Aviation Glossary

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The following is a list of terms often peculiar to aviation, particularly in Canada.

ACPA
Acronym for Air Canada Pilots Association
ALPA
Acronym for Air Line Pilots Association
ANS
Acronym for Air Navigation Service
CARAC
Acronym for Civil Aviation Regulatory Advisory Council
CARs
Acronym for Canadian Aviation Regulations
CBAA
Acronym for Canadian Business Aviation Association
CFPA
Acronym for Canadian Federal Pilots Association, the union representing pilot inspectors (AOs) at Transport Canada. 
CLC
Acronym for Canada Labour Code
Dryden Commission of Inquiry
Judicial Inquiry, headed by Justice Virgil Moshansky, into the fatal Air Ontario Flight 1363 which crashed near Dryden, Ontario on March 10th, 1989.  For more information, see The Role of the Judiciary in Aviation Safety:  The Inside Story and Legacy of Dryden.
FAA
Acronym for Federal Aviation Administration
GPS
Acronym for Global Positioning System
HRSDC
Acronym for Human Resources and Skills Development (Canada)
ICAO
Acronym for International Civil Aviation Organization
IFR
Acronym for Instrument Flight Rules: the rules that apply in poor visibility (e.g. in darkness or in cloud) when pilots have to rely heavily on their instruments to fly safely. (Also see VFR)
NavCanada
Nav Canada is the privately-run, not-for-profit organization that operates Canada’s Air Navigation Service (ANS).
NTSB
Acronym for National Transportation Public Sector Integrity Commissioner/Office of Safety Board – USA
PSIC/OPSIC
Acronym for Public Sector Integrity Commissioner/Office of.
The mandate of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner is to protect government whistleblowers and to investigate their allegations, as set out in the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act, which came into force on April 15, 2007.
Queen’s Privy Council
The Queen's Privy Council is the government agency responsible for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.
SATOPS
Acronym for Safety of Air Taxi Operations (Final Report, 1998)
SCOTIC
Acronym for Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities – the Parliamentary committee that oversees Transport Canada.  Also known as "TRAN".
SEIFR
Acronym for Single Engine Instrument Flight Rules
SMS
Acronym for Safety Management Systems, whereby carriers implement their own policies and procedures to ensure safety
TC/TCCA
Acronym for Transport Canada/Transport Canada Civil Aviation
TSB
Acronym for Transportation Safety Board of Canada 
UCTE 
Acronym for Union of Canadian Transportation Employees, representing non-pilot inspectors (TIs) at Transport Canada.
VFR
Acronym for Visual Flight Rules: the rules that apply in good visibility, when pilots are able to fly safely with reference to fewer instruments. (Also see IFR)