Now moving into altitude and minima terms — Page 337, Lesson 319

This is the index of the book — a list of terms and the page numbers where they are defined or discussed. I want to walk you through the key terms that appear here, because these are the building blocks of flight planning and monitoring that you will need to know as a professional pilot. Let's start with the mass-related terms. Maximum Landing Mass, abbreviated MLM, is the maximum weight at which an aircraft is certified to land. That is page 75. Right next to it is Maximum Take-off Mass, or MTOM — the maximum weight for take-off, also on page 75. Then Maximum Zero Fuel Mass, MZFM, again page 75 — that is the maximum weight of the aircraft without any usable fuel on board, essentially the structure plus payload. Now moving into altitude and minima terms. Minimum Descent Altitude/Height, written MDA/H, appears on pages 172 and 148. This is the lowest altitude, expressed as either altitude above mean sea level or height above the aerodrome, to which descent is authorised on a non-precision approach without visual reference. Minimum En Route IFR Altitude, MEA, is on page 150 — that is the lowest altitude that provides adequate navigation signal coverage and obstacle clearance on an IFR route. Minimum Obstruction Clearance Altitude, MOCA, also page 150, is similar but ensures obstacle clearance within a defined corridor. Minimum Off-route Altitude, MORA, page 150, is a calculated altitude that provides a safety margin above all obstacles within a given area off the airway. Next, approach and missed approach terms. Missed Approach Point, MAPt, is on page 173 — that is the point in an instrument approach procedure where, if the required visual reference has not been established, the pilot must execute a missed approach. Missed Approach Procedure, also page 173, is the published procedure to be followed from the MAPt. Then navigation aids. MLS stands for Microwave Landing System, page 149. NDB is Non-Directional Beacon, page 149. VOR is VHF Omnidirectional Range, page 149. TACAN is Tactical Air Navigation, page 149 — a military system that provides both bearing and distance. NOTAM is Notice to Airmen, page 3 — time-critical aeronautical information. Now flight planning terms. Point of Equal Time, PET, page 243 — the point along a route where the time to continue to the destination equals the time to return to the departure point, considering wind. Point of No Return, PNR, page 259 — the point beyond which the aircraft no longer has sufficient fuel to return to its departure aerodrome. Point of Safe Return, PSR, also page 259 — similar but considers a safe diversion airfield. Airspace terms: Prohibited Area, page 130 — airspace where flight is permanently prohibited. Restricted Area, also page 130 — airspace where flight is subject to restrictions. Altimeter settings: QFE, page 148 — the atmospheric pressure at aerodrome elevation, set to read height above the aerodrome. QNE, page 148 — the standard pressure setting of 1013.25 hPa, used above the transition altitude. QNH, page 148 — the pressure setting that makes the altimeter read elevation above mean sea level when on the ground. Flight plan terms: Repetitive Flight Plan, RPL, page 207 — a flight plan filed for a series of regularly scheduled flights. Rule Distance and Rule Time, both page 110 — these are distances and times used in fuel planning regulations. Runway Visual Range, RVR, page 172 — the distance over which a pilot can see the runway surface markings or lights. Safe Endurance, page 259 — the maximum time an aircraft can remain airborne with a safe fuel reserve. Suitable Airfield, page 110 — an airfield that meets the regulatory requirements for a diversion. The Flight Information Service, FIS, page 6 — a service provided to assist pilots with information relevant to safe flight. Threshold, page 148 — the beginning of the runway usable for landing. Threshold Distance, page 110 — the distance from the threshold used in landing distance calculations. Total Endurance, page 259 — the total time an aircraft can remain airborne from take-off to fuel exhaustion. Traffic Load, page 76 — the total weight of passengers, baggage, cargo, and mail. Transition Altitude, Transition Layer, and Transition Level, all page 148 — the altitude at which pilots change from local pressure settings to standard pressure, the layer between them, and the flight level used above that layer. Trip Fuel, page 23 — the fuel required from engine start to landing at the destination. True Direction, page 129 — direction measured relative to true north. These are the core terms you will encounter throughout this book. Each one has a precise definition and operational significance that we will explore in detail as we go through the chapters.