Transport Canada · Advanced RPAS Operations
A quick-reference glossary of the aviation and drone acronyms used throughout the Eagle Eyes Advanced RPAS course and the Transport Canada written exam. Everything is plain, selectable text, so you can highlight and copy anything you need.
| Acronym | Meaning | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| ADM | Aeronautical Decision Making | Structured process pilots use to make sound decisions in the air, taught through the DECIDE model. |
| AGL | Above Ground Level | Height directly above the terrain below the drone; Canada caps RPAS at 400 ft AGL. |
| AIM | Aeronautical Information Manual | Transport Canada reference manual of rules and procedures, and a key open-book exam resource. |
| AIRMET | Airmen's Meteorological Information | Advisory warning of moderate en-route weather hazards like turbulence, icing or low visibility. |
| AMSL | Above Mean Sea Level | Height above average sea level, the fixed reference used for chart elevations and manned aviation. |
| ASL | Above Sea Level | Altitude measured from sea level, how chart elevations are given, unlike the AGL limit drones fly to. |
| ATC | Air Traffic Control | Ground controllers who separate traffic and must clear RPAS before flights in controlled airspace. |
| ATF | Aerodrome Traffic Frequency | Frequency at uncontrolled aerodromes where listening is mandatory and broadcasting your position is advisory. |
| ATIS | Automatic Terminal Information Service | Continuous recorded broadcast of an airport's current weather and operational information for pilots. |
| ATS | Air Traffic Services | The provider, such as NAV CANADA, that supplies traffic services and must authorize controlled-airspace ops. |
| AUAV | Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle | A drone that flies a pre-programmed mission on its own without live pilot control. |
| AWOS | Automated Weather Observation System | Unmanned ground station that automatically measures and reports local weather for pilots. |
| AWWS | Aviation Weather Web Site | NAV CANADA website providing aviation weather and NOTAMs for pre-flight planning. |
| BECMG | Becoming (forecast change) | TAF code marking a gradual, lasting change to the forecast weather over a period. |
| BKN | Broken (cloud cover) | Sky code for broken cloud covering five to seven eighths of the sky. |
| BVLOS | Beyond Visual Line of Sight | Flying beyond where you can see the drone; requires an SFOC or complex certification. |
| CARs | Canadian Aviation Regulations | Canada's aviation rulebook; Part IX contains all the regulations governing drone operations. |
| CB | Cumulonimbus | Towering thunderstorm cloud bringing turbulence, lightning and icing, never to be flown near. |
| CFPS | Collaborative Flight Planning Service | NAV CANADA's online portal for flight planning, weather briefings and NOTAMs. |
| CFS | Canada Flight Supplement | Directory of every Canadian aerodrome listing frequencies, hours and airspace, used in pre-flight planning. |
| CG | Centre of Gravity | The drone's balance point; shifting it with payload makes flight unstable and harder to control. |
| CRM | Crew Resource Management | Coordinating the whole crew and all resources through clear briefing and communication for safe operations. |
| CTAF | Common Traffic Advisory Frequency | Shared radio frequency for self-announcing position at uncontrolled airports that have no mandatory frequency. |
| CVFR | Controlled VFR | Visual flight flown under ATC clearance, required in some controlled airspace such as Class B. |
| CYA | Class F Advisory Airspace | Class F zone flagged for activities like parachuting or gliding; RPAS may enter with caution. |
| CYD | Class F Danger Airspace | Class F zone with hazardous activity such as live-fire ranges; treat as no-fly unless coordinated. |
| CYR | Class F Restricted Airspace | Class F zone where entry is prohibited without written permission from the controlling agency. |
| DECIDE | Detect, Estimate, Choose, Identify, Do, Evaluate | Six-step decision model (Detect, Estimate, Choose, Identify, Do, Evaluate) for handling in-flight problems. |
| EVLOS | Extended Visual Line of Sight | Extending range using a visual observer who keeps the drone in sight, an Advanced-only operation. |
| FAA | Federal Aviation Administration (USA) | The US aviation regulator; a Canadian certificate is not valid to fly in the US and vice versa. |
| FIC | Flight Information Centre | NAV CANADA centre providing pre-flight briefings, weather and flight-planning help by phone or radio. |
| FIR | Flight Information Region | Large block of airspace within which flight information and alerting services are provided. |
| FSS | Flight Service Station | Staffed station giving advisory and airport information services at some uncontrolled aerodromes. |
| GFA | Graphic Area Forecast | Graphical weather map forecasting clouds, weather and hazards over a region for flight planning. |
| GNSS | Global Navigation Satellite System | Umbrella term for satellite positioning (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo) that gives drones stable position hold. |
| GPS | Global Positioning System | The US satellite system; drones need at least four satellites for a 3D fix and stable hover. |
| ICAO | International Civil Aviation Organization | UN body setting global aviation standards, including the four-letter airport codes like CYYZ. |
| IFR | Instrument Flight Rules | Rules for flying by instruments in cloud; Class A is IFR-only and off-limits to RPAS. |
| IMSAFE | Illness, Meds, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, Emotion | Personal pre-flight fitness checklist to decide honestly whether you are fit to fly. |
