THE BIZJET REFERENCE
Clear explanations of the terms, codes and abbreviations behind private flight. Search a phrase, explore a subject or browse from A to Z.
43 definitions
An intermediary that connects a charter customer with an air carrier. A broker's role in arranging a trip is distinct from the carrier's role in operating it.
Check which company will operate the flight and the capacity in which the broker is acting.
A service that manages aircraft movements to reduce collision risk and support an orderly flow of traffic.
An ATC clearance does not replace the pilot's responsibility to operate the aircraft safely.
An ICAO description combines aircraft configuration, engine count and engine type. L2J, for example, describes a landplane with two jet engines.
It describes the aircraft's basic arrangement. It is separate from its type designator, wake category and commercial cabin class.
The ICAO code used to identify an aircraft type in air traffic services and flight-plan data. ICAO maintains these designators in Doc 8643.
A manufacturer's marketing name and a type designator are different identifiers; a designator can cover more than one named model or variant.
A code used by a particular authority or database to identify an airport record. Its format and meaning depend on the issuing system.
OurAirports uses an internal ident field. Read the separately identified ICAO, IATA and local-code fields rather than assuming the internal value is an ICAO assignment.
The condition of an aircraft that conforms to its applicable approved design and is fit for safe operation.
An aircraft's airworthiness and an operator's authority to conduct a particular flight are separate questions.
Vertical distance above a specified reference, commonly mean sea level. The reference matters when comparing flight levels, terrain clearance and airport elevations.
Height above ground and altitude above mean sea level describe different measurements.
A navigation method allowing aircraft to follow a desired path within the capabilities of the navigation systems and infrastructure being used.
RNAV capability does not automatically establish approval for every published procedure.
A surveillance system in which equipped aircraft broadcast position and other information for use by air traffic services and suitably equipped aircraft.
Tracking coverage depends on equipment and reception; an absent public track does not establish that a flight did not occur.
An onboard unit that can supply power for aircraft systems when the main engines are not providing it. Its capabilities depend on the aircraft.
An APU is different from ground power supplied by equipment at an airport.
A coded report of observed weather at an aerodrome, normally including wind, visibility, cloud and temperature information.
A METAR is an observation; a TAF is a forecast.
A commercial grouping used to compare business aircraft, such as light, midsize, super-midsize, heavy or ultra-long-range. Boundaries vary between publishers and providers.
These shopping categories are not ICAO type designators, wake categories or a substitute for an aircraft's actual seating and performance data.
For weather reporting, the height above the surface of the lowest cloud layer reported as broken or overcast, or vertical visibility into an obscuration.
A weather ceiling is different from an aircraft's service ceiling.
Air transportation arranged for a particular trip rather than bought as a seat on an ordinary scheduled airline service. Operating rules and permissions depend on the jurisdiction and operation.
In the United States, many on-demand charter operations fall under Part 135. Verify the carrier and aircraft authorization for the proposed flight.
The common time reference used in aviation communications, forecasts and flight planning.
Local dates and clock times can differ from UTC, especially across time zones or the international date line.
Pressure altitude adjusted for nonstandard temperature: a way to describe how dense the air is for aircraft performance.
Hot conditions and high elevations can reduce takeoff and climb capability, changing the payload an aircraft can carry.
An electrically powered aircraft designed to take off and land vertically. The term describes propulsion and operating capability, not a single certified aircraft category.
Certification, operating approval, infrastructure and commercial availability are separate stages.
A repositioning sector flown without the passengers for whom the surrounding itinerary is arranged. In charter use, operators may offer such sectors for a separate trip.
Its route and timing depend on the underlying aircraft schedule; availability and cancellation conditions need confirmation.
A flight to move an aircraft between locations, for example for delivery, a return to base or maintenance.
Some ferry flights require a special flight permit; the term alone does not establish permission to carry passengers.
An airport business providing services such as fueling, parking, hangar space or other support for general aviation aircraft and their users.
The airport, the FBO and the air carrier can be separate organizations.
