A
- Abeam
- At right angles to the helicopter’s line of flight.
- Abilities
- Abilities are inherent or inherited characteristics that enable a person to accomplish or perform a given action.
- Able-bodied seafarers (ABs)
- Experienced seafarers competent to perform the usual and customary duties on deck.
- ACARS
- ACARS is a digital datalink system used in most airline aircraft for the transmission of short messages and allows communication between airline and aircraft and for flight crew to obtain printouts of weather forecasts.
- ACAS
- Airborne collision avoidance system
- Accredited representative
- The International Civil Aviation Organization Convention, Annex 13, details a framework that allows Accredited Representatives to be appointed from other Accident Investigation Authorities overseas to support an Accident Investigation Authority’s investigation.
- Acronis
- Alarm and control integrated system
- Acrylic
- A general-purpose plastic, often known by the brand names Perspex or Lucite. Its chemical name is poly methyl methacrylate or PMMA.
- Active duty
- The Operations Manual Part A 10.4.1 defines Active Duty as ‘The period of time commencing when a flight crew member reports to the departure airfield and ceases when post-flight responsibilities are complete’.
- Active protection
- Active protection includes all level crossing warning devices that are activated by an approaching train, including flashing lights, bells and barriers. It is contrasted with passive protection, which warns users of level crossings but does not alter this warning when trains are approaching.
- ADH-F
- Advanced Deckhand – Fishing
- ADS-B
- ADS-B data rounds altitude read-outs to 100 ft and therefore cannot give accurate detail on the vertical separation of the two aircraft in this incident. However, the data does allow identification of each aircraft and accurate measurement of lateral separation.
- Advanced speed indicator
- A numeric indicator illuminated (flashing) to advise the speed in kilometres per hour that the train must not exceed at the next signal in advance.
- Advisory Circular
- Advisory circulars are guidance documents and not regulatory requirements
- Advisory circulars
- CAA advisory circulars contain guidance on standards, practices and procedures that the Director has found to be acceptable means of compliance with the associated rules and legislation.
- Aerodrome
- Any defined area of land or water intended or designed to be used either wholly or partly for the landing, departure and surface movement of aircraft (CARs Part 1 Definitions and Abbreviations)
- Aeronautical information
- AIPNZ meets part of New Zealand’s ICAO obligations to have an aeronautical information service
- Aeronautical telecommunications network equipment
- A digital data network that facilitates ground-to-ground and ground-to-air communications
- Aeropath
- An independent company, wholly owned by Airways, that provides the NZ Aeronautical Information Publication (NZAIP).
- Aerotowed
- Powered aeroplane tows the glider with a rope attached to specially designed towing hooks.
- Aft
- At, near or towards the stern of a vessel
- Aground
- When a ship or a boat is touching the seabed and is unable to move
- AIAL
- Auckland International Airport Limited
- Aileron
- A controllable hinged surface on the trailing edge of a wing, used to roll an aircraft around the longitudinal, or fore and aft axis.
- AIPNZ
- Aeronautical Information Publication New Zealand
- Air brakes
- The system used to apply the train’s brakes to the rail vehicles’ wheels; the system is checked for air-pressure leaks before departing onto the rail network
- Air Desk
- The national Air Desk is a coordination and tasking function, operated by Hato Hone St John, that provides oversight, dispatch and clinical support functions to air ambulance services.
- Air proximity
- A situation in which, in the opinion of a pilot or air traffic services
personnel, the distance between aircraft as well as their relative
positions and speed have been such that the safety of the aircraft
involved may have been compromised. (ICAO Doc 4444: PANS-ATM).
There are 4 available classification categories:
A. Risk of collision
B. Safety not assured
C. No risk of collision
D. Risk not determined
- Air taxiing
- Air taxiing: movement of a helicopter/VTOL above the surface of an aerodrome, normally in ground effect and at a ground speed normally less than 37 km/h (20 kt).
Note: The actual height may vary, and some helicopters may require air-taxiing above 8 m (25 ft) AGL to reduce ground effect turbulence or provide clearance for cargo sling loads.
- Air Waybill
- Non-negotiable document issued by an air carrier acknowledging receipt of goods and transport terms
- Aircraft operating minima
- Specified limits used to assess cloud base and visibility against reported actual cloud base and visibility when conducting an approach.
- Airmanship
- Airmanship is the consistent use of good judgement and well-developed skills to accomplish flight objectives and demonstration of a high state of situational awareness.
- Airside
- Secured part of an airport beyond passenger screening
- Airspace
- Three-dimensional portion of the atmosphere controlled for aviation operations
- Airworthiness
- A formal and periodic review of an aircraft and its records that is required for the aircraft to remain airworthy.
- Airworthiness directives
- A mandatory airworthiness requirement that specifies modifications, inspections, conditions or limitations to be applied to an aircraft or aeronautical product to ensure continued safe operating conditions.
- AIS
- Automatic Identification System transmitting vessel identity and position
- ALAIRP
- As low as is reasonably practicable
- ALCAM
- Australian Level Crossing Assessment Model
- Allision
- An accident between a vessel and a stationary object.