| IMU | Inertial Measurement Unit | Onboard gyroscope-and-accelerometer sensor that lets the flight controller keep the drone stable. |
| KT | Knots | Aviation speed unit for wind and aircraft; one knot equals 1.852 km/h. |
| MEF | Maximum Elevation Figure | Highest terrain-or-obstacle elevation figure printed in each chart grid square for clearance. |
| METAR | Meteorological Aerodrome Report | Routine hourly report of an aerodrome's current observed weather; always check the latest before flying. |
| MF | Mandatory Frequency | Frequency at some uncontrolled aerodromes where two-way radio contact is mandatory and needs an ROC-A. |
| MSL | Mean Sea Level | Average sea-level datum used as the fixed reference for altitudes and chart elevations. |
| NAV | Navigation | Short for navigation, finding position and route; also the root of NAV CANADA's name. |
| NDB | Non-Directional Beacon | Ground-based radio beacon manned aircraft navigate by; may appear in NOTAMs when out of service. |
| NM | Nautical Mile | Aviation distance unit equal to one minute of latitude (1,852 m); aerodrome distances use it. |
| NOTAM | Notice to Airmen | Real-time notice of airspace changes, closures or hazards; checking them before every flight is mandatory. |
| OVC | Overcast | Sky code for overcast, cloud covering all eight eighths of the sky. |
| PAN PAN | Urgency Call (less severe than Mayday) | Radio urgency call for a serious but not life-threatening situation, one step below Mayday. |
| PHAK | Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge | FAA reference handbook useful for studying meteorology and theory of flight. |
| PIC | Pilot-in-Command | The pilot legally responsible for the whole flight, a responsibility that cannot be delegated. |
| PIPEDA | Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act | Federal privacy law governing personal data like faces and plates captured by commercial drone work. |
| RAIM | Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring | GPS receiver self-check that verifies satellite integrity and warns when the position cannot be trusted. |
| RMK | Remarks (in METAR/TAF) | The remarks section at the end of a METAR or TAF holding extra details. |
| ROC | Restricted Operator Certificate | Radio licence (ROC-A) required to transmit on aviation frequencies when talking to ATC. |
| RPA | Remotely Piloted Aircraft | The drone aircraft itself, as opposed to the whole system with its controller and links. |
| RPAS | Remotely Piloted Aircraft System | The complete drone system, aircraft plus control station and link, governed by CARs Part IX. |
| RPM | Revolutions Per Minute | Motor or propeller rotation speed; the ESC adjusts it to control lift and stability. |
| RTH | Return to Home | Fail-safe that flies the drone back to its launch point on signal loss or low battery. |
| SAR | Search and Rescue | Search and rescue operations; drones may support them and no-fly restrictions can apply nearby. |
| SCT | Scattered (cloud cover) | Sky code for scattered cloud covering three to four eighths of the sky. |
| SFC | Surface | Ground level; when controlled airspace such as Class E has an SFC floor, you need authorization. |
| SFOC | Special Flight Operations Certificate | Special Transport Canada certificate authorizing operations beyond standard rules, like BVLOS or above 400 ft. |
| SIGMET | Significant Meteorological Information | Advisory warning of significant hazardous weather such as thunderstorms or severe turbulence. |
| SM | Statute Mile | Statute mile (1,609 m), the unit used for reporting visibility in weather reports. |
| SOP | Standard Operating Procedure | Written standard procedures an operator follows for consistent, safe and compliant operations. |
| TAF | Terminal Aerodrome Forecast | Forecast of expected aerodrome weather for the next 24 to 30 hours; pair it with the METAR. |
| TC | Transport Canada | Transport Canada, the regulator that certifies pilots, registers drones and sets the flight rules. |
| TEMPO | Temporary (forecast change) | TAF code for brief, temporary weather fluctuations expected during the forecast period. |
| TSB | Transportation Safety Board | Independent board that investigates aviation accidents; serious drone accidents are reportable to it. |
| UAS | Unmanned Aircraft System | Unmanned aircraft system, an interchangeable term for a drone and its equipment (RPAS in Canada). |
| UAV | Unmanned Aerial Vehicle | The unmanned aircraft itself, an older general term for what Canada now calls the RPA. |
| UTC | Coordinated Universal Time | Global Zulu time standard used for METARs, TAFs and NOTAM timestamps. |
| UTM | Universal Transverse Mercator / UAS Traffic Management | Grid-based coordinate system for precise ground positions; also means UAS Traffic Management for drone airspace. |
| VFR | Visual Flight Rules | Rules for flying by visual reference in good weather; drone weather minimums build on them. |
| VLOS | Visual Line of Sight | Keeping the drone in unaided sight at all times, the default requirement for standard operations. |
| VNC | VFR Navigation Chart | 1:500,000 aeronautical chart for route planning, showing airspace, terrain and obstacles. |
| VO | Visual Observer | Trained crew member who watches the drone and surrounding airspace, enabling EVLOS operations. |
| VTA | VFR Terminal Area Chart | 1:250,000 chart giving fine detail of busy terminal airspace around major airports. |
| VTOL | Vertical Take-Off and Landing | Aircraft that takes off and lands vertically like a multi-rotor, needing no runway. |
| WGS84 | World Geodetic System 1984 | Global positioning datum used by GPS; set it to match your chart for accurate coordinates. |
No acronyms match your filter.