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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