FAA ADX key terms

A credential issued by the FAA to a person who has met the experience requirements and passed the required knowledge and practical tests, authorizing that person to share operational control of Part 121 flights.

The FAA-issued document that authorizes a certificate holder to conduct specific kinds of operations and sets the limitations, procedures, routes, airports, and authorizations under which those operations may be conducted.

The federal regulations governing domestic, flag, and supplemental air carrier operations, covering crew qualifications, operational control, weather minimums, fuel rules, and dispatch release requirements that dispatchers apply on every flight.

The exercise of authority over initiating, conducting, or terminating a flight, shared by the pilot in command and the aircraft dispatcher, who are jointly responsible for the safety and legality of that flight.

Regulatory and company limits on how long a dispatcher may remain on duty and how much rest is required between duty periods, intended to prevent fatigue-related errors in planning and release decisions.

A document signed by the dispatcher and the pilot in command that authorizes a flight and states the flight number, routing, minimum fuel, alternate airports, and weather information required by regulation.

An airport listed on the release to which a flight may proceed if a landing at the intended destination cannot be made, and which must satisfy weather and runway criteria at release time.

The ceiling and visibility an airport must be forecast to have around the estimated arrival time before it may be named as an alternate on an IFR dispatch release under Part 121.

The fuel that must remain after the flight reaches its destination or alternate, computed from regulatory rules such as 45 minutes at normal cruise for domestic operations, and never usable for planning the trip itself.

Fuel added to a flight plan to cover unforecast winds, routing changes, or weather deviations; it is separate from required reserves and is set by regulation, company policy, and dispatcher judgment.

The weight of the aircraft plus crew, passengers, cargo, and all other contents except usable fuel; it is a structural limit and a starting point for computing takeoff and landing weights.

The takeoff decision speed at which, following an engine failure, the aircraft can either continue the takeoff or stop on the remaining runway; it anchors accelerate-stop and accelerate-go performance calculations.

The shortest runway length at which the accelerate-stop distance equals the accelerate-go distance, so that after an engine failure at V1 the aircraft can either stop or continue safely.

The length of runway declared suitable and available for the landing ground run; the aircraft's required landing distance, factored for conditions, must not exceed it at the destination or alternate.

Extended-range twin-engine operational performance standards: rules permitting twin-engine aircraft to fly routes farther than a specified time from an adequate airport, subject to approved diversion times and maintenance programs.

A procedure in which a flight is released to an intermediate point and then released again in flight to the final destination, allowing reduced fuel planning on long routes.

A routine aviation weather observation reporting surface wind, visibility, present weather, sky condition, temperature, dew point, and altimeter setting at an airport, normally issued each hour.

A terminal aerodrome forecast stating expected wind, visibility, weather, and sky condition at an airport over a period typically of 24 to 30 hours, used for release and alternate planning.

An in-flight advisory of moderate hazards to light aircraft, covering moderate icing, moderate turbulence, sustained surface winds of 30 knots or more, and IFR conditions or extensive mountain obscuration.

A weather advisory for significant hazards to all aircraft, such as severe turbulence, severe icing, widespread dust or sandstorms, volcanic ash, or other conditions that warrant avoiding the area.

An advisory issued for thunderstorms that are severe, embedded, or organized in lines, and for tornadoes or large hail, defining an area that dispatchers must route flights around.

A report of actual conditions encountered in flight, such as turbulence, icing, cloud tops, and winds, which supplements automated observations and can be decisive in planning and rerouting.

A forecast of wind direction, wind speed, and temperature at specified altitudes and locations, used to compute trip time, fuel burn, and the most efficient cruising altitude.

The lowest altitude in the atmosphere where the temperature is zero degrees Celsius; above it, airframe icing is possible wherever visible moisture is present.

A small, intense downdraft that spreads outward at the surface and can cause a sudden severe loss of airspeed and lift on takeoff or approach, making it a critical wind shear hazard.

A rapid change in wind speed or direction over a short distance near the ground that can abruptly change aircraft performance, often linked to thunderstorms, fronts, or strong surface winds.

Turbulence occurring without visible cloud, frequently near jet streams or mountain waves, which can be strong enough to injure occupants and may require a change of route or altitude.

A notice giving information on the establishment, condition, or change of any facility, service, procedure, or hazard in the airspace system that is essential to crews and dispatchers.

Controlled airspace generally from 18,000 feet MSL up to and including flight level 600, in which all aircraft must be operated under IFR with an ATC clearance.

Airspace set aside for activities that must be separated from routine traffic, including prohibited, restricted, warning, and military operating areas, each governed by its own operating rules.

The lowest published altitude between radio fixes on an airway that ensures acceptable navigation signal coverage and meets obstacle clearance requirements along the entire segment.

A published ATC departure procedure that provides obstacle clearance and an orderly path from the terminal area to the enroute structure; it must be briefed and affects takeoff planning.

Reduced vertical separation minimum: 1,000 feet of vertical separation between aircraft in the airspace from flight level 290 through 410, requiring approved aircraft and accurate altitude-keeping equipment.

Automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast: a system in which aircraft automatically transmit position and other data derived from onboard navigation, used by ATC for surveillance and by pilots for situational awareness.

An FAA-approved document listing equipment that may be inoperative while the aircraft is dispatched, together with the conditions, limitations, and procedures that must be observed.

A planned descent to a lower altitude after an engine failure or loss of cabin pressurization, at which the aircraft can hold level flight along the route or to a suitable alternate.

The interval between losing a normal oxygen supply and the point at which a person can no longer act effectively, falling from several minutes at 25,000 feet to seconds above 40,000 feet.

Traffic alert and collision avoidance system: equipment that monitors nearby transponder-equipped aircraft and issues traffic advisories and resolution advisories to help pilots avoid midair collisions.

Training and practices that make use of all available resources, including crew members, equipment, and information, to improve communication, decision making, and teamwork and reduce human error.