qv = also in Glossary

A

    • A Type

      1920s hangar type
    • A&AEE

      Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment
    • A1 Type

      WW2 hangar type
    • AA

      Anti-Aircraft; Automobile Association (civil)
    • AAC

      Army Air Corps (1957-present)
    • AACU

      Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit
    • AAP

      Aircraft Acceptance Park
    • AASF

      Advanced Air Striking Force
    • ABCT

      Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust (UK's first national airfield charity)
    • ABG

      Air Base Group (USAF)
    • ABS

      Air Base Squadron (USAF)
    • ACHU

      Air Crew Holding Unit
    • ADDL

      Aerodrome Dummy Deck Landing (FAA, to train pilots to land on aircraft carriers)
    • ADGB

      Air Defence of Great Britain (RAF organisation 1925-36, 1943-44)
    • Admiralty Type F (Seaplane) Shed

      WW1 hangar type
    • Admiralty Type G (Seaplane) Shed

      WW1 hangar type
    • Aerial lighthouse

      1920s/1930s navigation aid for civil aircraft
    • Aerodrome

      [increasingly archaic, though still often used for smaller civil airfields] Airfield [qv]
    • Aeroplane shed

      [archaic] Hangar [qv]
    • Aerotow

      Launching technique through towing glider into air by a powered aircraft
    • AEW

      Airborne Early Warning (radar)
    • AFS

      Advanced Flying School
    • AFTS

      Advanced Flying Training School
    • AFU

      Advanced Flying Unit
    • AGS

      Air Gunnery School
    • AI

      Airborne Interception (radar)
    • Air base/Airbase

      [casually/somewhat controversially] Airfield, especially one of a military nature
    • Air Command

      RAF organisation (2007-present)
    • Air Ministry

      Government department (1918-1964)
    • Air Support Command

      RAF organisation (1967-1972)
    • Air Traffic Control

      Supervision of aircraft, both in the air and on the ground
    • Airborne forces

      Military elements moved and dropped by aircraft for primarily offensive operations
    • Airfield

      Area used by aircraft for take-off and landing; WW2 composite unit, soon succeeded by Wing
    • Air-minded

      Interested in aviation or aircraft
    • Airport

      Civil airfield, used commercially and often with Customs facilities
    • Airship shed

      Large building to house powered lighter-than-air aircraft
    • Airship station

      Airfield where airships operate from
    • Airship sub-station

      WW1 dispersed airfield, often little more than cleared woodland, where airships could land for forward deployment during operations or in the event of e.g. bad weather [qv also mooring-out base}
    • Airstrip

      Smaller and especially less permanent form of airfield
    • ALG

      Advanced Landing Ground
    • AML Bombing Teacher

      WW2 instructional building
    • Amphibian

      Aircraft able to operate from either land or water
    • ANS

      Air Navigation School
    • Anti-Diver

      Operation against V-1 flying bombs
    • AONS

      Air Observer & Navigation School
    • AOP

      Air Observation Post (relating to Auster artillery spotter aircraft)
    • AOS

      Air Observers School
    • APC

      Armament Practice Camp
    • Apron

      Normally paved area around main airfield buildings where aircraft parked
    • ARD

      Aircraft Repair Depot
    • Army Co-operation Command

      RAF organisation (1940-1943)
    • Army Track (Surfacing)

      Type of metal runway
    • Arrester gear

      Device on landing area to stop or slow down aircraft
    • ARS

      Aircraft Repair Shed
    • ASP

      Aircraft Servicing Platform
    • ASR

      Air-Sea Rescue
    • ASU

      Aircraft Storage Unit
    • ASV

      Air-to-surface vessel (radar)
    • ATA

      Air Transport Auxiliary (WW2 aircraft ferrying organisation 1940-1945)
    • ATC

      Air Traffic Control; Air Training Corps (RAF cadet organisation 1941-present); Armament Training Camp
    • ATS

      Armament Training Station
    • Austerity period

      Relating to airfields of the WW2 era
    • Autogiro/autogyro

      Aircraft using a mixture of a powered propeller and unpowered rotor
    • AuxAF

      Auxiliary Air Force (RAF organisation, formed 1924, became RAuxAF [qv] 1947)

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