CAAP Flight Dispatcher key terms

A certificate issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines authorizing an operator to conduct commercial air transport operations, specifying the types of aircraft and kinds of operations permitted.

The document attached to an AOC that lists specific authorizations, limitations, and conditions such as routes, aerodromes, approaches, and special procedures an operator may use.

The national regulatory framework issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, largely aligned with ICAO Annexes, governing licensing, operations, airworthiness, and air traffic services.

The international standard covering operation of aircraft, setting requirements for flight operations, crew, fuel, instruments, and record keeping for commercial air transport.

Regulatory limits on how many hours a crew member may fly and be on duty within defined periods, intended to control fatigue and preserve safe performance.

The elapsed time from when a crew member reports for duty to when they are released from it, including flying and ground duties but excluding rest.

An uninterrupted block of time free of all duty during which a crew member may sleep and recover before the next duty period.

A document prepared for a specific flight listing route, altitudes, fuel, weights, alternates, and expected conditions, used by the crew and retained for operational control.

An aerodrome to which an aircraft may proceed if landing at the intended destination becomes impossible or inadvisable, requiring adequate weather and runway suitability.

The point along a route where the time needed to reach either of two diversion aerodromes is the same, used for planning diversions on long overwater sectors.

The furthest point along a route from which an aircraft can still return to its departure aerodrome with the fuel remaining, after which continuation is the only option.

The operator's approved method for calculating fuel uplift, defining taxi, trip, contingency, alternate, final reserve, and additional fuel components for each flight.

The minimum fuel that must remain on landing, typically 30 minutes of holding at 1,500 feet above the alternate, protecting against unforeseen delays.

Fuel carried to cover unplanned deviations such as weather, routing, or traffic delays, usually a percentage of trip fuel or a time-based allowance.

The total weight of the aircraft and its contents excluding usable fuel, used as a limiting structural weight for planning payload.

The highest weight at which an aircraft is certified to begin the takeoff roll, limited by structure, runway length, climb performance, or obstacle clearance.

The point where the aircraft's total weight is considered concentrated, which must stay within a certified forward and aft range for control and performance.

A document showing the distribution of traffic load, total weights, and the resulting center of gravity position, signed before departure as a loading record.

The runway length at which the accelerate-stop distance equals the accelerate-go distance, giving the greatest allowable takeoff weight for a runway.

The decision speed at which a failure is recognized and the takeoff can either be safely continued or safely stopped on the remaining runway.

The takeoff safety speed that must be maintained to at least 35 feet above the runway end with one engine inoperative, ensuring minimum climb gradient.

A descent to a lower altitude after an engine failure at high altitude, where the aircraft can maintain level flight on remaining thrust until a suitable diversion.

A routine coded observation of surface weather at an aerodrome, reporting wind, visibility, cloud, temperature, dew point, and pressure at a stated time.

A forecast of expected aerodrome weather covering a stated period, used to judge whether destination and alternate weather will meet planning minima.

A special aerodrome weather report issued when conditions change significantly and meet specified criteria, such as a sudden drop in visibility or ceiling.

A sudden change in wind speed or direction over a short distance, often near thunderstorms or frontal zones, that can cause large airspeed changes on approach.

A localized downdraft producing a strong outflow at the surface, creating a headwind then tailwind shift that can cause severe performance loss on approach.

A warning issued by low-level wind shear alerting systems when a microburst is detected, advising pilots of hazardous wind conditions near the aerodrome.

A precision approach aid providing lateral guidance from a localizer and vertical guidance from a glide path, allowing approaches to low decision heights.

The altitude on a precision approach at which a missed approach must be initiated if the required visual reference has not been established.

The lowest altitude on a non-precision approach to which descent may continue without the required visual reference to the runway environment.

An airspace designation permitting 1,000-foot vertical spacing between aircraft above a set altitude, requiring approved altimetry and autopilot equipment.

A navigation specification stating the accuracy an aircraft must maintain within a defined airspace, with onboard performance monitoring and alerting required.

An approved document listing instruments and equipment that may be inoperative while still allowing dispatch, subject to stated conditions and repair intervals.

A document completed by the shipper certifying that a consignment has been classified, packed, marked, and labeled in accordance with applicable dangerous goods regulations.

A four-digit identification code assigned to a specific dangerous good or group of goods, used to look up handling, packing, and emergency response information.

The signed statement from the consignor that accompanies a dangerous goods shipment, providing identification, class, quantity, and packing details for acceptance checks.

Training and practice that develops effective use of all available resources, including crew, equipment, and information, to improve safety and decision making.

A framework for recognizing threats to a flight, trapping errors before they escalate, and managing any undesired aircraft state that results.

A crew's accurate perception and understanding of what is happening around the aircraft, including position, weather, traffic, and system status.

The body's internal roughly 24-hour cycle regulating sleep and alertness, which is disrupted by crossing time zones and by night flying.

A structured set of processes for identifying hazards, assessing and mitigating risk, and assuring safety performance within an aviation organization.

A safety approach that encourages reporting of errors without fear of punishment while still holding people accountable for reckless or intentional acts.

The pressure value set on the altimeter subscale so that the instrument indicates the correct altitude or flight level for the phase of flight.

The altitude above which a pilot sets the standard pressure reference and reports flight levels instead of altitudes, varying by aerodrome or region.