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
Oil temperature
Oil pressure
Seat belts
ELT
Altimeter
Compass
Airspeed indicator
Tachometer / Airspeed indicator
Fuel guages
Altimeter
Seat belt/shoulder harness
Tachometer
Magnetic compass
Oil pressure guage
Oil temp.guage
Safety gear
ELT / Tachometer
Oil pressure
Manifold pressure
Altimeter
Temperature sensor (liquid-cooled)
Oil temperature (air cooled)
Fuel gauge
Landing gear position
Airspeed indicator
Magnetic compass
ELT
Seat belts / Altimeter
Tachometer
Oil pressure
Magnetic compass
Seat belts
Airspeed indicator
Temperature sensor (liquid-cooled)
Oil temperature (air cooled)
Manifold pressure
Strobe light (if plane certified after 3/96)
Night VFR: FLAPS or APES
Fuses (spares) or circuit breakersLanding light (if for hire)
Anticollision lights
Position lights
Source of electricity / Anticollision lights
Position lights
Electric source
Spare fuses or circuit breakers
IFR required equipment: GRAB CARD
or DECARAT
Radios
Attitude indicator
Ball
Clock
Adjustable altimeter
Rate of turn indicator
Directional gyro / Directional gyro
Electric source
Clock
Attitude indicator
Radios
Adjustable altimeter
Turn and slip coordinator
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
Landing site
Seat belts
Troubleshoot
Approach
Radios
Turn off / Airspeed
Best place to land
Checklist
Declare
Execute
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."