Flight Plan - Some Terms and Acronyms Used in Flight Planning

Some Terms and Acronyms Used in Flight Planning

Above Ground Level (AGL)

A measurement of altitude above a specific land mass (also see MSL).

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

The ICAO is the specialized agency of the United Nations with a mandate "to ensure the safe, efficient and orderly evolution of international civil aviation." The standards which become accepted by the ICAO member nations "cover all technical and operational aspects of international civil aviation, such as safety, personnel licensing, operation of aircraft, aerodromes, air traffic services, accident investigation and the environment." A simple example of ICAO responsibilities is the unique worldwide names used to identify Navaids, Airways, airports and countries.

Knot (Kt)

A unit of speed used in navigation equal to one nautical mile per hour.

Mean Sea Level (MSL)

The average height of the surface of the sea for all stages of tide; used as a reference for elevations (also see AGL).

Nautical mile (NM)

A unit of distance used in aviation equal to approximately one minute of arc of latitude. It is defined to be 1852 metres exactly, or approximately 1.15 statute mile.