Constitution of The Vicktorya Stone

[[ note the test here, seeing how ridiculous this long of a post looks ]]

If it looks really bad, I’ll insert book links to spice it up.  (Now there’s a great idea, Vic.)

Vic

YES, this is directly from the world-famous, genuinely popular, Aviationese Glossary — as a co-creation of friendly 2nd Lieutenants, Captains and Majors all who were named Dick.  (The Lt. Colonels were dancing being briefed at Miramar and could not be reached for comment.)

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AAA:  We begin our glossary with the more ominous aspect of military aviation: Anti-Aircraft Artillery.  (Pronounce it like the USA auto club: “triple A”.)  Pilots avoid this by JINKING and popping CHAFF and FLARES.)  See SAM.

AB:  See AFTERBURNER.

ABSOLUTE CEILING:  The answer to the question, “How high can it fly?”  All aircraft require an atmosphere dense enough to allow its CONTROL SURFACES to maneuver and its engines to produce sufficient THRUST.  Because the design of each aircraft is different, each craft’s controllability degrades at different altitudes/ densities.  The altitude at which a craft would normally lose control is referred to as its Absolute Ceiling.  (The space shuttle cheats by using rocket power and thrusters, so it wouldn’t have a normal Absolute Ceiling, since it doesn’t have traditional Control Surfaces.)

ACLS:  Actually Crash Landed Safely.  Well, pretty close … it’s the Automatic Carrier Landing System, (aka Spin 42), a complex computer data link electronics system with components in both the airplane and the ship or landing field.  To initiate the system, the pilot selects ACL control, the system engages, and automatically guides the airplane on to the SHIP (or runway at a FIELD that is equipped with Spin 42 equipment.)  The ACLS components are controlled by a Seaman “Nintendo” Class, who sits below deck and guides the plane onto the carrier deck with joy-sticks.  If the plane crashes, he simply puts another $25,000,000 coin in and tries again with the next pilot.  These systems are installed in the computerized PLANES in case the weather is ZERO ZERO or the pilot chickens out.  Not the same as ILS.

ACM:  Air Combat Maneuvering.  This is DOGFIGHTING, (you know, the turning and burning, yanking and banking part.)  The quintessence of military flying.  ACM is a FIGHTER JOCK’s reason for living.  (“Sorry, Honey, I have my priorities, er, um, I mean, my country comes first and they make me to do this.”)  To a layman, ACM can only be imagined by watching the pilots replaying their aerial exploits by O CLUB antics replete with twisting and flailing about of hands, and the words, “There I was …”  ACM is an INTRODUCED ITEM during ADVANCED training; AGGRESSIVENESS is now openly graded (e.g., “above average in aggressiveness.”)  This is where SCISSORS and YO-YOs come in handy in keeping the bad guy off your SIX.

Continue reading Max G: Aviationese “A” entries only