Pilot/Controller Glossary 

5/19/22 

ASR APPROACH

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(See SURVEILLANCE APPROACH.) 

ASSOCIATED

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 A radar target displaying a data 

block with flight identification and altitude 
information. 

(See UNASSOCIATED.) 

ATC

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(See AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL.) 

ATC ADVISES

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  Used to prefix a message of 

noncontrol information when it is relayed to an 
aircraft by other than an air traffic controller. 

(See ADVISORY.) 

ATC ASSIGNED AIRSPACE

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 Airspace of defined 

vertical/lateral limits, assigned by ATC, for the 
purpose of providing air traffic segregation between 
the specified activities being conducted within the 
assigned airspace and other IFR air traffic. 

(See SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE.) 

ATC CLEARANCE

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(See AIR TRAFFIC CLEARANCE.) 

ATC CLEARS

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 Used to prefix an ATC clearance 

when it is relayed to an aircraft by other than an air 
traffic controller. 

ATC INSTRUCTIONS

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 Directives issued by air 

traffic control for the purpose of requiring a pilot to 
take specific actions; e.g., “Turn left heading two five 
zero,” “Go around,” “Clear the runway.” 

(Refer to 14 CFR Part 91.) 

ATC PREFERRED ROUTE NOTIFICATION

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EDST notification to the appropriate controller of the 
need to determine if an ATC preferred route needs to 
be applied, based on destination airport. 

(See ROUTE ACTION NOTIFICATION.) 
(See EN ROUTE DECISION SUPPORT TOOL.) 

ATC PREFERRED ROUTES

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 Preferred routes that 

are not automatically applied by Host. 

ATC REQUESTS

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 Used to prefix an ATC request 

when it is relayed to an aircraft by other than an air 
traffic controller. 

ATC SECURITY SERVICES

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 Communications 

and security tracking provided by an ATC facility in 
support of the DHS, the DOD, or other Federal 
security elements in the interest of national security. 
Such security services are only applicable within 

designated areas. ATC security services do not 
include ATC basic radar services or flight following. 

ATC SECURITY SERVICES POSITION

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 The 

position responsible for providing ATC security 
services as defined. This position does not provide 
ATC, IFR separation, or VFR flight following 
services, but is responsible for providing security 
services in an area comprising airspace assigned to 
one or more ATC operating sectors. This position 
may be combined with control positions. 

ATC SECURITY TRACKING

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 The continuous 

tracking of aircraft movement by an ATC facility in 
support of the DHS, the DOD, or other security 
elements for national security using radar (i.e., radar 
tracking) or other means (e.g., manual tracking) 
without providing basic radar services (including 
traffic advisories) or other ATC services not defined 
in this section. 

ATS SURVEILLANCE SERVICE [ICAO]– A term 
used to indicate a service provided directly by means 
of an ATS surveillance system. 

ATC SURVEILLANCE SOURCE– Used by ATC 
for establishing identification, control and separation 
using a target depicted on an air traffic control 
facility’s video display that has met the relevant 
safety standards for operational use and received 
from one, or a combination, of the following 
surveillance sources: 
a. Radar (See RADAR.) 
b. ADS-B (See AUTOMATIC DEPENDENT 
SURVEILLANCE

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BROADCAST.) 

c. WAM (See WIDE AREA MULTILATERATION.) 

(See INTERROGATOR.) 
(See TRANSPONDER.) 
(See ICAO term RADAR.) 
(Refer to AIM.) 

ATS SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM [ICAO]– A 
generic term meaning variously, ADS

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B, PSR, SSR 

or any comparable ground

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based system that enables 

the identification of aircraft. 

Note: A comparable ground

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based system is one 

that has been demonstrated, by comparative 
assessment or other methodology, to have a level 
of safety and performance equal to or better than 
monopulse SSR. 

ATCAA

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(See ATC ASSIGNED AIRSPACE.) 

ATCRBS

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(See RADAR.) 

PCG A

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