A pressure-based vertical level referenced to the standard altimeter setting of 1013.2 hPa, or 29.92 inHg. The number represents hundreds of feet on that setting.
FL350 corresponds to an indicated 35,000 feet on standard pressure, not a fixed height above the ground.
Information supplied to air traffic services about an intended flight, including its route and other operational details.
A filed plan and an issued ATC clearance are different things.
Civil aviation outside scheduled air services and nonscheduled air transport for remuneration or hire in the ICAO definition. Everyday industry use can vary.
Business aviation describes a purpose of flying; it can involve different operating rules and ownership arrangements.
A three-letter code used by the travel industry for airports and other travel locations, including some metropolitan areas and intermodal stations.
An IATA code is different from an ICAO location indicator; not every airfield has an IATA code.
A four-letter indicator for an aviation location, listed in ICAO Doc 7910 and used in operational information and communications.
A four-character database value is not sufficient evidence that a location has an assigned ICAO indicator.
Rules governing flight under instrument procedures and associated requirements. IFR flights are not defined simply by whether the weather is cloudy.
A flight can operate under IFR in good visual weather.
A ground-based precision approach system providing lateral guidance and vertical glide-slope guidance to a runway.
Using an ILS does not by itself mean the aircraft will perform an automatic landing.
A unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour.
Airspeed and groundspeed can differ because the air itself is moving.
The ratio of an aircraft's true airspeed to the local speed of sound.
Mach 0.80 is 80 percent of the local speed of sound; its equivalent speed in knots changes with atmospheric conditions.
The maximum permitted total mass or weight of the aircraft for takeoff, including its load and fuel.
The usable limit for a particular departure can be lower because of runway, weather, obstacle or other performance constraints.
A unit of distance used in navigation, equal to 1,852 metres.
It is longer than a statute mile. Keep distance units consistent when comparing aircraft range or route lengths.
An operational notice about a facility, service, procedure or hazard whose status matters to flight operations, such as a temporary runway closure.
Read current notices for the route and airfields. A directory listing is not a substitute for an operational briefing.
Responsibility for decisions to initiate, conduct or terminate a flight. It is a core distinction when identifying who is operating a charter.
Arranging payment or appearing on a booking website does not by itself identify the party with operational control.
The section of U.S. federal aviation rules covering commuter and on-demand operations and related requirements.
A software listing, broker relationship or aircraft registration does not alone prove authorization for a particular charter flight.
The load carried for the flight's purpose, such as passengers, baggage and cargo. It is distinct from fuel and the aircraft's operating weight.
More fuel can reduce the payload that fits within weight limits; maximum advertised range and maximum payload may not be available together.
The pilot with responsibility and final authority for the operation and safety of the flight.
The PIC's operational decisions remain separate from a customer's travel preferences.
A requirement to obtain permission before using an airfield or facility under the conditions published for it.
PPR, airport slots, parking reservations and customs arrangements can be separate requirements.
The distance an aircraft can fly under stated assumptions, which may specify payload, fuel reserves, speed and atmospheric conditions.
A brochure range is not a guarantee for a particular trip; the operator must assess the actual route and conditions.
Airspace in which eligible aircraft can use 1,000-foot vertical separation between FL290 and FL410 inclusive.
Aircraft equipment, maintenance and operational requirements apply; RVSM is not a cabin-size classification.
An alternative to conventional fossil-based jet fuel that meets the applicable fuel specification and sustainability requirements for its production pathway and use.
Benefits are assessed across the fuel life cycle. SAF use does not make a flight emission-free, and savings vary with the fuel pathway.
A coded forecast of expected weather at an aerodrome over a stated period.
Read its validity times and change groups; a TAF predicts conditions rather than recording an observation.
Rules for flying under specified visual conditions and associated operating requirements.
VFR and IFR describe operating rules, not simply whether the aircraft has windows or whether its route is short.
An operational grouping used to manage the effects of aircraft wake. ICAO flight-plan indicators include Light (L), Medium (M), Heavy (H) and Super (J).
These labels are different from business-jet cabin classes. FAA and local wake-separation schemes can use other groupings; use the applicable operational reference.
