures

  • RVP required vision performance

  • RVR runway visual range

  • RVSM reduced vertical separation minimum

  • RVT remote video terminal

  • RWI reduce weather impact

  • RWM R/W memory

  • RWP required weather performance

  • RWR radar warning receiver

  • RWSL runway status lights

  • RX receiver

  • RZ return to zero