- Alternate aerodrome
- An aerodrome to which an aircraft may proceed when it becomes either impossible or inadvisable to proceed to or land at the aerodrome of intended landing; Civil Aviation Rule (CAR) Part 1.
- Altimetry
- Altimeters are used to display an aircraft’s vertical location above the earth’s surface. A barometric altimeter measures distance from sea level using air pressure, which decreases as altitude increases and vice versa. As air pressure differs across geographic regions, and as temperature changes, the pilot must set the local barometric pressure (corrected to sea level) for the displayed altitude to be accurate. If this does not occur, then the barometric altimeter will either over- or under-read.
A radio (or radar) altimeter does not rely on air pressure; it measures the height of an aircraft above the ground by timing how long it takes a beam of radio waves to travel to the ground and reflect up to the aircraft’s receiver as shown below (sourced from internet).
- Altitude rounding
- ADS-B altitude data is rounded up or down to the nearest 100 ft when it is recorded, so two aircraft that are separated by 100 feet vertically could show the same altitude in their ADS-B data.
- AM Class
- A designated class of train for the Auckland Metro system, manufactured by Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles.
- Amidships
- In the middle of a vessel, either longitudinally or laterally.
- AMSL
- Above mean sea level
- An adequate aerodrome
- An adequate aerodrome is one where the aircraft landing distance performance requirements at the expected landing weight can be met and appropriate aerodrome rescue and fire-fighting services are available, and there is at least one authorised instrument approach procedure. An adequate aerodrome becomes suitable when the weather minimum for the required type of use has been met; Airwork OCC Manual, 4.2 and 4.3.
- Anchor
- A heavy device (normally steel) designed as to grip the seabed to hold a vessel in a desired position.
- Anchor pulpit
- A protrusion at the bow of a boat designed for securing an anchor.
- Anchor windglass
- A machine used to let out and heave up an anchor.
- Anchorage
- Designated area where ships may anchor safely
- Anemometer
- A device that measures wind speed and direction.
- APAPI
- Abbreviated precision approach path indicator
- Apron
- Aircraft parking and service area at an aerodrome.
The local name for the general aviation (GA) manoeuvring area, defined as an area on a land aerodrome intended to accommodate aircraft for the purpose of loading or unloading passengers or cargo, refuelling, parking, or maintenance (Civil Aviation Rules Part 1).
- AR
- Ardmore Airport (Auckland)
- AR
- Ardmore Airport (Auckland)
- ARC
- aviation related concern
- ARHT
- Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust
- Arm position
- The arm position enables the ELT to activate automatically upon aircraft impact with the ground if the forces exceed the activation threshold.
- Aspect
- The aspect of a signal is the visual appearance of a lit signal.
- Astern
- Referring to a vessel’s engine moving the vessel in reverse
- ATA
- Actual Time of Arrival of a vehicle or vessel
- ATC
- Air Traffic Control service to prevent collisions and organise traffic
- ATD
- Actual Time of Departure of a vehicle or vessel
- ATMC
- The building that contains aeronautical telecommunications network equipment and sector air traffic controllers
- ATO
- Automatic Train Operation system automating train driving
- ATP
- Automatic Train Protection system enforcing safety limits
- ATPL
- Airline Transport Pilot Licence
- ATSB
- Australian Transport Safety Bureau
- Attitude
- The orientation of an aircraft relative to the horizon.
- Auckland Electrified Area
- The Auckland Electrified Area refers to the sections of Auckland’s suburban rail network that have been electrified to support electric train services.
- Auto-inflating life jacket
- Designed to automatically inflate within seconds of being immersed in water.
- Autoland
- A system incorporating autopilot, autothrust and radio altimeters to fully automate the landing phase with the flight crew supervising the process.
A landing using the autopilot, with the pilot in the left seat taking over directional control during the landing roll (when the aircraft touches down, is brought down to taxi speed and eventually comes to a complete stop).
- Automatic emergency alert system
- An automatic alert system that uses the train’s radio system to send a call to train control automatically when the train’s brake is moved into the emergency position or a rapid loss of air to the braking system occurs
- Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS)
- A continuous broadcast of aerodrome information, including such items as expected type of approach, runway in use, runway condition (dry, wet or contaminated), surface wind, visibility, cloud, temperature, dew point, local pressure and the reported or forecast wind at 2000 ft.
- Autorotation
- Autorotation, also known as an autorotational descent, is a power-off manoeuvre in which the engine is disengaged from the main rotor system and the main rotor blades are driven solely by the upward flow of air through the main rotor.
- Auxiliary generator wagon
- The purpose of an auxiliary generator wagon is to provide electrical power for ancillary services on passenger trains from a diesel-fuelled generator set. An auxiliary generator wagon can also be referred to as a generator/ luggage van.
- Aviation related concern
- A voluntary reporting of aviation matters that are not accidents or incidents
- Aviation Safety Reporting System
- The Aviation Safety Reporting System database is a collection of voluntarily submitted aviation safety incident/situation reports from pilots, controllers and others in the US aviation community.
- Aweigh
- When the anchor is clear of the seabed, meaning the ship is officially under way.
- AWS
- Automatic weather station
- Axle Counter
- Device that detects train presence by counting axles
- Axle counters
- A form of train-detection equipment provided in place of the conventional track circuitry.