Glossary
A Type
1920s hangar type
A1 Type
WW2 hangar type
AA
Anti-Aircraft; Automobile Association (civil)
AAC
Army Air Corps (1957-present)
AACU
Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit
A&AEE
Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment
AAP
Aircraft Acceptance Park
AASF
Advanced Air Striking Force
ABCT
Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust (UK's first national airfield charity)
ABG
Air Base Group (USAF)
ABS
Air Base Squadron (USAF)
ACHU
Air Crew Holding Unit
ADDL
Aerodrome Dummy Deck Landing (FAA, to train pilots to land on aircraft carriers)
ADGB
Air Defence of Great Britain (RAF organisation 1925-36, 1943-44)
Admiralty Type F (Seaplane) Shed
WW1 hangar type
Admiralty Type G (Seaplane) Shed
WW1 hangar type
Aerial lighthouse
1920s/1930s navigation aid for civil aircraft
Aerodrome
[increasingly archaic, though still often used for smaller civil airfields] Airfield [qv]
Aeroplane shed
[archaic] Hangar [qv]
Aerotow
Launching technique through towing glider into air by a powered aircraft
AEW
Airborne Early Warning (radar)
AFS
Advanced Flying School
AFTS
Advanced Flying Training School
AFU
Advanced Flying Unit
(O) AFU
(Observers) Advanced Flying Unit
(P) AFU
(Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit
AGS
Air Gunnery School
AI
Airborne Interception (radar)
Air base/Airbase
[casually/somewhat controversially] Airfield, especially one of a military nature
Air Command
RAF organisation (2007-present)
Air-minded
Interested in aviation or aircraft
Air Ministry
Government department (1918-1964)
Air Support Command
RAF organisation (1967-1972)
Air Traffic Control
Supervision of aircraft, both in the air and on the ground
Airborne forces
Military elements moved and dropped by aircraft for primarily offensive operations
Airfield
Area used by aircraft for take-off and landing; WW2 composite unit, soon succeeded by Wing
Airport
Civil airfield, used commercially and often with Customs facilities
Airship shed
Large building to house powered lighter-than-air aircraft
Airship station
Airfield where airships operate from
Airship sub-station
WW1 dispersed airfield, often little more than cleared woodland, where airships could land for forward deployment during operations or in the event of e.g. bad weather [qv also mooring-out base}
Airstrip
Smaller and especially less permanent form of airfield
ALG
Advanced Landing Ground
AML Bombing Teacher
WW2 instructional building
Amphibian
Aircraft able to operate from either land or water
ANS
Air Navigation School
Anti-Diver
Operation against V-1 flying bombs
AONS
Air Observer & Navigation School
AOP
Air Observation Post (relating to Auster artillery spotter aircraft)
AOS
Air Observers School
APC
Armament Practice Camp
Apron
Normally paved area around main airfield buildings where aircraft parked
ARD
Aircraft Repair Depot
Army Co-operation Command
RAF organisation (1940-1943)
Army Track (Surfacing)
Type of metal runway
Arrester gear
Device on landing area to stop or slow down aircraft
ARS
Aircraft Repair Shed
ASP
Aircraft Servicing Platform
ASR
Air-Sea Rescue
ASU
Aircraft Storage Unit
ASV
Air-to-surface vessel (radar)
ATA
Air Transport Auxiliary (WW2 aircraft ferrying organisation 1940-1945)
ATC
Air Traffic Control; Air Training Corps (RAF cadet organisation 1941-present); Armament Training Camp
ATS
Armament Training Station
Austerity period
Relating to airfields of the WW2 era
Autogiro/autogyro
Aircraft using a mixture of a powered propeller and unpowered rotor
AuxAF
Auxiliary Air Force (RAF organisation, formed 1924, became RAuxAF [qv] 1947)
B Type Hut
WW2 airfield support building
B1
WW2 hangar type
BAA
British Airports Authority (civil)
Baedeker raid
Luftwaffe bombing attacks during 1942 against British cities deemed culturally and/or historically significant
Balloon Command
RAF organisation (1938-1945)
Bar and Rod Tracking
Type of metal runway
Barrage balloon
Defensive balloon attached to ground by metal cables, intended to damage or deter enemy aircraft
Base Station
WW2 more substantial Bomber Command airfield, administering Base Sub-Stations [qv] and carrying out more extensive maintenance/servicing of aircraft
Base Sub-Station
WW2 somewhat less substantial and more austerity period Bomber Command airfield, independent but technically a satellite and under the overall administration of a Base Station [qv]
BAT Flight
Blind (later Beam) Approach Training Flight
Battle HQ
WW2 airfield defence control building
Battle of Britain
World's greatest ever air campaign (10 July-31 October 1940)
Battle of Britain Day
Peak of Battle of Britain [qv], also now annual commemoration
BC
Bomber Command [qv]
BCF Hut
WW2 airfield support building
BDTF
Bomber Defence Training Flight
BEA
British European Airways (civil airline)
Beam (approach)
Type of aircraft landing system
Belfast (Truss)
Colloquial name for General Service Shed (WW1 hangar type, named after wooden trusses supporting roof)
Bellman
1930s/1940s hangar type
Bessonneau
WW1 hangar type
BFTS
Basic Flying Training School
BG
Bomb/Bombardment Group (USAAF)
B&GS
Bombing and Gunnery School
Blitz (The)
Luftwaffe bombing attacks on British cities and towns (September 1940-May 1941)
BOAC
British Overseas Airways Corporation (civil airline)
Bomb trolley
Wheeled device to transport bombs and other weaponry devices to aircraft
Bomber Command
RAF organisation (1936-1968)
Bomber support
WW2 assistance to RAF heavy bombers through a mixture of electronic warfare and offensive night fighter operations
Braithwaite
WW2 water tower type
Butler (Combat)
WW2 American hangar type
BW
Bomb/Bombardment Wing (USAAF/USAF)